southwestern Ontario

Plant a tree to honour our author, Peter McArthur

Plant a tree to honour our author, Peter McArthur

Peter McArthur died October 28, 1924 and we will plan a tree in his honour at the Eddie Cemetery October 27, 2024.  

2:00 p.m.  

Please park across the road in Mark McGill’s farm laneway.  We have his permission.  Do not park along the highway.  It’s a dangerous knoll.  

 “Although I have lived in far countries and great cities, no place ever was my home except this farm.”  – Peter McArthur

 

 

When I strive to fathom the secret of this love I find that it is due to the fact that I learned history, not from books, but from the lips of the men and women who made Canada—that I learned the history, not of the government, but of the people. The spirit that broods over me to-day is the same that danced among the shadows beside an open fireplace while I listened to endless crooning tales of the sufferings and hopes of the pioneers.

 

 

THE SOUL OF CANADA – CHAPTER XXI

Book Title: The Affable Stranger
Date of First Publication: 1920
Author: Peter McArthur

 

It is all very well for men like William Lloyd Garrison to exclaim, “My country is the world.” I cannot lay claim to so broad a humanitarianism. Though I do not see the need of hating any other man’s country, there is one country that means more than any other to me. How could I reprove the people of the United States for loving their own country—for being jingos, if you will—when I know that their home love cannot exceed mine?

Let me confess. Often and often I have thought of writing something about the love of my native land, but was restrained by the feeling that it was too intimate and personal to be exposed for the entertainment of the public. Goodness knows I have gossiped about almost everything in the most shameless way, but there was something about love of the land that seemed too sacred to reveal even to intimate friends. But now I am emboldened to hang my heart on my sleeve and talk to those of my readers both in Canada and the United States who have felt the love of the land and know what it means. I have the good fortune to be living on the farm on which I was born—the farm which my father cleared. Although I was born too late to take a hand in the work of clearing,

 I learned the history of every acre before an open fireplace many years ago. The history of the clearing of the land, the first crops, the names and characters of the horses and cows on the place, are so interwoven with my youthful recollections that I seem to remember them all as if I had taken part in the battle with the wilderness myself, and had shared in all its triumphs and sorrows. Something of this farm struck a tendril into my heart which neither time nor distance could break. It is the only spot on earth that ever gave me the feeling of home. Even after being away for years I have sat down in New York or London, England, and have been as homesick for this farm as a little boy who makes his first journey away from his mother’s side. At any time I could close my eyes and see the quiet fields, and I would wonder what crops they were sown to. At all times it was my place of refuge, and, when I finally returned to it, it was with a feeling that my wanderings had ended, and that I could settle down and enjoy life where I belonged.

At the present time this love of the land appeals to me as being especially significant. The turmoil in the world to-day recalls to me the great purpose which moved my father and mother to undertake the task of making a home for themselves in the wilderness. They wanted to establish a home where their children and their children’s children could be free. I know the oppression and hardship from which they escaped in the old world, and the toil and hardship they endured in the new before their dream was realized. It is high time that we who are native-born realized the price that our parents paid for the freedom and liberty we have enjoyed. The freedom that they won by their toil and sacrifice is a heritage worthy of our sons who did battle so that it may endure.

There have been times when I thought that the men of my own generation were escaping too lightly in the work of establishing a Canadian nation, but I think so no longer. This new nation was founded by our freedom-loving and infinitely patient fathers, and defended by our freeborn and heroic sons. It is true that we came too late to take part in the pioneer work, and were too old to take our place in the trenches. But on us there rests a heavy responsibility. It is for us to pierce through the confusions and selfishness of political strategy and establish the truth and justice that alone can make a nation endure. We must be true to the great purpose of our fathers and the splendid courage of our sons. Here is something that strikes deeper than party politics, that demands the best that is in us of wisdom and sanity. If we fail to do our part nobly the whole fabric of nationhood will fall. Love of the land carries with it a responsibility that may try us as sorely as the wilderness tried our fathers or as the battlefront tried our sons. And for us there is no escape. The future of Canada is in our keeping.

Whenever I read history, even the history of Canada, I feel like the American soldier who was wallowing through the mud after the battle of Spottsylvania Court-house. Saluting his officer, he exclaimed bitterly: “If ever I love another country, damn me!”

