Halton Hamilton History

Sat. February 4th - Heritage Day 2012

2011-12-30T09:51:00.000-08:00

You will want to mark your calendar for the upcoming Heritage Day to be held on Sat. Feb. 4th at Burlington Central Library. This year the theme is The War of 1812 and it's 200th year commemoration.

An exciting line-up of speakers has been organized:

10:30 am Zig Miziak speaking about the War of 1812 and the Six Nations
11:30 am Daphne Smith speaking about Burlington Connections to the War of 1812-14
12:30 pm Jane Irwin presenting on The Brants in Burlington
1:30 pm Fred Blair talks about the 2nd Regiment of York Militia focusing on the Burlington men
2:30 pm Jim Taggert will focus on Everyday Life in 1812 : Medicine, Clothing and Values

In addition there will be many heritage displays - Beach Canal Lighthouse Group, Doors Open Burlington, Freeman Station Group and the War of 1812-14 Commemorative Committee to name just a few. Admittance is free! Central Library is at 2331 New Street between Guelph Line and Drury Lane. There is plenty of free parking available.

Burlington's Lighthouse Needs Your Help!

2011-06-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Beach Canal Lighthouse Group is having a fund-raising street sale, Sunday July 10th from 8am to 2 pm at 871 Beach Boulevard. This lighthouse is the last of its kind left on Lake Ontario. Built in 1858 of white dolomite limestone, it was decommissioned in 1961 and has since been languishing. The Beach Canal Lighthouse Group is hoping one day to see both the lighthouse restored as well as the cottage next to it that the lighthouse keepers lived. The current vice-chair of the group is Sandy Thompson, descendent of George Thompson, lighthouse keeper from 1846-1875. To learn more about the lighthouse and the Beach Canal Lighthouse Group click here.

2nd Annual Doors Open Burlington

2011-05-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Join us for Burlington's 2nd Annual Doors Open!

On June 11 and 12, residents and visitors to the City will be given the remarkable opportunity to learn about places and spaces normally not open to the general public or for which an admission fee is usually charged. The event will help our community celebrate its historical, cultural and and natural heritage. Admission to all Doors Open events and sites is free! Highlights include historical walking tours, the Fine Art and Craft Festival, a chance to see the Burlington Teen Tour Band practice, and numerous behind the scenes tours at many sites. New sites include The DeGroote School of Business, Ron Joyce Centre, Mountain Equipment Co-op and The Halton Mosque. Don't miss this once a year opportunity.

To view all the sites and find out more information click on the Doors Open Burlington website. We could still use volunteer greeters at some of the sites. Interested? Click here.

First Annual Halton Heritage Conference

2011-03-12T06:11:00.000-08:00

Halton Heritage springs to life with the First Annual Halton Heritage Conference. The conference is presented by the Halton Heritage Network and takes place Saturday April 2, 2011. The day runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at Halton Region Museum in Milton. See below for details of presentations.

Prof. Ken Weber of U of T is presenting The War of 1812 - Why Canada Is Not a U.S. State

Noted local historian John McDonald speaks about In Search of William Halton

Four break out sessions include : Local History and our Schools; Undertaking Oral History; Copyright - what could go wrong? and Writing Local History

If you are interested in attending click here for details. I hope to see you there!

Heritage Fair in Burlington, Sat Feb 12th

2011-01-31T16:41:00.000-08:00

In addition to many interesting heritage organization displays, the upcoming Heritage Fair will feature these interesting seminars:

Courtship in the Victorian Era at 10 am
Interviewing Grannie: doing Oral History in your Family at 10:30 am
Who were the refugees to Canada in 1784? at 11:30 am
Crawford Lake Village at 12:30 pm
Early Burlington Medicine at 1:30 pm
Burlington's Buried History at 2:30 pm

Location is Central Library and all seminars are FREE!

Eileen Collard and Her Costume Collection

2010-10-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in the history of fashion you will want to head to the Joseph Brant Museum where there is a small but excellent exhibition of women's clothing from the 1920's. Currently there are 10 dresses (with hats, shoes and purses) on display that make up just a small part of the wonderful Eileen Collard Costume Collection. Especially interesting are the flappers dresses heavily laden with beads and sequins. These items don't often come out of storage due to a shortage of exhibition space. I understand that future costume exhibitions from different eras are in the planning stage.

