Dresden is a community in southwestern Ontario, Canada, part of the municipality of Chatham-Kent. Dresden is best known as the home of Josiah Henson, the former U.S. slave whose life story was the inspiration for the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. It has been, therefore, characterized as the "Terminus of the Underground Railroad", although many escaped slaves were known to gather, at least to worship, as far south and east as what is today Chatham, Ontario. The Henson homestead is a historic site located near what is today the town of Dresden, and is owned and operated by the Ontario Heritage Trust. Dresden is located on the Sydenham River. The community is named after Dresden, Germany. Dresden is currently the location of the Dresden Raceway, the only raceway in the Chatham-Kent Municipality, which features a 1/2 mile track for Harness Racing. Dresden is also home to a Casino (aka. the Dresden Slots.) operated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which is also the only Slots facility in the municipality. Dresden has one Ontario Secondary School, Lambton-Kent Composite School (LKCS), and one Public School, Dresden Area Central School (DACS), that serve Dresden and the surrounding communities. Dresden is celebrating it's 125th year since it's founding, as of 2007.
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