History, as written, is largely a record of crimes and blunders that are exposed or whitewashed according to the political bias of the man who is writing the history. Historians, as a rule, are more given to the use of whitewash than a political investigating committee. Fired by a patriotic desire to picture for us a country worth loving, they suppress much, glorify everything that seems worth glorifying, and give us something that is no nearer the truth than the crayon portraits you see in many country parlors. If historians told the simple truth, every nation with a scrap of decency would be trying to live down its history, just as a convict tries to live down his past. And yet—and yet I confess to a love of Canada that is not simply a patriotic emotion, but a passion to which my whole being vibrates. To me Canada is a living soul—a Presence that companions me in the fields—a mighty mother that nourished my youth and inspires my manhood.

Whenever I think of Canada I remember Carman’s (Bliss) wonderful lines:

“When I have lifted up my heart to thee,
Then hast thou ever hearkened and drawn near,
And bowed thy shining face close over me,
Till I could hear thee as the hill-flowers hear.”

When I strive to fathom the secret of this love I find that it is due to the fact that I learned history, not from books, but from the lips of the men and women who made Canada—that I learned the history, not of the government, but of the people. The spirit that broods over me to-day is the same that danced among the shadows beside an open fireplace while I listened to endless crooning tales of the sufferings and hopes of the pioneers. The Spirit of Freedom that led them into the wilderness became my spirit, and their dream of a free Canada became a living spirit that danced about me in the flickering light of the flaming back-logs.

By some trick of the imagination I have always thought of Canada as the blithe spirit that haunted my childhood. But in my childhood she did not always come in the same guise. Sometimes she would come gliding out of the depths of the forest, a shy and dusky sprite that would take me by the hand and teach me the love of flowers and birds and the infinite mysteries of Nature. Again she would come as a country maid, glowing with the joy of life, who would lead me through the fields where she reaped the harvest and bound the sheaves. Always she walked in the sunlight and though her moods were full of song and care-free laughter

“She had the lonely calm and poise
Of life that waits and wills.”

As the years passed and the burdens of life began to press, I lost the intimate touch with the spirit of my country. But always I was conscious that back of the turmoil she was working her will and shaping the destiny of a free people. Though I might be stunned and disheartened by the greed of commerce and the clamor of politics, I could still see dimly that the spirit that companioned my youth was at work wherever men and women labored. And her love was not only for those who could claim it as a birthright, but to all who came to Canada in quest of freedom. Creeds and nationalities and old hatreds were nothing to her. No matter what wrongs or abuse of power there might be in high places, the spirit of Canada was nourishing the weak, teaching them the lesson of freedom, and moving to her place among the nations.

Then came the day when the war trumpets sounded and the soul of Canada flamed to her full stature. She heard the call of the oppressed and hurled her legions against the oppressor. Not hers

“To mix with Kings in the low lust for sway,
Yell in the hunt, and share the murderous prey.”

Nourished in freedom she gave battle for freedom. To-day I see her, as I saw her in the time of war, roused but unafraid, and watching with questioning eyes the sacrifice of her sons. Standing heroic on the soil that gave her birth she marks with glooming brows the madness of the nations. This is the hour of her decision. Woe alike to those who would stay her hand and to those who would hurry her to destruction! Born of the dreams of humble people who toiled and served for the freedom on which she was nourished, Canada must be forever free! As a free nation within the Empire she has given lavishly of her best, and as a free nation she must endure!

-30-

Yoshio Shimizu, a prisoner in Glencoe during WWII

Glencoe & District Historical Society
Yoshio Shimuzu: “You have to remember that we had been driven from our homes by racial prejudice in British Columbia, reviled and despised by the bulk of the population, and here in the farmlands of southwestern Ontario, we were welcomed as equals and saviours by the farming population.”
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Barn Quilt Trail Movement: A Journey Across North America

Mary Simpson

By Mary Simpson and Denise Corneil. Featured in the Middlesex Banner.

The Barn Quilt Trail Movement, which started in Ohio, USA, has blossomed into a colorful journey across North America, thanks to the vision and dedication of individuals like Donna Sue Groves, now deceased. Inspired by her love for quilts and barns, Groves initiated the movement in 2001 when she painted the first quilt square on her family’s barn in Adams County, Ohio.

In Canada, the movement found roots in Temiskaming, Ontario, in 2007. Bev Maille, Marg Villneff, and Eleanor Katana spearheaded a project to paint 200 quilt squares, adorning barns and historic landmarks across the region in time for the International Plowing Match 2009. This initiative not only added vibrant colors to the landscape but also attracted tourists and boosted economic development.

Wardsville, Middlesex County, Ontario, joined the trail in 2009 when Denise Corneil’s mother, Eileen, returned from the U.S. with a barn quilt brochure. Denise, along with a team of volunteers, stitched a story quilt commemorating Wardsville’s founders, Mr. and Mrs. George Ward, for the village’s 2010 Bicentennial celebration. This project revitalized the community and became a testament to the power of preserving local heritage.