To find out more about Eileen Collard and her contribution to the history of fashion in Burlington click here.

Scanning Day at Burlington Central Library

2010-09-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Next Saturday, Burlington Public Library in partnership with the Burlington Historical Society is hosting an Old Photos Scanning Day. Grab your old photo albums and come to the library on Saturday, September 25 from 10am to 3pm for our photograph scanning marathon!
If you have any old photos of your family or business taken in Burlington's younger days, we invite you to share them with us. Bring your photos in and we’ll scan them for you. You keep the original and get a scanned copy, and we keep a copy for our archives. Some images may be added to our online historical photo collection. Please provide a memory stick or an email address when you come in. No appointment is necessary and scanning will take place in the Burlington History Room, Central Library, 2nd floor.

Doors Open 2011 Here We Come!

2010-06-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

I think that the numbers speak for themselves. Burlington's very first Doors Open event drew just shy of 5,000 site visits over June 12 and 13th. 15 sites including St. Luke's Church, Ireland House, Knox Presbyterian Church, the Gingerbread House, the Estaminet, Lowville School House and Lowville United Church hosted tours, provided storyboards, and allowed access to archives. Several sites even provided homemade scones, tea,coffee and lemonade. Many visitors said they have been devoted fans of Doors Open events in other communites and commented that they were more than pleased that Burlington partipated this year. Hopefully this will just be the start.

Historical re-enactment - a different take

2010-05-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

We often think of historical re-enactments as having to do with military events, such as the yearly re-enactment of the Battle of Stoney Creek at Battlefield House. But St. John's Anglican Church on Dundas St. and the Ireland House Museum have a different idea. On Sunday, June 6th guests will be welcome to become a member of the wedding party during the re-enactment of a historic Ireland Family wedding.

During the re-enactment guests will follow the wedding couple, Eliza Ann and John Ireland, through the day including a wedding brunch, shower, visit to the family home of Ireland House culminating in the wedding ceremony and banquet at St. John's Anglican Church.

For details and tickets call the museum at 905-332-9888.

Tales from the Crypt!

2010-04-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have visited the Hamilton Cemetery and wondered what it was like inside a a crypt - I can tell you. The answer is deep, dark, dank and a little creepy. I was fortunate (some would disagree) to be able to go down into the Colonel Robert Land crypt two weeks ago. The Hamilton Chapter of the United Empire Loyalists were unveiling a plaque denoting Robert Land's crypt as a Loyalist burial site.

John Land, a descendent of Robert Land, was on hand to share with the audience a brief history of his ancestor's life. And what a life it was - Robert Land can be described as the first white settler in Hamilton, a loyalist spy, prisoner, pioneer and explorer. To learn more about Robert Land click here. I also highly recommend Robin McKee's tours of the Hamilton Cemetery.

Desjardins Railway Disaster

2010-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

If you have walked along the Hamilton West Harbour cycling path you may have noticed a plaque commemorating the Desjardins Railway Disaster of 1857. The historic marker is on the path just underneath the High Level Bridge. I have always been extremely interested in this important if gruesome event in Hamilton's history, and now, thanks to a digitized project undertaken by the Hamilton Public Library, I can satisfy my curiosity. The library has done a beautiful job of digitizing the original booklet that reads like a forensic study of the disaster. You can flip through an online copy of the "Full Details of the Railway Disaster of the 12th of March, 1857 at the Desjardins Canal on the line of the Great Western Railway". Here you will read about how the train fell through the swing-bridge into the icy canal below killing 57 passengers in an instant. You will read about the community's response to the event and learn something about the victims - among them a Church minister, plough maker, bookseller, gas inspector, quartermaster, flour merchant and stock breeder, as well as several infants. Click here to read this wonderfully copied orginial document.

Government promises funding to help celebrate 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812

2010-03-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

On March 4th the Federal budget promised an influx of $75 million to upgrade historic sites connected with the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. This is good news for our area as the Battle of Stoney Creek, a pivotal conflict during the War took place June 6, 1813. The Ontario Ministry of Tourism has said the bicentennial will be a major event for Ontario, with close to 13 million Americans and Canadians saying they will attend an event. Both Hamilton and Burlington have committees currently planning events. More about these as I get the details. To learn more about the War of 1812 and the upcoming Bicentennial click here.

