Stepping into the Breach

It wasn't another American invasion but rather a horrific collision on the 401 Highway that caused our scheduled speaker to get trapped in a traffic snarl near Nappanee.

But, just as disaster loomed, our Canadian Militia stepped forward to fill the gap in the line.

John Bradshaw, Infantryman

John Bradshaw described life as an infantryman in the home forces including the care and handling of your musket.

Mike Janssens, a Pioneer

 Mike Janssens described how a Pioneer had (and still does) to do just about any job, from cutting paths, preparing and guarding defensive positions and handling sensitive stores such as fuel and ammunition, to bricklaying and carpentry.

Peter Johnson, Fife Player

 Peter Johnson talked about the life as a drummer and fifer.  A position that made you a prime target for the enemy.

Bruce Bedell, our Crier

And in finale, Bruce Bedell cried the news from Michilimackinac in fine poetic form.

And there were lots of questions and discussion...

The full story will be in September's issue of Outlook.

Story and pictures Nick White

My Mother

There are interesting finds everywhere in an archives.

This hand written copy of a poem entitled "My Mother" was found tucked into the front cover of the 1912-1921 Fire Log Book for the Moira Fire Company N^o1.

The words written by poet Ann Taylor (1782-1866) must have resonated with the firefighters in the early part of the last century and are an interesting addendum to the list of fires and events in the log.

Research by Al Cleary, digital images by Kieren Delany, Belleville and Hastings County Community Archives file number 3398-1


My Mother

The log is a handsome embossed book

Who fed me from her gentle breast,
And hushed me in her arms to rest,
And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?
            My Mother.

When sleep forsook my open eye,
Who was it sung sweet lullaby,
And rocked me that I should not cry?
            My Mother.

Who sat and watched my infant head,
When sleeping in my cradle bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed?
            My Mother.

When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye,
And wept for fear that I should die?
            My Mother.

Who ran to help me when I fell,
And would some pretty story tell,
Or kiss the part to make it well?
            My Mother.

Who taught my infant lips to pray,
To love God's holy word and day,
And walk in wisdom's pleasant way?
            My Mother.

And can I ever cease to be,
Affectionate and kind to thee,
Who wast so very kind to me?
            My Mother.

Oh no! the thought I cannot bear,
And if God please my life to spare,
I hope I shall reward thy care,
            My Mother.

When thou art feeble, old, and gray,
My healthy arm shall be thy stay,
And I will soothe thy pains away,
            My Mother.

And when I see thee hang thy head,
'Twill be my turn to watch thy bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed,
            My Mother.

East of the Moira Returns

The Archive Angels hearing the story of the 2102 edition

Lois Foster and Lindi Pierce have been in cahoots for the past six months, updating the book 'Heritage Buildings East of the Moira', which was first published by Heritage Belleville (our Municipal Heritage Committee, formerly known as LACAC) in 1991. The book is an inventory of historical and architecturally significant buildings, with research conducted in large part by Lois Foster and Beth Green, supported by Elaine Preston, Mary Hall and Shirley Birchard, all of the Hastings Historical Society Building Research Committee. Rodger Greig of ACO provided architectural descriptions; city staff and summer students provided additional help.

With the support of Alderman Kay Manderville and the Heritage Belleville committee, the book was published in 1991 and has been an invaluable, if rare, resource to building researchers and 'old house nuts' for over 20 years.

Last year, Lois and Lindi began work on an update of 'Heritage Buildings East of the Moira'. Lindi compiled the corrections and new data which Lois had been collecting since the book's publication. Lois devoted hours to researching some Front Street properties whose story intrigued her.

The members of the current Heritage Belleville Committee approved the cost of reprinting the updated book and producing a PDF version on USB stick - a paperless version of the book. The 2012 edition of 'Heritage Building East of the Moira' has been presented to the Reference desk and Canadiana Room at the Belleville Public library, and has 'come home' to the Community Archives at the Heritage Centre. The book will provide an extra resource to volunteers and members of the public researching our built heritage.