The movement continued to flourish in Ontario. With support from the Sand Plains Community Development Fund, over 100 quilts were created, each telling stories of settlement, community building, and rural life. Barn quilt trails spread up and down the roads of Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Norfolk, and Brant Counties in 2011. 

Here in Middlesex, women living along Longwoods Road and the community of Chippewa of the Thames, worked side by side to plan two trails explaining how the War of 1812-1814 affected the lives of women, children, and families.  The winter of 1813 was particularly bad.  

Trail of Tears- Family. Located in the community of Chippewa of the Thames

The result was the Trail of Tears Barn Quilt Trail, a collection showcased on Chippewa of the Thames locations, and a trail stretching along Longwoods Road from Delaware to Thameville – plus two beautiful quilts and many new and enduring friendships.  These trails and many more trails across Canada are curated at barnquilttrails.ca.  

In 2013, all major barn quilt trails in Ontario were curated on one website, barnquilttrails.ca, supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This initiative aimed to provide guidance and encouragement to communities starting their own barn quilt projects, ensuring the movement’s sustainability and growth.  This website continues to be curated by volunteers and now showcases barn quilts across Canada.

As barn quilt trails spread across Canada, the United States, and around the world, they became more than just colorful displays; they became a way for communities to share their stories and preserve their heritage. 

Today, as new projects like those in South Bruce and Osgoode Township emerge, the legacy of the Barn Quilt Trail Movement lives on. Denise Corneil, Wardsville, along with a dedicated team, remains committed to supporting and promoting these initiatives, ensuring that the colorful journey across North America continues to thrive for generations to come.

The Fabric Quilt: Honoring Mr. & Mrs. George Ward

Mr. & Mrs. George Ward, founders

Some community barn quilt projects start the planning process with a theme and a story quilt.  In 2009, Wardsville started up with the War of 1812 theme.  Eleanor Blain and Sue Ellis, seasoned quilt makers, devised a plan to engage people of all skill levels in the quilt-making process. 

With the assistance of local historian Ken Willis, who provided valuable insights into the Wards’ history, the quilt committee traced the Wards’ journey from establishing a settlement along Longwoods Road to enduring the trials of the Battle of the Longwoods and the ensuing accusations of treason. Thirty quilt blocks were meticulously selected to depict key moments in the Wards’ lives, ensuring that Mrs. Margaret Ward’s contributions were honored too. 

The quilt-making process was a labor of love, with countless hours spent selecting fabrics, cutting shapes, and stitching together each block. Ellis and Blain invited community members, both experienced quilters and novices, to lend their hands to the project. The quilt frame at Beattie Haven Retirement Home became a hub of activity as individuals gathered to contribute stitches to the communal creation.

The quilt telling the story of George and Margaret Ward being stitched at Beattie Manor retirement home.

When the George Ward Commemorative Quilt was unveiled at Wardsville United Church in May 2010, it elicited gasps of awe from the crowd. The quilt’s was entered into the Group category at the 2010 International Plowing Match Quilting Competition in Shedden,where it claimed second prize.

What is a Barn Quilt?

Barn quilts are eight-foot square (and larger) painted replicas of actual fabric quilt blocks installed on barns. Barn quilts draw attention to Canada’s disappearing rural landscapes, timber frame barns, and the family farm. Each barn quilt tells a story and draws attention to unmarked historical places.

They can be scattered through the county mounted on beautiful barns (like Huron County), or they can create a themed route, leading visitors from one site to the next.

Tourists are Interested in our local history

With the aging baby boomer cohort, there is a lot of interest in nostalgia and history.  There is a growing recognition that tourists are interested in our local history too.

The Canadian federal government is investing in rural and remote tourism.  The tourism industry is realizing what barn quilt enthusiasts always knew.  Statistics Canada shows that tourism provides billions of dollars in revenue and accounts for 10% of local jobs in rural (non-metro) areas.  A federal spokesperson said that “Tourism can diversify and strengthen the economic base and viability as well as safeguard local culture, language and heritage. Businesses benefit from increased income from direct sales of homegrown and locally made products.  Visitors want to participate in authentic Indigenous experiences, and 62% of Indigenous tourism businesses are in rural and remote areas.” 

Louise Long applies masking tape prior to painting. Three coats. (Photo by Dave Chidley)

And so the barn quilt movement continues to spread.  Go to barnquilttrails.ca to find the trails in Middlesex County and southwestern Ontario.  Embark on a journey through time and space. This isn’t just tourism; it’s a love letter to the land, a celebration of heritage, and a testament to the power of community. 