Volunteers needed for Burlington's First Doors Open

2010-02-17T09:48:00.000-08:00

Burlington is hosting it's very first Doors Open event this June (Sat. June 12 and Sun. June 13). For those of you who haven't had the pleasure to attend a past Doors Open event in a participating community, here's how it works. A community will pick a number of heritage related sites and those sites kindly open their doors for free to the general public. It usually runs over a weekend, and each site is run by volunteers who welcome, interpret and answer questions about the historic importance of each location. Sites are usually located within walking distance to each other, while others require a drive in the country. Nearby communites such as Hamilton, Guelph and Oakville have had great turnouts in past years. To read more about Doors Open events in Ontario in general click here. To reach Doors Open Burlington website click here. Volunteer application forms and information are on the site. The event is entirely volunteer driven and we will need well over 100 volunteers to make it work. I encourage anyone interested in Burlington's heritage to consider giving a few hours of your time and sign up for this great event.

Celebrate Heritage in Burlington all month long

2010-02-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

This year the Burlington Heritage Week Committee has stretched the community celebration to last the entire month of February. The events are spread throughout the city. For example - Paletta Mansion is having an open house as is the Halton Region Museum, Joseph Brant Museum in holding an Antique Clinic, and Central Library is hosting a number of talks such as The Design of an Historic Garden at Dundurn Castle and also The History of the Freeman Railway Station. Details about these events and many more can be found by clicking here, (be sure to scroll down to where it says "For a detailed list of upcoming Heritage Month Events" for the information).

PS - you have to love technology - I am posting this blog entry from Glasgow, Scotland having just visited the fabulous Stirling Castle!

Sir John A Macdonald and his birthday party

2010-01-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

The Sir John A. Macdonald Society in Hamilton hosted another successful birthday party for our nation's first charismatic Prime Minister who was born January 11, 1915. A Scottish piper led the parade of 100 or so people in the biting cold to the monument of Sir John A. in Gore Park where wreaths were laid by a number of dignitaries. Back in the auditorium of the Crowne Plaza Hotel (nice and warm I might add), MC Steve Paikin introduced author Roy MacSkimming who talked about the writing of his novel, entitled Macdonald. Other speakers included Hamilton Councillor, Bob Bratina who spoke about Macdonald and the building of the railroad and past mayor of Hamilton, Bob Morrow who led the audience through a rededication of Canadian Citizenship. What with the Highland dancing and the Union Jack birthday cake, a good time was had by all. To read the novel Macdonald go to the Burlington Public Library catalogue, the library owns 5 copies - http://www.bpl.on.ca/ . To learn more about Sir John A. click here.

'Tis the Season

2009-12-15T08:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Back again in 2010.

New Plaque at Burlington's Union Burying Ground

2009-12-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Next time you are driving by Ikea, slow down and take a moment to realize that you have just passed a unique heritage cemetery. Better yet, park your car in the lot near Sears Home and wander around to the front of the cemetery where you will find a new plaque. The Hamilton Chapter of the United Empire Loyalists had the unveiling of this plaque, Sunday, November 15th.

The new plaque will let people know of the hardworking United Empire Loyalists, who are buried here. Established in 1848, the Union Burying Grounds was founded by ten pioneer families who were members of the Methodist Union. The families holding plots here were major contributors to the early growth, prosperity, and well-being of Nelson and the Village of Wellington Square: Baxter, Crosby, Cummins, Davis, Fisher, Gage, Galloway, Ghent, Kerns and Pearl. I find it impressive that almost 150 years later, the descendants of its founders continue to manage and maintain this historic burial place. The fine brick wall was built by Jabez Bent in 1888 - sadly it is in much need of restoration. The wrought iron gates and original name plaque also date from 1888. The grave markers are invaluable historic records and also merit preservation. This cemetery feels especially unique given it's setting of urban development.

