Remembering the Women of Lambton

The Lambton Heritage Museum's current feature exhibit Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton offers insight into the history of women in Lambton County and the contributions they have made to our community. I'm using this blog post as an opportunity to explore some wider themes of women's history, including how women's history became an area of study, how the roles of women have changed, and the impact of using a new concept for "work".

Two women fishing near Grand Bend. Image courtesy of
the Archival Collection of the Lambton Heritage Museum.

Many history books describe the achievements of men and remain silent about women, and the roles of women are often forgotten. This slowly started changing in the 1960s and 1970s when a new way of thinking about history developed. Social historians began looking beyond the upper classes, politicians, and heroes to study how so-called "ordinary people" lived. This contrasts sharply with historians who focused on royalty without looking at peasants, and generals without looking at soldiers. Since many women did not have opportunities to establish themselves as power politicians or businesspeople, this new perspective that looked beyond the "big names" of history began to include women.

Sports Team at the Boys Brigade Hall in Sarnia. From the
Photograph Collection of the Lambton County Archives.

The roles, responsibilities and opportunities for women in 2013 are very different than they were in the past. It's important to remember that women in Lambton County in the 1800s lived in a society that had very different perspectives on the opportunities available for omen. These roles of women should be considered in the wider context of what society expected from women, and what women were taught they could give back to society. Expectations have changed drastically since Lambton County's population began growing more quickly in the mid-1800s. Changes in the roles of women will continue, and in 2113 historians may look back over the last hundred years and marvel at the lives of women in 2013!

This discussion also applies to the concept of work. Women have traditionally been left out of discussions about work because the concept of work ignores a lot of the unpaid work that women do (housework, childcare, care of the elderly or sick, community service). If we think more broadly about the concept of work we can better understand the contributions women in the past made to society. Women in rural settings contributed to their households not only through tending children, cooking and cleaning, but also by managing the household budget and often assisting in physical tasks around the farm.

To learn more about the Women of Lambton and hear their stories, visit the Lambton Heritage Museum's exhibit Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton, featured until November 8, 2013.

Staff at Imperial Oil in 1919. From the Holland Paisley Photographic Collection,
Lambton County Library, Sarnia Branch. H102-39.

A Gem From Paris at the Lambton Heritage Museum

This blog post is in recognition of the opening of a new exhibit at the Lambton Heritage Museum, Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton. This exhibit carries a special significance because the history of women is often forgotten or ignored. It's a rare chance to celebrate the women who have shaped Lambton County.

Lambton Heritage Museums staff were able to pull some treasures from their collection to display in the new exhibit. One example is a dress from Helen Corey that tells a special story. Mrs. Corey lived in Petrolia and her husband worked in the oil industry. On display is a black dress that she purchased in Paris in 1926, along with the original receipt from the transaction.

Receipt from Corey's dress purchase at Haton Soeurs in Paris, April 20, 1926.  The receipt says "Robe tulle et paillettes noir" or "Black tulle and sequin dress."

This dress was made for a night of dancing. The skirt is composed in several layers with a light top layer that floated while Helen danced and a stiffer layer underneath that swayed back and forth. The delicate beads along the neck are glass-blown beads.

This delicate dress had deteriorated badly over time. Fortunately, part of the role of the Lambton Heritage Museum is to restore and bring back to life artifacts that would otherwise waste away.

The dress was restored by a conservator in London who painstakingly sewed back on hundreds of the sequins that had fallen off over time. The conservator discovered that the sequins are made from a gelatinous or vegetable-based material and dissolve in hot water. If you look carefully at the underarms of this dress, you can see many of the sequins are partially dissolved or missing - Helen Corey must have enjoyed many nights of dancing and it cost her a few sequins! Through her restoration work on the dress, the conservator was able to uncover new and interesting information about Helen Corey and her dress.

Visit the exhibit Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton at the Lambton Heritage Museum (10035 Museum Road - eight kilometers south of Grand Bend off Lakeshore Road) between May 12 and November of 2013 to see this and other interesting artifacts!