Glencoe Masons Lodge Goes Dark After 152 Years

Glencoe Masons Lodge Goes Dark After 152 Years

Glencoe & District Historical Society

Written by Harold Carruthers, No. 282 Lorne Lodge Mason historian, July 2024.

If one were to trace the history of any one Lodge, it might be compared with that of trying to determine the very origin of humanity.  I am talking about the meeting places of the members of the organization called Free Masonry. The history of our local chapter, Lorne Lodge No. 282 Glencoe, can be traced back to 1872  and ended this year 2024 when our Lodge went dark after 152 years.

Last meeting of #282 Lorne Lodge: back row L-R: Keith Dickie, Alex McLean, Ron Livingston, Harold Carruthers, Doug Reycraft. Front L-R: Bob Munroe, John Mitchell, Ryan Brubacher, Bev Whitlock, Jim May, Terry Plant. Missing: Allan Mayhew, Brad Walker, Chris Yates.

Meetings were held in some of the most historical buildings in the village of Glencoe, Middlesex County. 

McKellar House hotel 1872

On May 8, 1972, 16 men held a meeting at the original McKellar House hotel and decided to form a Masonic Lodge in Glencoe, Ontario.  Several of the original charter members came from ‘mother’ lodges in London, Mt. Brydges, Newbury, Seaforth, Grimsby, Iona Station and Collingwood. The men’s names were inscribed on the Charter dated July 11, 1872 which was issued from the Grand Lodge and affixed to the east wall of the Lodge meeting room. Charter member occupations were railway employees, farmers, hotel keeper, lumber contractor, druggist, medical doctor, engineer, wagonmakers, merchant and registrar.  

2. First Town Hall, Glencoe. 1873 – 1893

The Town Hall 1873 

Looking for a more permanent home than the local drinking establishment, the executive of Lorne Lodge signed a debenture with municipal trustees to lease the upper floor of the two year old Glencoe Town Hall  for a meeting room.  This new hall was located behind the McKellar House and across from the present-day Southwest Middlesex municipal office.  

On September 22, 1893, twenty years later, a fire broke out in the McRoberts Livery Stables next door and after a few hours all was destroyed.  Fortunately for the Lodge, most of the valuables in the Lodge room were saved from total destruction by the actions of several citizens.

3. Clanahan Block, Glencoe, ON. 1893 – 1896. Home of Lorne Lodge 282.

The Clanahan Block 1893

The next Lodge room chosen was the 233 Main Street Clanahan Block (now owned by Godfather’s Pizza), directly across from the McKellar House.  Again, there was a fire and the Lodge members were again on the street looking for a new home.

French Hall 1896

Worshipful Brother William J. French offered the use of the upper floor of his business block at the corner of Main and Symes Street in Glencoe until suitable quarters could be obtained.  This building still stands but it was moved a short distance to 167 Symes Street so a new Memorial Hall could be built on the corner lot by a chapter of the I.O.O.F. – International Order of Foresters, another men’s club. 

4. French Hall, Glencoe, ON. 1896 – 1902.

Dixon Block 1902

In 1902, Arthur E. Sutherland, publisher of the The Glencoe Transcript local newspaper, offered to lease the upper floor of his Dixon Block, 243 Main Street, Glencoe and fitted it for Masonic use.  Sutherland became a brother Mason the following year.  This location served the Masons very graciously for 57 years.

Harold Carruthers, Lorne Lodge Mason historian

Dobie Block 1959

In 1958, Right Worshipful Brother Herman Bauer made the motion that the Lorne Lodge consider purchasing the Dobie Block, a brick building built by George Dobie as a bank in 1885.  It was decided by the executive and fellow members to purchase this building and decorate it up to be used for Lodge purposes and lease out the lower rooms.

This building served the Masons well for 59 years.  Through a combined effort of every member, the second floor was rebuilt and on November 11, 1959, a cast of Grand Lodge officers dedicated the new Lodge room.  Over the years, Masons made several structure changes, added blinds, painted, and added air conditioning to make the room more attractive and comfortable.

Collection of Harold Carruthers, Lorne Lodge Mason historian Lorne Lodge 282 Glencoe ON Locations - Dobie Block
6. Dobie Block 1959 – 2018

Hammond Lodge 2018 – 2024

In March of 2017, the executive and membership decided to sell the Masonic building due to declining membership.  The building was sold and a decision was made to rent the Masonic Hammond Lodge in nearby Wardsvile 21996 Hagerty Rd.   The first meeting was held September 11, 2018.

