Join local historian Ken Willis for a guided walk through Wardsville. This walking tour highlights the history of Main Street, sharing stores of the buildings, people and events that have shaped the village. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Wardsville Museum
Meet at 1030 a.m. – facilitated by Dunc Hodgson & Heather Jacobs. A walk exploring the Appin community and surrounding landscape: Meet at The Ekfrid Museum behind the community centre. This walk will invite conversation about: The story of Appin as a rural crossroads community. Key places of gathering, past and present. Connections between land, history, and community life.
Come join us to care for our ancestors' resting place. Bring your own tools. 10 am
Kendra shared with us some of the real-world inspirations woven into the book. The novel is dedicated to two living tortoises: Jonathan, aged 193 on Saint Helena Island — the same remote island where Napoleon spent his final years — and Fernanda, believed to be the last surviving Fernandina tortoise in the world.
Twenty-five members and guests gathered at the Glencoe Library for Kae Elgie's presentation on her book, This Land: the Story of Two Hundred Acres in Kent County, Ontario. Drawing from extensive research preserved by her ancestors and combined with her own deep dive into census and land records, archaeological findings, and historical texts, Elgie told the remarkable story of 10,000 years of food gathering and agricultural production on the 200-acre farm in Chatham-Kent where she grew up. Her
This was a great event. We are going to hear much more from this beautiful hidden treasure on Lake Erie.
The Glencoe & District Historical Society contributed $1,500 toward the preservation of this church. Lorne Munroe understood that heritage is not something that belongs only to the past. He made the motion and a few of us wondered why we needed to support a London project. But we passed the motion. Seeing that church in active use, full of community members engaged with story and song, made that investment feel like so much more than money.
Friday, June 12, 2026 was a gift — one of those days when you set out to explore and come home knowing you've made connections that will last. The Heritage Day in North Middlesex brought together some of the most vibrant archivists, artists, and community builders in this region. As a member of the Glencoe and District Historical Society, I was proud to take part. I also wore my Google Guide hat all day, uploading photos to each of these cultural spaces on Google Maps so that future visitors can find them more easily.
🔎 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. 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.
If you have an interest in historic farmhouses, rural architecture, mapping, research, or local history, this session is for you. Come learn, ask questions, and imagine what a shared, community-driven heritage map for our district could look like. Your knowledge and curiosity are part of preserving the stories written into our landscape.
Join us for our Annual St. Mary’s Service at one of Middlesex County’s most treasured historic landmarks, lovingly preserved since the 1840s.
Built of local walnut—generously donated by Captain Christopher Beer, who even postponed building his own home to support the church—St. Mary’s stands as a testament to dedication, sacrifice, and community vision. Although regular services ended in 1920, the tradition of gathering here has continued for over a century.
Step into a miniature world where imagination meets historical curiosity. Steve Robson will guide visitors through the creative process of using LEGO-style bricks to reconstruct scenes from small towns — whether rooted in historical accuracy, modern-day reflections, or imaginative blends of different eras.
This hands-on approach to local history brings buildings and streetscapes to life, offering a playful yet thoughtful lens on how communities grow and change over time. Attendees will discover how anyone can begin exploring small-town design — choosing a place, picking an era (or mixing a few!), and recreating it one brick at a time.