Threatening Flames: Early Firefighting in Lambton County

Great Fire of London, from an oil by Jan Griffier the Elder,
produced 1675. Museum of London collection.

Firefighting has an interesting history and the history of firefighting in Lambton County is no exception. Fire has historically posed a major threat to developing towns and cities around the world. Infamous damage occurred in England when the Great Fire of London raged from September 2 to 5 in 1666, destroying an estimated 13,200 homes and 87 churches. Fires were devastatingly common in early towns and cities, which were vulnerable because of over-crowding, many wooden structures, and the fact that so many daily activities (cooking, heating, lighting) involved open flames. Frequent fires eventually urged the establishment of formal firefighting organizations. However, prior to the formal fire departments, towns and cities often depended on volunteer operations.

John Peterson (L) and Thomas Whitty (R)
of the Beaver Hose Company, April 1878.

The first fire department in Sarnia was organized in the mid-1850s but it was poorly supported. A volunteer operation, Sarnia's first firefighters did not have proper equipment until town council purchased a hand drawn fire engine in 1859. Even with the new equipment, criticisms arose when the fire department did not arrive on scene in a timely manner. To combat the tardiness, financial incentives were offered to the first firefighters arriving on scene. Competing fire companies developed in Sarnia, and the first fire company to arrive at the scene of a fire was the only company to get paid! The Beaver Hose Company was one of these competing fire companies, and they were known for their fast responses.

Early Fire Department in Sarnia

On July 6, 1912 the fire department became an official town department and service was standardized in Sarnia. Horses would continue to draw fire engines until the first trucks were introduced in the 1920s. More details about the history of the Sarnia Fire Department can be found on the City of Sarnia's website.

Some parts of Lambton County faced special threats due to oil activities. Fires in the oil fields could be very frightening and fierce. When fires occurred during the great oil boom in Oil Springs in the 1860s (see the Oil Springs Boom and Bust page on the Oil Museum of Canada's website for more details), witnesses reported that flames raged on the waters of the Black Creek, where overflow product had trickled from the oil fields. Petrolia also had to contend with some dicey situations as local refineries caught flame. To read more about the Reliable Fire Company in Petrolia and learn about a special print currently on sale at the Lambton Heritage Museum, visit the Lambton Heritage Museum's Information Page on The Reliable to the Rescue print.

The Reliable to the Rescue, print of an early Petrolia fire
company by Maria Gotz. Available for order from the
Lambton Heritage Museum.

Station Stories: Point Edward's Grand Trunk Railway

Point Edward Grand Trunk Railway Station

I recently presented a talk at the Central Forum (a lecture series held at the Central United Church in Sarnia) entitled, "Passage to Point Edward: Survival of a Railway Town." In this blog I will outline some of "Station Stories" associated with the Point Edward Grand Trunk Railway Station. If you are interested in a more detailed look at the rise and decline of the Grand Trunk Railway Station in Point Edward, you can access my research notes or download my PowerPoint slides from the Central Forum presentation.

Horses moving a home from Point
Edward to Sarnia; a common site
in the 1890s.

The Grand Trunk arrived in Point Edward in November 1859. A grand station-hotel was built to mark the Canadian Terminus of the rail line, the grandest Grand Trunk structure west of Toronto. An impressive three-storey white brick building, the station-hotel was 200 feet long and approximately 40 feet tall. Features included first and second class waiting rooms, dining facilities, apartments for the stationmaster and his family, and overnight accommodations. The station stood on the waterfront on land that is now partially beneath the Blue Water Bridge and the west balcony featured a beautiful view of the St. Clair River and Lake Huron. The station was also complimented by its landscaping, including gardens, flower beds, and a fountain. Business boomed in Point Edward, spurred by the rail line and the connections it offered to the rest of North America. Unfortunately, the opening of the St. Clair Tunnel in 1891 marked the end of rail service in Point Edward. All rail focus shifted to Sarnia, leaving the grand Point Edward station deserted and forcing hundreds of local residents to follow their railway jobs to Sarnia (two thirds of the population left). Although it met a sad demise, the railway station had some interesting stories along the way.