Lorne Lodge 282 Glencoe ON Locations. Hammond Lodge - Wardsville. 2018 - 2024.
7. Hammond Lodge – Wardsville. 2018 – 2024.

Glencoe Lodge Goes Dark 

In the early years, Masonic districts were usually laid out in unison with the railways.  

In 1872, the Glencoe Lorne Lodge was part of the London District .  Then in the years 1887 – 1923, Lorne Lodge became part of the Erie No. 1 Masonic District.  In 1923, redistribution took place and Lorne Lodge members found themselves in the Chatham District.  

Over the 152 years that the Lorne Lodge existed, there have been 583 initiated members, 120 Masters, 12 District Deputy Grand Masters, 14 Grand Stewards and one Grand Chaplain. 

Lorne Lodge has tried to maintain a high standard throughout its Masonic history with dignity, perfection of work and upholding their strict Masonic principles, all of which could not have been obtained without the fullest cooperation of its members past and present and future. 

Unfortunately, due to aging membership and a decline in new members, the members made the difficult decision to close. 

I am proud to have served as historian for the past 34 years.  

Harold Carruthers, Lorne Lodge Mason historian

–

Rooted and Remembered, local book now available

Rooted and Remembered, local book now available

Glencoe & District Historical Society

Author, CJ Frederick attended Tartan Days

CJ Frederick, her Mom and Dad from Mosa Hills, and the author’s husband attended Tartan Days in Glencoe July 20th to promote this new book about their community which is hot off the press. From the pastoral countryside of Southwestern Ontario in the early twentieth century to the muddy trenches of WWI in France, Rooted and Remembered weaves together the will to honour and remember with a glimpse into rural settler life and hardship, as told in one family’s story about an orphaned boy and his beloved buttonwood tree.  

In 2012, the author first learned of Ellwyne Ballantyne and the astonishing relationship he forged with two strangers after reading a short newspaper article about the dedication of an unusual tree to a long-dead soldier from World War One. With obligations to work and family filling her time, she wasn’t yet ready to hear his story. It took a global pandemic, with the prospect of lockdowns and unexpected forced time at home, to open her ears, mind, and heart and be ready to explore the roots of Ellwyne’s story that took place more than a century before.

CJ Frederick grew up in the 1980s in a wood-framed farmhouse built by Scottish settlers, situated on a dead-end road that terminates near the winding Sydenham River. In 2000, this road was renamed from a numbered concession to Buttonwood Drive. The name reflects the stand of buttonwood trees gathered at the river’s edge, where they most comfortably grow.

In 2020, she began reflecting on the fallen soldier and his extraordinary buttonwood tree that grows near her childhood home. Her curiosity eventually led her to the doors of Carruthers clan descendants, where she begged to have a conversation about Ellwyne and his connection to the tree. Thinking it might have the makings of a short story, she began putting together the pieces of Ellwyne Ballantyne’s brief life. But, with each photograph, letter, and artifact shared, she became more engrossed in the tale of an orphan who had stepped foot on three continents and was taken in by strangers who came to love him as their own. At the outset, CJ did not anticipate that it would bloom into a novel, but as she learned more details about the characters and events, she believed that each nugget was fascinating and intriguing. 

CJ hopes that Ellwyne’s story and his connection with the Carruthers clan touches people with its message of love, faith, and remembrance. It’s only through storytelling that those who carry memories, and decide to share them, make history come to life.

Rooted and Remembered is now available on Amazon and can be purchased at The Archives in Glencoe. Soft launch is underway. The historical society will be hosting a launch at The Archives October 23rd.

History of The Appin Cemetery

Glencoe & District Historical Society

By Jim May

Presented to the Appin Memorial Day gathering August 1, 2000 by Jim May, whose family had a long association with Appin Cemetery. Jim’s first recollection of the cemetery was a phone call in the early 1950s: “Could my Dad come with his truck to help collect up stones for the cemetery gates?” This presentation tells the history of the Appin Cemetery, Appin, Ontario, Canada

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Book Launch: Rooted and Remembered

Book Launch: Rooted and Remembered

Mark your calendar for book launch – Rooted and Remembered

Come meet local novelist CJ Frederick as she describes the experience of digging around to find out the meaning behind a simple memorial plaque on a unique buttonwood tree near Carruthers Corners.

Topic: Lest We Forget Ellwyne Ballantyne.   