*photo courtesy of The Burlington Historical Society

Home Children - in the news

2009-11-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

From 1869 to 1939, an estimated 100,000 orphaned or abandoned children were taken off the streets of Britain and sent to Canada and other former British colonies with the promise of a better life. Some studies have shown that up to two-thirds were abused by their patrons in Canada. Yesterday, November 16th, Australia offered a formal apology to all Home Children sent there, with Britain planning to do the same thing next year. The Canadian government has said that no such apology is being planned. There is currently a private member's motion to declare 2010 as the Year of the Home Child. Read about current news. Learn more about Home Children.

photograph - immigrant children from Dr. Barnardos Homes at Landing Stage, St. John, New Brunswick, undated.

The Estaminet - new heritage designation

2009-11-06T11:58:00.000-08:00

The old Estaminet Restaurant - which has been Emma's Back Porch downstairs and The Water Street Cooker upstairs for nearly 20 years - has been voted by Burlington City Council to be protected under the Ontario Heritage Act.* This historic building which opened in 1919 is in the middle of the Old Lakeshore Road precinct, an area to undergo future development. You can read the Old Lakeshore Road Precinct Urban Design Guidelines if you want to learn more.

*Once a property has been designated under Part IV of the Act, a property owner must apply to the local municipality for a permit to undertake alterations to any of the identified heritage elements of the property or to demolish any buildings or structures on the property.

Books - new, old and create your own

2009-10-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

I want to bring your attention to the 19th Annual Book Fair sponsored by the Waterdown-East Flamborough Heritage Society. It will take place Saturday, November 14th, from 9:30 am to 3 pm at St. James United Church in Waterdown (306 Parkside Drive). You will be able to buy new and used books, antiquarian books, genealogy supplies, and meet local authors. Several new local history books will be available - these kind of publications are often very hard to find. Of special interest to the family researcher is a 1 hour seminar at 10:30 am given by Rick Roberts of Global Genealogy - it is called "Publishing a Local or Family History: Six Steps to Success". I will be marking it on my calendar - maybe I'll see you there.

When is a book more fun than the computer?

2009-10-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

Just the other day the library received a donation of a copy of the 1877 Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Halton. Although the library already owns several copies, (including an original 1877 copy signed by the first Reeve of Wellington Square), I was excited to accept it. Researchers love using these wonderful oversized books. They exist for all counties of Ontario, but I think what really makes them special is how visual they are - you can see the landowners names on the allotments. In addition, the atlases contain county histories, and include sketchings of important local sites and persons (read, those local folk who financially subscribed to the publication of the atlas). Yes you can access these atlases online (go to The Canadian Atlas Digital Project). Nothing beats using the print copies though. Next time you are in the Burlington Central library ask us to show them to you. You won't be disappointed.

A new blog in town

2009-10-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

As a blogger of things heritage in Burlington, I am especially interested in the newly developed Burlington Historical Society Archives Blog. As the archivist writes "here you'll find news about what is going on in the Archives, new additions to our collection, and special events." I find the blog postings on new acquisitions especially interesting. For example, the BHS archives just received the original minute book for the Nelson Township Council, dating from the first meeting in 1836 up until 1864. Congratulations to the BHS archives on a great new blog. You can link to it from this blog - see Links You'll Like.

The Burlington Index - now online!

2009-09-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

A little known, but extremely useful local history resource is now available for researchers online. The Burlington Index has been in print for years, with new information being constantly added, but until now, few researchers knew about it. Now you can find it on the Burlington Public Library website, under the Local History section. This subject index is a retrieval tool for the library's non-digitized materials primarily located in the Burlington History Room at Central Library. Much of the content is only reached by using this resource. Indexed items include an extensive vertical file collection of

uncatalogued pamphlets, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, Tweedsmuir Histories and other materials donated by current or former citizens of Burlington or assembled by Library staff. Once you find items of interest you can come into Central Library and ask to use the materials within the library (photocopying is available). Otherwise you can phone 905-639-3611 ext 138 for futher assistance or e-mail askalibrarian[at]bpl.on.ca.

Freeman Station finds a new home!

2009-08-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

Burlington City Council recently approved the relocation of the Freeman Train Station to its new home - out of 6 possible sites, the beach site was chosen because of it's close proximity to the former Radial Electric Line and the Grand Trunk Railway Line. The new site is across the street from the Joseph Brant Museum and beside Discovery Landing which will make it highly visible to anyone visiting the lakefront. The train station which was active until 1988 has spent recent years sitting derelict behind the fire department on Fairview Street. The next step will be to determine what the restored building will be used for. A decision for its use could come this December - it could be used for retail, entertainment or recreational purposes. The City's Official Plan allows for a variety of uses so time will tell.

