March 12: Thomas Gardiner: The Ghost of Cashmere.

Marie Williams: A large crowd packed into the Glencoe and District Historical Society Archives on Wednesday evening, March 12. Following announcements, a brief membership report and some unfortunate technical difficulties, Society president Mary Simpson introduced the evening’s guest speaker, Glencoe native and author Daniel Perry.

Perry spoke about his newest work, a non-fiction memoir focussed on his own research into the life of Thomas Gardiner and Gardiner’s connection to the hamlet of Cashmere in the former Township of Mosa.

Born in 1774 in Ireland, Singleton Gardiner sailed for New York State in 1804. He moved to the Talbot Settlement in 1816 and to Mosa Township in 1825. He built a mill in 1834 on the site of what became Cashmere.

His brother Thomas Gardiner, born in Ireland in 1767, sailed for New York in 1804 and arrived in Upper Canada in 1807. Perry outlined charges laid against Thomas Gardiner which were subsequently dismissed, the connections between Thomas Gardiner and John Parker Jr., tales from the War of 1812, his years serving as a teacher, disputes over land, family friction and his pleas for help as an aging man.

Singleton Gardiner was the first person buried at the Cashmere Cemetery in 1834 but there is no stone marking what could be the grave of Thomas Gardiner.

Glencoe Fair Sept 20, 21

September 20, 21, 2024 Fair weekend.

For fair information: https://glencoefair.ca/

Help Us Keep Our History Alive!

As you enjoy the festivities, we invite you to support the Glencoe and District Historical Society by volunteering your time. Your participation helps us preserve and celebrate our community’s rich history.

Why Volunteer with Us?

Preserve Our Heritage: Assist with maintaining and sharing our unique local stories and artifacts.
Engage with History: Get hands-on experience with archival work, event planning, and outreach.
Connect with Community: Join a dedicated team and make meaningful connections.

How You Can Help:

Staff Our Archives: Help organize and manage historical collections.
Support Our Events: Assist with setup, coordination, and guest interactions.
Promote Our Mission: Contribute to outreach and public engagement.
Assist with Research: Aid in digitizing and cataloging historical records.

Interested in making a difference? It’s simple! Just fill out our volunteer form: bit.ly/4cVCIUw

Featured Image Above: The Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace on the fairgrounds in Glencoe. It was home to about 50 Japanese Canadians in the summer of 1942 who were forcibly removed from their homes on the west coast. the men were paid 35 cents per hour to work on farms in the area before leaving November 11th. The building would later house prisoners of war from Germany and Italy.

Message from the Ag Society

For hundreds of years, the Glencoe Agricultural Society has hosted events, promoted new and established businesses, supporters, exhibitors and built upon Glencoe’s sense of pride and fellowship. Empowered by the incredible support of our sponsors and the exuberance of our townspeople, we look forward to continuously renewing – and building upon – our commitment to agricultural and philanthropic vitality. Throughout the year, Glencoe citizens and visitors from across the region can look forward to special events – large and small – that create the very best excuses to get out of the house and spend time with loved ones.

We always welcome feedback from our community members and monthly meetings are held to ensure we are aligning with the best interests of the people and personalities who sustain our vibrant community. The Glencoe Agricultural Society is bolstered by the thoughtfulness and dedication of our board members and volunteers as well as the continued support of our constituents. We invite you to learn more about our long, rich history and to see what exciting new initiatives we are looking forward to implementing. Should something spark your interest, please don’t hesitate to reach out to find out more about getting involved.

Highlights from the 2024 Annual General Meeting

May 1, 2024May 10, 2024Glencoe & District Historical Society

Date & Venue: Wednesday, April 17th, 2024, at the Archives, 178 McKellar Street, Glencoe.

Attendance: A solid turnout of 30 members, with all executives present except President Ken Beecroft.

Opening: Vice President Mary Simpson initiated the meeting at 7:00 PM, welcoming members old and new.

Remembrance: A moment of silence was observed for the late Lorne Munro, a member for 20 years.

Business as Usual: The minutes from the previous year’s AGM were approved without issue, and discussions moved smoothly to current matters.

Financial Health: Treasurer Marilyn McCallum presented a detailed financial report and budget for the upcoming year, which were both accepted unanimously.

Membership Milestone: Harold Carruthers announced a record membership count, reflecting the society’s ongoing relevance.

Engaging Programs: Program Director Mary Simpson introduced upcoming events, including a talk by local author C.J. Fredericks.

Election Excitement: Nominations for the new executive team were made and approved smoothly.

Dynamic Presentations: Members shared updates on various projects, showcasing the society’s diverse activities.