Sharon White, archivist, receiving a copy of
Heritage Buildings East of the Moira
from Heritage Belleville member Lindi Pierce 

'Heritage Buildings East of the Moira' provides background on several hundred historic structures in Belleville, including brief family and building histories, notes on architectural style and detail, and interesting quotes from the the press of the day. Properties are listed alphabetically by street. The book contains a black and white photo of each building, and several maps.

120 Years of Service (and Jubilee Pin)

Carol Pettit (whom I don't know, but who must be a volunteer, because she 'gets it') is credited with the following quote: "Volunteers just don't do the work - they make it work".

The truth of this statement was celebrated earlier this month when six of the Historical Society's outstanding volunteers, the Archives Angels, were honoured for their contributions to the society - a combined total of 120 years of volunteer work! The annual Ontario Volunteer Service Awards banquet was held on May 2 at the Banquet Centre on Alhambra Square. Marney Black, Adele Dibben, Lois Foster, Beth Green, Diane Sule and Mary Jane Throop received awards.

Beth Green 30 year pin Lois Foster 30 year pin Adele Dibben 20 year pin Diane Sule 20 year pin Marney Black 10 year pin Mary Jane Throop 10 year pin

The awards presented on behalf the Provincial Government by MPP Todd Smith, recognize volunteers for each 5 years of volunteer service to their organization. The six individuals from the Society who received pins this year are listed on the right. These ladies, and the many other volunteers who devote so many of their hours to the work of the Historical Society, truly are "the heart of our community".

This photo shows Adele Dibben, Beth Green, Lois Foster and Marney Black with Todd Smith and Dick Hughes at the awards ceremony.

Dick Hughes pictured with pin recipients Mary Jane
Throop, Lois Foster, Diane Sule and Marney Black

The second picture, taken at the Hastings Heritage Centre shows Mary Jane Throop and Diane Sule holding their certificates with the pins. As Mary Jane and Diane were not able to attend the official ceremony, they received their pins from Society President Dick Hughes.





In addition to their regular pins each volunteer was awarded a special Jubilee pin, created in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's 60th year on the throne.

The special Jubilee pin shown next
to the 30+ years service pin

A Baker's Dozen

A hungry crowd

"There's a great hunger for history out there".  We hear this so often; it must account for the full houses at our monthly Historical Society meetings. On Tuesday April 17, an attentive crowd dined out on an amazing smorgasbord of stories from our Community Archives.

Weeks of work by Archive Angels researchers and our intrepid tech team yielded an entertaining lineup of anecdotes from Hastings County's history. The furious behind the scenes activity involved finding stories in the collection, locating  visuals to go with them, meeting with the technical folks and planning brief presentations. A common concern: "How do I fit this story into 4 minutes!?"

From 1812 platoon exercises to a  young woman's horseback mission to meet the U.S. President s to the heart-warming story of Harry the fire-horse, the citizens of Hastings County were entertained and edified through the magic of Power-point and a good sound system. The thirteen volunteers who presented used archival photos and scanned documents from the Archives' extensive collection - from artists' sketches, to nineteenth century newspaper advertisements, to directories, newspaper collections and family fonds, to cross-written letters, to Billy Bishop's aerial photography, to illustrate their chosen bits of local history.

The stories were short and sweet. This was partly to do with the fact that the Quinte Living Centre doesn't allow sleep-overs (we couldn't talk as long as our subjects warranted) and partly because we want to make sure folks left with plans to visit us at the Community Archives in the Heritage Centre - we wanted them to leave the feast still a little bit hungry for more stories from the Archives.

Pictured after the presentation from left to right; Mary Jane Throop, Sharon White (Archivist), Katharine Mills, Kieran Delaney, Nick White, Bill Kennedy, Al Cleary, Adele Dibben, Lindi Pierce, Jeanne Delaney, Annis Ross, Lois Foster, Gerry Boyce, Lorna Garbutt, Diane Sule, Marney Black, George Pearce and Elizabeth Mitchell

This is the complete story line-up from the April 17, 2012 Historical Society event 'Stories from the Archives':

• Sharon White - introduction
• Al Cleary - Belleville Fire Department and Harry the horse
• Elizabeth Mitchell - Hastings County Directories
• Lois Foster - The Antheneum
• George Pearce - J.B.Collip, unsung hero
• Annis Ross - Terry Forin collection
• Gerry  Boyce - Hutton of Hastings, the story of the book
• Diane Sule - Gwen Lazier, in her own words
• Adele Dibben - Aerial photographs
• Jeanne Delaney - Intelligencer time capsules
• Mary Jane Throop - Billa Flint, entrepreneur
• Lindi Pierce - War of 1812 in Hastings County
• Kieran Delaney - Scanning and digitization
• Bill Kennedy - Outlook newsletter production

Not able to be present was Donna Fano who, in addition to preparing her own presentation, spent many hours with other volunteers turning their research material into those short but sweet presentations. 

