The Wilkes brothers of Brantford came to Sombra Township in 1850. They took advantage of the swampy forests of Lambton, purchasing 2000 acres of land and then harvesting the trees for lumber. A wave of settlers came to the new town of Wilkesport. By the 1860’s, the Wilkes brothers had exhausted the potential for lumber on their land and left the county. However, the other community members remained there, farming the open land that had once been thickly forested. Lambton County is notoriously flat and wet. It was once known as the Great Enniskellan Swamp. In fact, people didn’t bother venturing into the swamps until oil was discovered, because they had no reason to do so. The wetness acted as a barrier to agriculture, settlement, and transportation. It also led to swamp fever and malaria.