Enomoto Takeaki, in Meiji 1st year, trying to build a new country in Ezochi, led the former Shogunate army together with Shinsengumi's Hijikata Toshizō and others, landed at Washinoki, and after that, occupied Goryōkaku.

The next year, in the Hakodate War, he fought with the New Government army and surrendered. However, by Kuroda Kiyotaka's kindness, Enomoto was helped, and in Meiji 5th year, he entered service in the Kaitakushi where Kuroda served as vice-minister. At that time, he directed the construction of Japan's first macadam paved road, "Sapporo Hondō," connecting Hakodate and Sapporo. "Sapporo Hondō" was connected by sea route from Mori to Muroran, and during the Mori pier construction work, Enomoto applied crude oil from Washinoki to the bridge piers and carried out antiseptic treatment.

This is considered to be the beginning of timber antiseptic construction methods in Japan, and at the Mori Pier ruins behind JR Mori Station, the bridge piers from that time still remain even now.