Time: Oct 23, 2024 07:00 PM America/Toronto

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88548582065?pwd=VEZTIFxIdFbcMmHozRsa4wL4dTYg8N.1

Meeting ID: 885 4858 2065

Passcode: 459615

 

Stories ripple all around us, if only we’re willing to hear them. In 2012, CJ first learned of Ellwyne Ballantyne and the astonishing relationship he forged with two strangers after reading a short newspaper article about the dedication of an unusual tree to a long-dead soldier from World War One. With obligations to work and family filling her time, she wasn’t yet ready to hear his story. It took a global pandemic, with the prospect of lockdowns and unexpected forced time at home, to open her ears, mind, and heart and be ready to explore the roots of Ellwyne’s story that took place more than a century before.

CJ grew up in the 1980s in a wood-framed farmhouse built by Scottish settlers, situated on a dead-end road that terminates near the winding Sydenham River. In 2000, this road was renamed from a numbered concession to Buttonwood Drive. The name reflects the stand of buttonwood trees gathered at the river’s edge, where they most comfortably grow.

In 2020, she began reflecting on the fallen soldier and his extraordinary buttonwood tree that grows near her childhood home. Her curiosity eventually led her to the doors of Carruthers clan descendants, where she begged to have a conversation about Ellwyne and his connection to the tree. Thinking it might have the makings of a short story, she began putting together the pieces of Ellwyne Ballantyne’s brief life. But, with each photograph, letter, and artifact shared, she became more engrossed in the tale of an orphan who had stepped foot on three continents and was taken in by strangers who came to love him as their own. At the outset, CJ did not anticipate that it would bloom into a novel, but as she learned more details about the characters and events, she believed that each nugget was fascinating and intriguing. 

CJ hopes that Ellwyne’s story and his connection with the Carruthers clan touches people with its message of love, faith, and remembrance. It’s only through storytelling that those who carry memories, and decide to share them, make history come to life.

Author CJ Frederick signs book at Tartan Days, July 20, 2024.

Copies of “Rooted and Remembered” will be available to purchase. 
 
To read more about CJ Frederick visit https://www.cjfrederick.com or https://www.facebook.com/cjtellstales

MAKING HISTORY COME TO LIFE THROUGH STORYTELLING

Listen to CJ tell about how she became intrigued with this story and how she collaborated with James Carruthers, the grandson of Betsy Jane Carruthers, during the pandemic to write a ‘creative non-fiction’ book about this wonderful young man, Ellwyne.     Link to Interview starts at 9 minutes. 

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 885 4858 2065

Passcode: 459615

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Napier Decoration Day Service

Napier Decoration Day Service

Please join us for the annual Decoration Day Service at St. Mary’s Anglican Church – Napier, Ontario on June 23, 2024 at 3 pm. 

 

St. Mary’s Anglican Church Napier – 1418 Melwood Drive, Strathroy, ON  N7G 3H5.

 

The following history is an excerpt from an old service bulletin and the author is unknown. 

This church has been standing straight, fine and true for over one hundred and eighty years.  It stands as a testament to the faith of those who built it, those who came to regular services, and to those who worked over the years to keep their church alive and active.  But it is a symbol, not primarily of their strength and perseverance, but of the presence of God in their midst.

The first settler in this general area was Captain John Charlton in 1825.  In 1829, Richard, Thomas, and Christopher Moyle and their families and Captain Christopher Beer established residences along the river in the Napier area.  In 1831, Lieutenant Charles Preston and his family came from Cornwall in Upper Canada.  Preston had been granted 100 acres when he commuted his pension for land.  They settled on this property where St. Mary’s Church stands.

The first church services were held in Captain Christopher Beer’s house.  Captain Beer’s rank gave him the privilege of conducting the first church services and first burials in the community.  After the congregation became too large, they moved to the home of Captain Johnson.  When the congregation became too large for his house, a school was built on this property in 1839 and used for church services.  The log school was built on one acre of land donated by Charles Preston for a church and a cemetery.  Preston also gave three acres of land for a rectory. 

In 1841, the residents of the community sent a petition to the Bishop of Toronto requesting permission and assistance to build a church. The petitioners declared themselves to be generally poor and unable to pay for a frame church to be built but the increase in the congregation was such that the school was no longer large enough. Captain Beer had prepared some walnut lumber to use in building a new house.  However, when the news came that a church could be built, he donated this lumber to the church and postponed construction of his own home.  This gift, which represented a considerable sacrifice, was well used; the walnut was worked into pews, wainscotting and the chancel.  It still stands here as a memorial to a man who loved his church and community.

In 1860, the church and cemetery were consecrated by the Right Reverend Benjamin Cronyn, the Bishop of Huron and the church officially received the name “St. Mary”.  In Ireland, the Cronyn’s had attended St. Mary’s Church Kilkenny.  This name linked the new land with the old.