Brant Military Hospital - an excellent new website

2009-07-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

It might come as a surprise to many Burlingtonians, that our city had a hospital back in 1917, long before the existence of today's Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital - and it's location was pretty much on the same spot of land on the waterfront.

The Brant Military Hospital was established during World War I in 1917, as facilities were desperately needed to treat soldiers seriously injured in the war. With only the Hamilton General Hospital available to service the Head-of-the-Lake area, the federal government expropriated the posh inn known as the Hotel Brant to become a military hospital (not a popular move with then owner, A.B. Coleman). The resort was quickly adapted - the large verandahs where tourists had once whiled away their holidays were boarded up and made into wards. The atmosphere became rather sombre as the building's first new inhabitants included amputees and bullet wound victims. In 1919, a second wing was built and used for soldiers wounded in the war and brought there to convalesce, with patients shipped to Canada from England and France once they were well enough to travel. Serious efforts were made to improve the soldiers' morale with concerts by Hamilton entertainers and even a hospital newspaper called "Carry On" published the writing efforts of patients.

There is an extensively researched new website entirely devoted to the Brant Military Hospital recently created by Illinois researcher, Gene Beals. This is his 4th military website. He is especially interested in the Brant Military Hospital as his great-uncle Joseph Crinnion was on staff.

Natural Heritage - The Comfort Maple

2009-06-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

Heritage is most often associated with man-made things like buildings, but on a recent country drive I was able to see for myself an incredible example of natural heritage. The Comfort Maple tree is approximately 500 years old and incredibly, still stands today. It is nearly 100 feet high and measures 20 feet around the trunk. It is believed to be the oldest sugar maple in Canada. This tree was already a century old when Champlain was exploring Canada. In 1816 the Comfort family, settlers near Pelham in the Niagara region, obtained the land on which the then 300 year old maple stood. Luckily the family never felled the tree (cannot imagine the task that would have been) and today it and a small grassy area around it make up a Niagara Peninsula conservation site. If you would like to find the Comfort Maple, click here - you will surely need the detailed directions. It is not easy to find but once there an inspiring site to see.

Restricted Hours of opening at the Archives of Ontario

2009-06-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

The new building is beautiful, the facilities are state-of-the-art, the exhibition space is great, the staff are helpful.... but for many historians and genealogists, the new hours of the Archives of Ontario may prove limiting. Current listed hours of opening are Monday to Friday 8:30 to 5 pm. Gone are the previous evening and weekend hours. In a recent issue of Global Gazette published by Global Genealogy (an on-line Family History magazine), professional genealogists Kathie Orr and Ruth Burkholder discuss the issue and the importance of making the Archives aware of the need for longer hours.”

An opera in the making ...inspired by the life of Joseph Brant

2009-05-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

Opera Hamilton has received a $50,000 grant to be used towards a commissioned work of the life of Joseph Brant - the contemporary opera will be called Tyendinaga and is being written by Toronto composer Tomas Dusakto. It is hoped that Opera Hamilton will have it on the 2010-11 season.

This is not the first time the dramatic life of Joseph Brant has inspired an artistic work about his life. In 1898, author and member of the Ontario Historical Society J.B. MacKenzie, wrote the play "Thayendanegea: an Historico-Military Drama". If you are interested in reading this play, the Burlington Central Library has a copy in the Burlington History Room. Readers can enjoy perusing it in library.

A New Home for the Freeman Station? 5 possibilities...

2009-04-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

The city of Burlington has plans to move the old Freeman Train Station, yes, the one that has been "parked" behind the Fairview St. Fire Station for the last four years! Recently City Hall held an open house to showcase 5 possible spots where the station could be moved to - 4 of the 5 are in the core area and belong to the City. Possible "homes" include: land on the lakefront across the street from the Joseph Brant Museum, the north-west corner of the park behind the Burlington Art Centre, the north-east quadrant on the corner of Elgin St. and Brock Ave, Municipal parking lot 5 on Brant St. across from Elgin St. and lastly, the Burloak Waterfront Park.