Closing: The meeting concluded at 8:50 PM, setting the stage for the incoming executive team.

What’s on the Horizon for G & DHS?

April 21, 2022October 21, 2023Glencoe & District Historical Society

K.W. Beecroft, President, G & DHS. Dated April 20, 2022

Our April 20^th Members Meeting represents G&DHS’s 44^th anniversary. A wonderful achievement for our organization.

With Covid 19 hopefully on the decline, we hope to move ahead with Program ideas and initiatives that will be informative and educational for our members and the public. We plan to have at least four or five member’s meetings and several events, which has been mentioned that we normally attend or sponsor annually. Hopefully, we can also present an “Open House” event where we can invite people in, and see what we’re about.

We also intend to broaden our relationships with other area historical organizations, and participate and promote events of common interests. Just recently, on April 2^nd G & DHS was featured in a presentation sponsored by the London/ Middlesex Genealogical Society. We are also pleased to be involved with Backus Page House. Certainly, the Wardsville Museum and Ekfrid Museum are also close partners.

During this past year, we have reached out to the Lower Thames Conservation area, in order to promote preservation of historic buildings in their care, and also to support restoration efforts of the Fugitive Slave Chapel in London. We will continue efforts into this year toward heritage preservation.

One special Project which we have planned in partnership with the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex, is the manufacture and installation of standardized Cemetery Signs within the municipality. These signs will outline to the public the name of area cemeteries and when they were established. We intent to sign the forgotten ones also, so that our pioneer ancestors will be remembered.

We hope that our volunteer sub-committee will move forward with cataloging and inventorying. We will continue to work with standardizing our approach to the handling and storage of archival material. These activities are viewed as being an activity to be focussed on in the coming year with the involvement of our members.

In closing, the 2021/ 2022 year was full of challenges, but we look forward to continuing in the coming year.

Tartan Days 2019

July 23, 2019March 7, 2024Ken and Sharon Beecroft

Glencoe. Tartan Days in Glencoe celebrates Scottish heritage. On July 20th, our volunteers were at Glencoe’s Historic Train Station dressed in period attire, conducting free tours of this wonderful facility. We shared the history of the area and displayed interesting books, displays and artifacts. Volunteers from Backus-Page House near Wallacetown, in Elgin County, were with us with a superb visual display featuring Scottish settlement.

Our Archives were busy that day with a G & DHS yard sale fund-raising event. As it was a brutally hot day, folks visiting our sale were invited inside to cool off and look around. Thanks again to volunteers who helped that day.

Meanwhile, across the street from the Train Station, members of Upper Thames Military Re-enactment Society (UTMRS) were encamped. The re-enactors gave visitors, particularly the children, an idea of what British military life in Upper Canada was like during the War of 1812. Many thanks to these volunteers who escorted our wonderful piper, along with a number of children up Main Street. (Did I mention that it was brutally hot…those guys wear wool clothing!)

The Classic Car Show, free Pancakes, BBQ’s, Thistle Contest, Children’s Fun Zone, merchant events, town wide yard sales and many other events pleased many visitors during this year’s Tartan Days.

Ken Beecroft, President, Glencoe & District Historical Society

Harold’s Photos of Glencoe

April 17, 2019March 7, 2024Ken and Sharon Beecroft

On Wednesday evening April 17, 2019, the Glencoe & District Historical Society hosted the Annual Meeting at the new ARCHIVE facilities. President Lorne Munro welcomed those attending and introduced the guest speaker, our own historian Harold Carruthers. Fifty people attended this event, the first program to be presented at 178 McKellar Street, Glencoe.

Although President Lorne introduced Harold, no introduction was needed. Harold mentioned that the presentation is a continuation of one that he did last April 2018 at Glencoe’s Historic Train Station.

Harold showed 300 images spanning the period between the 1880’s and the 1960’s, focussing on the street scenes of Glencoe Ontario. Harold also focused on the human perspective, highlighting parades and social events. Many people, long gone, were recognized by members of the audience.

Upon conclusion of the display at 8:15 p.m., President Lorne Munro thanked Harold for his interesting narrative. A time of fellowship followed the presentation and audience members enjoyed exploring the new facility. The Annual Meeting and Election of Executive Officers led by President Lorne Monroe followed.

50 people attended
Bev Whitlock and Linda Mayhew
Harold shares a story about one of the images.
The audience explores the The Archives, the new facility
L – R: Ken Beecroft, incoming president and Harold, local historian
L-R: Barb McDonald, JoAnn Galbraith, Ina Nelms
Harold Carruthers renews David McDonalds membership. Ken Willis to the right of Dave. Barb McDonald swigging coffee, as well as JoAnn Galbraith