Wednesday, August 17, 2011

New History Website! The Township of Warwick: A Story Through Time

In partnership with the Warwick Township History Committee, the Township of Warwick and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture's Museums and Technology Fund, the Lambton Room is proud to present a new history website! The Township of Warwick: A Story Through Time is a brand new website that brings together fascinating information about the township's history into one convenient location.

The website has its roots in the publication The Township of Warwick: A Story Through Time, which was compiled and released by the Warwick History Township Committee in 2008. That book provides an overview of Warwick Township's history from prehistoric times through the First and Second World Wars. Additionally, the book contained specific information about the families that have shaped and influenced Warwick Township.

The new website features digitized versions of all the content and photographs from the book (see the "History" tab on the website for the book chapters). Additionally, all the information about the various families is indexed and listed ("Families Index").

There was a lot of information, photographs, and history of Warwick Township that did not have the chance to get included in the book. The website has provided us with a platform to make those additional resources from the Lambton Room archives widely available. Browse historic postcards, letters or newspaper clippings! We also have video clips of interviews with local residents and businesses, and audio clips coming soon. You could spend days browsing through the photo albums and still have more pictures to see! The Google Gallery is one of my favourite aspects of the website. It pairs historic photographs with cutting edge technology by putting historic snapshots beside Google Street View. It gives you an opportunity to compare how streetscapes and landscapes have evolved over time.

Most importantly, this website will continue to evolve. The forums encourage users to post their own memories of Warwick Township's history or make additional comments about photographs/documents that are on the wesibte, if they recognize names or faces that aren't already identified. Our Uploading section is an excellent opportunity for individuals with photos or documents to upload digitized copies, which will add to our understanding of the township's history and become integrated into the material already posted on the website. In this way, the website continues to collect Warwick Township's history and spark interest in its stories.

Although there is already amazing material on the website, it will continue to grow and expand as people share their knowledge and passion about Warwick Township's history with us. Visit http://www.warwickhistory.ca today!