At this point, city planners do not know what kind of tenant will take over the restored old station when it does find its new home (see report). This writer is especially excited that something is being done to start the process of restoration of this wonderful local treasure. The station was named after Joshua Freeman, the founder of the village of Freeman. Built in 1904, it was located on the corner of Brant Street and Plains Road. It was in use until 1988. In its heyday, this Grand Trunk Railway station was a hive of activity, especially on shipping days of the Aldershot fruit harvest.

Courtesy of the Burlington Historical Society

Archives of Ontario on the move

2009-04-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

On April 2nd, the Archives of Ontario opened its doors to its new state-of-the-art home on the York University Campus. This move has been on a gargantuan scale - 53,000 containers, folders and volumes of archival records have been meticulously packed and moved.

For genealogists and historians, the "one big reading room" as staff refer to it, is 75% larger than the old Archives reading room, offers new microfilm readers, more work stations, state of the art viewing booths for sound and moving images, wireless capability and even a lounge for day-long researchers.

Getting to and from the new Archives from the Halton-Hamilton area may not be as easy as to the old location on Grenville Street. Driving won't be too bad, but for public transit users, visiting the Archives won't be as easy as hopping on a Go Train to downtown Toronto. Apparently plans for a rapid transit busway that will shuttle commuters from Downsview Subway Station to the York University campus have now been finalized. This is very good news for those making their way to this exciting new facility.

"Meet me at the Brant Inn" to be aired on TV

2009-03-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

Burlington's own Historical Society dvd "Meet me at the Brant Inn" is going to be televised Saturday, March 21st at 10 p.m. on PBS - WNED Buffalo. Bought copies of the dvd are hard to come by (the Society has sold out twice) and there are 40 holds on the library's 5 copies - don't miss your chance to see this showing.

Valley Inn Road Bridge - last days to drive over it!

2009-03-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

The old Valley Inn Road bridge (or better known by decades of local kids, as the clickety-clack bridge) is soon to be closed to car traffic. It will be maintained as a pedestrian throughway, which no doubt local hikers, runners, and cyclists will enjoy more fully without the intrusion of cars. It goes without saying that as a wildlife and nature sanctuary, the closing of the bridge will be seen as a blessing for the area.

It's hard to believe that at one time the Valley Inn Road and bridge served as a major connection for travelers going east from Hamilton towards Toronto, or west towards Dundas. By the late 1800's this route was very busy and the Valley Inn Hotel opened near the west side of the bridge. (Today the City of Hamilton has put an informational marker about the Inn on the site where it stood.) The Hotel was a favourite spot for farmers , who while taking their goods to market, would stop and have a drink. The Hotel was very close to one of the unpopular toll houses (road building was an expensive business) and there are stories of liquored up travelers giving the toll collectors a hard time -there are examples of travelers driving their wagons right through the toll gate and taunting the toll collector to stop them if they could.

The original bridge collapsed in 1964 when a transport truck went over it and the current single lane "Bailey" (military) bridge which was meant to be temporary is the noisy one which has become such a well loved landmark. On a cold sunny weekday morning recently I could barely find a spot to park to take this photograph, and traffic crossing the bridge was brisk, so I would say that interest in the closing of the bridge is high. There are only a couple of months left to drive over the bridge - don't miss out.

How do I find the Valley Inn Bridge? Valley Inn Road intersects York Blvd, just next to the RBG Rock Gardens parking lot. You can drive down Valley Inn Road, cross the bridge and then exit via Spring Gardens Rd (beside Woodland Cemetery) which will take you back out to Plains Road.

Read more about the Valley Inn Hotel in an article from the The Waterdown - East Flamborough Heritage Society, "Vanished Flamborough: The Valley Inn" Part 1 and Part 2.

In honour of Black History Month - two very different local perspectives

2009-02-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

Oakville and the Underground Railroad

From 1820 to 1865, the Underground Railroad secretly transported thousands of fugitive slaves who traveled from the southern U.S. across the border to freedom in Canada. For many escaped African Americans, Oakville harbour was their first view of Canada and a new life of freedom. Oakville native, Captain Robert Wilson (pictured at right) helped hundreds of blacks cross Lake Ontario on his ships. One individual, James Wesley Hill crossed the border in a packing box in the late 1840's, settled on a farm near Oakville, and went on to help many escaped slaves by giving them work picking strawberries. His house still stands today at 457 Maple Grove Drive.