Workers at Point Edward station

The station building was destroyed by fire in September 1871. The fire was discovered by stationmaster Mr. John McAvoy. The blaze started in a barrel of hot ashes in a shed at the north end of the building, and it was encouraged by a gusty wind off the lake; within half an hour, the whole hotel burned to the bare brick walls. The Sarnia Observer reported on September 15, 1871, "[Mr. McAvoy] lost all his personal belongings including $660 cash." Apparently the cash was stuffed in the pocket of a vest he was unable to retrieve from the fire. Although he lost his money, McAvoy did escape with his life and the life of his family, also rousing the half-suffocated bartender from his bed before he could succumb to the smoke. The red brick telegraph and ticket office at the south end of the building were spared when firefighters tore up a section of the wooden station platform and soaked the wood to prevent further flames spreading. Soon after on September 22, the Sarnia Observer reported that the Grand Trunk would rebuilt the station-hotel in the spring; in fact, construction began on December 1 of that year. Construction continued in earnest throughout the chilly Canadian winter. On April 19, 1872 the Sarnia Observer announced "Grand Trunk Ry. station, at Point Edward nearly re-built after the fire." The new station had many of the same features as the old, including a customs office, agent's office, waiting room, ticket office, ladies waiting room, bar dining room, kitchen and pantry, with the agent's private dining room on the second floor. The building had fifty apartments in total. It cost $20,000 for the reconstruction.

Edward VII

On September 14, 1860 the Point Edward railway station entertained perhaps its most famous guest. The Prince of Wales, Albert Edward (later Edward VII), was scheduled to stop in Point Edward and Sarnia after touring Toronto and London. There was some confusion in the week leading up to his visit regarding when and how the Prince would travel to Lambton County, and County Warden Archibald Young made sure that he personally traveled to Toronto himself to confirm the details. Early in the morning crowds from Sarnia and Point Edward as well as travelers from across the county (arriving on foot, horseback and cart) crowded into the gallery where the opening address would take place. A Reception Committee including local dignitaries greeted the Prince and there were a series of formal addresses.

A large contingent of Native Americans (estimated between three and four hundred) also came to the formal reception. Some came in traditional dress with feathered headdresses and painted faced, while others wore European-style clothing. Native American H.P. Chase was selected to speak on behalf of his people, as well as Ogishta, an Objibeway Chief who addressed the Prince in his native tongue, with the help of an interpreter.

The ceremony was also accompanied by an address from the Prince himself and the opening of new Grand Trunk freight sheds. The Prince dined at the Point Edward Railway station's hotel, and a great ball was also held in his honour. At dinner, the Prince proposed a toast to "the prosperity of the Grand Trunk."

Ulysses S. Grant

American general and president Ulysses S. Grant also stayed at the Point Edward station while traveling from Buffalo to Detroit. A thousand Sarnians hopped aboard the J.C. Spicer ferry to greet Grant when his train arrived. Apparently not given to speeches, Grant bowed several times from the depot balcony but did not address the crowd. One reporter later noted, "it seemed Grant would rather face an army of 50,000 Southerners than expose himself to the prying eyes of 1000 Canucks having for their object the gratification of mere curiosity."

The Grand Trunk railway station in Point Edward also served as a stop on the journey of immigrants settling in Western Canada. In 1860 the Beatty Transportation Company began a steamship service from the Point Edward station to Duluth on the aptly named steamer Manitoba. West of the Grand Trunk station a shed was built for immigrants to take a break on their long journeys. Immigrants crammed into colonist cars on trains were in need of clean clothes and a bath before continuing the long journey. In front of the shed was an enclosed space on the river where train loads of immigrants (500 - 1000 people) could wash themselves and their clothes before loading onto steamboats for farther destinations.