The last regular weekly service was held on January 29, 1920 and annual services were initiated in the early 1930’s.  We must be grateful to the residents of this area and especially to the Toohill family for their loving care of St. Mary’s Church.  It is thanks to them that this oldest church building in Middlesex County still exists. 

Peter McArthur: Our Famous Canadian – 1866 – 1924

Peter McArthur: Our Famous Canadian – 1866 – 1924

Glencoe & District Historical Society

Marie Williams, Glencoe: The huge crowd that packed into the Glencoe and District Historical Society Archives on February 22 proved that the “Sage of Ekfrid” is as popular today as he was over 100 years ago. In addition to 30 viewing online, over 50 turned up in person.

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April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 in review

April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 in review

Glencoe & District Historical Society

Report for the Glencoe & District Historical Society

K.W. Beecroft, President, Glencoe & District Historical Society, Dated March 31, 2024


Founded in 1978, the Glencoe & District Historical Society (G&DHS) set out on a mission to preserve the rich history of Southwestern Ontario, particularly around the Glencoe area. Ambitious projects, such as mapping local cemeteries, took place from 1978 to 1988. In 1983, G&DHS found a home in the basement of the old Andrew Carnegie Library and expanded to both floors in 1994. A substantial collection of land registry deeds was rescued in 1997, finding a secure home in the original land registry vault. The partnership restoration of the Glencoe Train Station in 2001 became a symbol of the society’s commitment to preserving local heritage. The Society is a not-for-profit volunteer organization with charitable status and a member of the Ontario Historical Society. The Society was founded upon a Constitution, which continued to define our operational structure

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Aug 21 The McEachren Collection @ Forty-87

Aug 21 The McEachren Collection @ Forty-87

August 21, 2024

7:00 p.m. 

The McEachren Collection @ Forty-87 

4087 Olde Drive, Glencoe, ON

7:00 p.m.  Arrive at 4087 Olde Drive, Glencoe, ON.  Bring your lawn chairs.  Stroll around the half-acre tractor collection.  

7:30 p.m.  Dave McEachren will tell us about local dealer history.  

8:00 p.m.  Explore the new museum.  

As a 10-year old boy, Dave witnessed a few fellow neighborhood farm boys displaying their collections of farm toys at the Glencoe Fair.  It was that day that he decided to stop “playing in the dirt” with his toys and start collecting them instead.  More than a few decades later the dream of opening his own museum to share his ever-growing John Deere collection has come to light.  

The McEachren Collection @ Forty-87 includes over 40 real tractors, thousands of farm toy models, and tens of thousands of pieces of memorabilia and sales-related literature.  There will be something of interest for everyone, from local dealer history to samples of equipment you may never knew existed.

 

 

The McEachren Collection @ Forty-87

The McEachren Collection @ Forty-87

 

 

Blood on the Snow – lecture about the Donnellys

Blood on the Snow – lecture about the Donnellys

Glencoe & District Historical Society

Glenn’s talk on YouTube – give it a listen

Glenn Stott tells about 33 years of troubles that took place in Biddulph Township and Lucan Ontario region in Upper Canada from 1847 to 1880 and ended with the murder of five members of the Donnelly family.

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Lecture about the Donnellys: Blood on the Snow

Glenn Stott – Blood on the Snow: The Donnellys and the Biddulph Tragedy

December 16 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Register : https://www.historysymposium.com/glenn-stott

The talk will be a livestream on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeOdo89QhQQOSnROHKN3HoA.

The Donnellys are one of Southwestern Ontario’s most notorious families. This talk will be an overview of the 33 year troubles that took place in Biddulph Township and Lucan, Ontario region from 1847 to 1880 and ultimately ended with the murder of the five members of the Donnelly family.

 

The “Black” Donnellys were an Irish Catholic immigrant family who settled in Biddulph township, Canada West (later the province of Ontario), about 15 km northwest of London, in the 1840s. The family settled on a concession road which became known as the Roman Line due to its high concentration of Irish Catholic immigrants in the predominantly Protestant area. Many Irish Canadians arrived in the 19th-century, many fleeing the Great Famine of Ireland (1845-52). The Donnellys’ ongoing feuds with local residents culminated in an attack on the family’s homestead by a vigilante mob on 4 February 1880, leaving five of the family dead and their farm burned to the ground. No one was convicted of the murders, despite two trials and a reliable eyewitness

The Appin Cemetery Memorial

The Appin Cemetery Memorial

This year we remembered the people in The Appin Cemetery.

Time: 2:00 p.m. on July 28, 2024

Location: The Appin Cemetery, 22886 Thames Road (Concession 2, Lot 12)

Link to interactive G&DHS Cemetery Map.