Oakville's influx of newcomers led to integrated schools and church groups in addition to new businesses - there was a distinct change in the fabric of early Oakville society. Emanicpation Day was celebrated in St. George's Square. Freed slaves from all over Ontario returned to Oakville to remember the occasion and march up Trafalgar Road to Captain Wilson's house (which still stands at 41 Navy Street).

To learn more about Oakville's connection to the Underground Railroad, see Deborah Lerech's essay, The Underground Railroad.

Joseph Brant - slave owner

There was an interesting news article in The Toronto Star last week commenting on Joseph Brant and the fact that he owned about 30 slaves. Of particular interest is the story of Sophia Pooley. Born to slave parents in New York state, at about age 12 (different sources vary) she was kidnapped with a sister and sold to Brant in the Niagara area on the U.S. side of the border. When Brant moved to Burlington in 1784 he brought Sophia and his other slaves with him. When she was about 20, he sold her to English settler Samuel Hatt of Ancaster. Sophia lived into her nineties in the Waterloo region. Her story is part of the oral history Refugee: or the Narratives of the Fugitive Slaves in Canada, published in 1856 and makes very interesting reading. To learn more about Sophia Pooley, see this excerpt from Refugee.

Joseph Brant found in Ottawa!

2009-01-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough to spend my birthday recently wandering the galleries of the esteemed National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa - there I saw 2 famous original oil portraits of Burlington's very own Chief Joseph Brant.

The first portrait by society artist George Romney, was painted when Brant was 33 years old. The portrait was done in Romney's London studio in 1776 when Brant visited the city with Guy Johnson (who was the royal commissioner for Indian Affairs of North America). Brant is shown wearing a white ruffled shirt, Indian blanket, silver gorget and a plumed headress . He is carrying a tomahawk. Romney's painting is gorgeous to see and so well illustrates how Brant straddled both native and western worlds.

In the same gallery I found this second portrait, (bottom picture) by William Berczy. This portrait was believed to have been painted shortly after the Chief''s death at the age of 65. Brant appears as a completely assimilated Mohawk Chief, standing on the banks of perhaps the Grand River pointing to the site of his people's new homeland. The artist has an interesting link to Canadian history - born in Saxony, he studied art in Italy and England before coming to North America. In addition to working as a portrait painter, he was also a writer, town planner, engineer, architect and land developer. It was in his role of land developer that Berczy met Joseph Brant in 1794. He is known to have settled a group of German colonists in the town of Markham.

Photographs courtesy of National Gallery of Canada

"Burlington loves Heritage" - come celebrate Heritage Day at Burlington Central Library

2009-01-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to mark Saturday, February 14th (10 - 3:30) on your calendar and plan to celebrate Heritage Day at Burlington Central Library!

Numerous local heritage organizations will have interesting exhibits for your interest - and there is a wonderful lineup of speakers.

10:30 am - former Burlington Mayor Walter Mulkewich speaks on "Why heritage is important to Burlington"
11:30 am - Elizabeth Crouch, archivist of St Luke's Anglican Church, speaks about 175 years of St Luke's history
12:30 pm - Burlington Post columnist, Don Crossley shares unforgettabe articles
1:30 pm - Joseph Brant Museum curator, Paul Stone speaks about the Frank Wright photograph exhibit
2:30 pm - Ken Cruikshank, local author and historian talks about the "People of the Bay"

This free event takes place at Burlington Central Library (2331 New St) on the first floor in Centennial Hall. Ample parking is available. See you there!

Heritage Book Sale

2008-11-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

Here is your chance to purchase heritage books - an excellent selection is in the offing of local history titles, local authors, children's books, anitiquarian, ephemera and second-hand books plus genealogy supplies. You can find all of this at the 18th Annual Heritage Book Fair sponsored by the Waterdown-East Flamborough Heritage Society - Saturday, November 22 from 9-2:30 at St James United Church, 306 Parkside Drive, Waterdown.