Words Lindi Pierce, pictures Nick White

A Shorter History of Hastings County

I’m Sir Francis Rawdon-Hastings

As you see!

My titles of English Nobility

Do proceed from me!

Marquess of Hastings!

Earl of Huntington!

Baron of Hungerford!

I’m the Earl of Moira Too,

For which the Moira River is due!

Loyalist John Meyers; he built a grist mill

Making Meyers Creek

The gristiest town by a mill site!

McNabbs may come and McNabbs may go

But their Riverboat house remains

At the beginning of West Bridge Street Hill!

John Dunbar Moody reflects:

Oh Susanna; don’t you cry for me;

I’m The Sheriff of Hastings County

No more farming for we!

We come from Peterborough County

With an infant on our knee

But now its life in the clearing

No more Bush for we!

How much Flint can a Billa Flint, Flint

When a Billa Flint does Flint, Flint?

Enough to become a Senator

And name York River- Bancroft;

After his Mother-in-law!

 

For a longer history you need to go to the Archives!

Composed and Cried by Bruce Bedell (the Society's Crier) in honour of the "Stories from the Archives" presentation by the "Archive Angel" volunteers.

An Historical Nautical Night

Well fed and succumbing to sea lore

Hastings County Historical Society President Richard Hughes has been quoted as saying the there are three aspects to promoting our local history: "gathering, recording and preserving, and promoting". The March 24 "Nautical Night" held at the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club in historic Victoria Park can be considered "guilty on all counts". The event in support of the Unlock the Archives capital campaign was a sell-out, with visitors travelling from as far as Hamilton to enjoy the great ambiance in this wonderful and historic bay-side yacht club, to delight to historic displays and compelling stories of local marine history, and to hear the siren call of Bay of Quinte's nautical history.

Paul Adamthwaite shares
the Atalanta's exploits

The event illustrates once again people's hunger for history (yes,and for great food too! The banquet prepared by a volunteer crew led by Hazel Lloyst, did not disappoint in any way).

Dick Bird

An outstanding line-up of speakers captivated the well-fed audience. Paul Adamthwaite, of the maritime history and conservation group the Archives & Collections Society of Picton shared the proud history of Belleville's own Atalanta, contender for the 1881 America's Cup. Dick Bird did Freeman Burrows proud - his account of Burrows' 1937 Great Lakes exploits on the Norseman inspired all who heard him.

Susan Smith the Club's Historian

Susan Smith, past Commodore of BQYC and the club historian  shared some of her discoveries in those "boxes and boxes of club history" she rescued from the dumpster - exciting stories of Belleville's boats' racing prowess from as far back as the 1870's.

Bill Hunt, noted Quinte area writer on things nautical and contraband, unnerved the audience by his ominous disappearance to Cuba.

Shifty character tries to explain
Bill Hunt's, ahhh, disappearance

His absence was not satisfactorily explained by the sinister character who took his place, who nonetheless gave an edifying and entertaining account of the great business opportunities afforded by Prohibition, in the seafaring Quinte community of the 1920's

L to R: Dick Bird, Susan Smith, archivist Sharon White, HCHS president Richard Hughes, Paul Adamthwaite, HCHS past-president and old salt Orland French

Hastings County Historical Society's 'Nautical History of Belleville and the Quinte Area' was a great way to celebrate local yachting history, and to start the season. Proceeds from the event go to the HCHS 'Unlock the Arhives' Capital Campaign - to preserve Hastings County's exciting history for us all, seafarer or landlubber. Look for the event next year...and be ready. Tickets go quickly.