Vanished Villages in our district – a post mortem 

Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Glencoe Public Library

While Newbury continues to thrive, many once-bustling nearby settlements in west Middlesex have quietly disappeared from the map. What happened to places like Strathburn, Kilmartin, Ekfrid Station, Pratt Siding, and Cashmere—and why did Newbury and Glencoe endure while they did not?

In this illustrated and engaging talk, local historian Jennifer Grainger explores the rise and fall of these vanished villages. Drawing on maps, photographs, land records, and archaeological clues, she traces where these communities were located, how historians and genealogists research them today, and what—if anything—remains on the landscape.

This presentation will appeal to anyone interested in:

• Local and regional history
• Genealogy and place-based research
• Transportation, railways, and economic change
• Heritage preservation and memory

About the Speaker

Jennifer Grainger holds an MA in Archaeology and a Master of Library & Information Science. A former president of the London & Middlesex Historical Society and Architectural Conservancy Ontario London Region, she continues to champion local history and heritage buildings through her long-running blog Jenny’s London & Southwestern Ontario and numerous publications. She lives in London, Ontario, and manages internet sales for Attic Books.

Selected Publications

• Vanished Villages of Middlesex (Natural Heritage Books, 2002)
• Vanished Villages of Elgin (Dundurn, 2008)
• Early London (Biblioasis, 2016)
• London Free Press: From the Vault – Up to 1950
• London Free Press: From the Vault – 1950–1975

🔎 Why do some places vanish while others endure?
Join us to explore how geography, transportation, industry, and timing shaped the fate of Middlesex County’s lost communities—and what their stories still tell us today.