Photograph Exhibition at Joseph Brant Museum

2008-11-14T07:26:00.000-08:00

A new exhibit at the Joseph Brant Museum called "Witness: The Photographs of Frank Wright", is an excellent opportunity to see life in Burlington during the busy years of development in the 1950's and '60's. The exibit of local photographer Frank Wright, who's career spanned 30 years, is made up of 68 photographs depicting everything from the building of the Skyway Bridge (fitting especially as the bridge is celebrating it's 50th year) to an evening at the famous Brant Inn.

The exhibit runs until April 3, 2009

for more information go to Joseph Brant Museum website

$2.5 Million Gift to McMaster University's Wilson Centre for Canadian History

2008-11-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

This bequeath is good news for history lovers. McMaster's Chancellor, Red Wilson, is giving a $2.5 million present to the past. Wilson says "I think that Canadian history is an important thing for all of us in the country to know a little more about. You can't have a broad understanding of anything unless you understand how it got to where it is." Truer words were never spoken.

read more by going to The Hamilton Spectator, Wed Nov 5th, 2008 page A4

Concrete versus Marble

2008-10-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you following the on-going saga of the renovation of Hamilton City Hall, The Hamilton Spectator ran a story today stating that marble loses, white concrete panels will be replacing the marble on the outside of the renovated City Hall, set to be finished by July 2010.

Council voted 10-4 in favour of concrete cladding rather than replacing the Georgia marble - the decision was made due to cost. Mayor Fred Eisenberger said "Concrete...is absolutely the wrong material". Mayor Eisenberger ran an online poll on the decision - the results were 258 for marble vs 60 for concrete.

Because City Hall has been designated a heritage building under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2005, council had to vote itself an excemption over objections from the Municipal Heritage Committee and city planning staff!

Hamilton City Hall is a rare example of the International Style of Architecture, a well known example being the United Nations Building in New York City.

Launch of the Brant Inn Video

2008-10-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Plan to attend the Burlington Historical Society's November 10th meeting for a special event - the launch of the tv documentary "Meet Me at the Brant Inn". Portions of the documentary will be aired for the first time and there will be a live concert of Big Band music. For those of us lucky enough to have experienced a night out at the famous Brant Inn it will be a trip down memory lane. For the rest of us, including myself, we can only wish there was such an outstanding nightclub around today!

The meeting is open to the public, Monday November 10th at 7 pm at the Burlington Art Centre, in the Lakeshore Room.

2008-10-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

Photograph Exhibition at the Joseph Brant Museum - Witness : The Photographs of Frank Wright - this photo exhibition runs from Sept 18th until April 3rd, 2009

68 photographs of Burlington photographer Frank Wright are on exhibit. Taken during the 1950's and 1960's, they provide "slice-of-life moments" of a growing city. You will see photos of the old Brant Inn, the building of the Skyway Bridge and more.
for details visit Joseph Brant Museum website

Free lecture on The Art of Canada's War Memorials with Jane Irwin
Sunday, November 9, 1:30-3 pm

Jane is the archivist of the Burlington Historical Society and author of the recently published
Old Canadian Cemeteries: Places of Memory. Her talk will focus on the artists and artisans who created our war memorials and cenotaphs. Jane says their works were too often neglected, except on Remembrance Day, when they came into focus as sites for the placing of wreaths.
More recently, Canada’s war memorials have been recognized as significant works of art. For sculptors such as Walter Allward (who designed the famed Vimy War Memorial in France ), Florence Wyle, Elizabeth Wyn Wood, George Hill, and many others, monuments honouring the memory of the “boys” who died in the Great War were major commissions that brought their work to public view.
Call 905.632.7796 ext 307 to pre-register for this free event.

Welcome local history lovers of the Halton-Hamilton region!

2008-10-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

If you live in or are visiting the Hamilton-Halton area and are interested in it's fascinating history, then this blog is for you. The cities of Hamilton and Burlington and outlying communities in Wentworth and Halton counties are blessed with numerous historic buildings, monuments, churches, cemeteries, museums and parks. In addition, the many local history organizations, associations and societies that have sprung up over time (some are very old) host a wide variety of lectures and events that you need to know about! My hope is that this blog will provide you a place to read and become informed about Hamilton-Halton history.