[archiveorg history-of-appin-cemetery-jim-may-2000 width=560 height=384 frameborder=0 webkitallowfullscreen=true mozallowfullscreen=true]

Farmer, writer, radical, sage: Re-introducing Peter McArthur

Farmer, writer, radical, sage: Re-introducing Peter McArthur

Thursday 22 February at 2.00pm ET.   Hybrid: zoom or attend The Archives, 178 McKellar St, Glencoe, ON N0L 1M0.  Stephanie McDonald, local gal living in Dublin, Ireland, will re-introduce us to our local writer who was very famous in his day. 

Join Zoom Meeting by clicking below. 

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In 1908, at the age of 42, Peter McArthur returned to his family farm in Ekfrid Township with his wife and five children after living and working in Toronto, New York and London, England. For the next 16 years he wrote weekly columns in The Globe, amusing and enlightening his readers about life on a rural Ontario farm. 

 

October 28, 2024 will mark the centenary of McArthur’s death at the age of 58 following an operation. The man dubbed the “Sage of Ekfrid”, who had the most famous farm in Canada, is now nearly forgotten. With wit and wisdom, McArthur interrogated questions that we’re still asking today – how to bridge the rural/urban divide, how to protect the natural environment, and how to spend our days and live a good life.

 

Stephanie McDonald grew up on a mixed farm in Ekfrid Township. She has worked as a newspaper reporter in the Canadian Arctic, and in communications, policy and administration roles in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Ottawa and now Dublin, Ireland. Stephanie has had articles published in various newspapers and magazines, mostly about farmers, farming, food security and the climate crisis.

 

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Farmer, writer, radical: the Sage of Ekfrid

 

 

From Polar Bears to No Bears: A 15,000 Year History

Time: Tuesday, Oct 17, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada).   

Link to his talk

Larry Cornelis will tell the story of the impacts and challenges faced by our local forests and landscapes over the last 15,000 years. This includes climate change at both ends of that time frame, the advancement of ecosystems north, indigenous land care and European colonization, extensive habitat loss and the extirpation of many native species across our region.

Larry just published a book, Trees, Forests and Nature, in Southwest Ontario, so we will also launch this gorgeous book that explains our own beautiful backyard here in the Great Lakes Region.

Larry was born in Sarnia Ontario but spent most of his years at the family farm north of Wallaceburg along the North Sydenham River where his love of nature developed. Larry is a certified Horticulturist, Conservationist and Naturalist. He has been involved with local nature and conservation organizations for 35 years including Lambton Wildlife, The Sydenham Field Naturalists, Ontario Nativescapes and Ontario Nature to name a few.

From Polar Bears to No Bears: A 15000 year history

More events are planned for the Pre-Contact History series

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The Fenians

The Feniens are Coming!

Mary Simpson

Wardsville Volunteer Infantry Company Formed as #6 Company on January 6, 1983

To find out the details, click here for a download of Ken’s Paper or read on:

After Confederation 1867, the Province of Ontario (Canada West) was under British governance. Due to fears of what would happen after the American Civil War (1861-1865), the British authorities formed volunteer militia companies in hundreds of communities across Ontario, including our own.

The British authorities were concerned about a secret society of Irish patriots who had emigrated from Ireland to the United States with the intent of ending British rule by taking Canada by force and exchanging it with Britain for Irish independence. This secret revolutionary organization was founded on St. Patrick’s Day in 1857, by James Stephens in Dublin, Ireland. It was called the Fenian Brotherhood.

It is fascinating to imagine local kitchen table discussions about the Irish “terrorists” . Only our ancestors didn’t just talk about local politics at the coffee shop. They obeyed orders, formed militias and showed up.

On 3 Jan 1863, Wardsville volunteers formed independent militia company No. 6 within the 26th Middlesex Battalion headquartered in London. It was commanded by James T. Ward.

So what happened?

In early 1866, with tensions very high and Fenian attacks were anticipated along the St. Clair River. The Wardsville company was dispatched on March 8th to the Sarnia area and the local men “went under canvass” in full readiness to meet the enemy — in March .

But the Fenians didn’t show up. Instead, the Fenians attempted to invade Canada at Campobello Island at the Maine, US / New Brunswick border. It was a complete disaster.

The British authorities relaxed, but the clever Fenians took heart and re-organized an invasion across the Niagara River. They captured the undefended town of Fort Erie and its railway and telegraph terminals. The revolutionaries arrested the Town Council, Customs and border officials before cutting outgoing telegraph lines so help could not be summoned.

The Fenians are Coming!

Presentation by Ken Willis 15 Jan 2020