J.C. McArthur, "Icelanders Leaving the Railway Station at
Point Edward for the steamer 'Ontario,' on their Way to the
shores of Lake Manitoba." Canadian Illustrated News,
November 13, 1875, vol. XII, no. 20, 309.

The sketch by J.C. MacArthur shows a large group of Icelandic settlers arriving in Point Edward on their way to settle on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, beyond the borders of Manitoba in the Northwest Territories, in October, 1875. 266 Icelandic immigrants were traveling together to the settlement. The eruptions of Mount Hecla had left hundreds homeless in Iceland, and the Canadian government sent agents there to provide government loans to families who would come and settle in Canada. Point Edward served as a point of call for these and other immigrant families settling across western Canada and the United States. 

Facility Name Change: Lambton Room to Lambton County Archives

Please take a minute to read this article from Archivist Heather Lavallee concerning the recent name change at our facility:

The Lambton Room has seen many changes since it was established in 1974. Starting as the local history room of the Lambton County Library, the collection and function have grown to create a vibrant archival repository as part of the Lambton County Museum network. In order to better reflect the function and services of the collection, the Lambton Room has undergone a formal name change to Lambton County Archives.

As a result, our contact information has changed. For assistance with genealogical and local history inquires please email us at archives@county-lambton.on.ca. We can also be reached by telephone at our new direct number 519-845-5426. For those telephoning long distance, please continue to use the toll free number 1-866-324-6912 to avoid charges.

To keep informed of updates, like us on Facebook!

At the Archives, we now have the ability to create digital scans of images from the microfilm machines. These images come out much clearer than the printed copies and are also a great way to "go green." Simply bring in a USB flash drive to save the files and save the environment! If you would like one-on-one instruction we would be happy to book a time to teach you this new technology.

Over the past few months we have been involved with various events and programs. Thank you for your encouragement and attendance at Doors Open Lambton County, the British Home Child presentation, and at the Ancestry workshops at the Petrolia Library. We have been really pleased with the support from the community!

Interesting Lambton Businesses: The Newton Hat Shop



The Newton Hat Shop interior photograph from the Sarnia location

 

Sarnia Canadian Observer
March 14, 1919

Throughout Lambton County's history some businesses have ignited the public imagination and left an interesting legacy. The Newton Hat Shop is one example, a local business first established in Sarnia and eventually moved to Petrolia, owned by Katherine N. Newton. The Lambton Room is fortunate to have some interesting documentation from Newton's business.

Newton was a milliner (maker or seller of hats) who opened her first shop in Petrolia in 1918 and continued in business for over thirty years. She created and decorated her own hats but also ordered the latest hat fashions from hotspots like Toronto, Vancouver, New York and Paris. Newton operated two different hat shops, one in Sarnia and one in Petrolia. A newspaper advertisement in the Sarnia Canadian Observer announced the arrival of a store on March 14, 1919 at 129 Front Street (see scan from paper). The stores have been referred to variably as "The Newton Hat Shop" and "Miss Newton's Hat Shop." By 1946 the Sarnia location had closed and the Petrolia location was changing locations again, as announced in the Petrolia Advertiser-Topic on December 12: "Another new business will be open to the public in Petrolia on Saturday next when Miss Kate Newton, of town, opens the Newton Hat Shop in the former Pearson block."



Blank company invoice

Newton owned and operated her hat shop at a time when few other women were in business for themselves. She was a pioneer for businesswomen and exercised creative talents crafting hats and managerial/economic talents running her own small business. Little has been recorded about Newton personally outside of her business life. She ultimately chose not to marry and lived at 4227 Henry Street in Petrolia with her older brother, Roy, her sister, Ethel, and her mother.



After she passed away May 24, 1968, a search through Newton's attic revealed an inventory of over 500 hats in storage. These were purchased by George L. Smith, a local historian who has often swooped in to collect and purchase local artifacts and documents that might otherwise have been lost to history (it was also Smith who rescued from a dumpster the original Sarnia Observer Negative collection, thousands of negatives published between the 1950s-1970s and now safely stored in the Lambton Room - see blog post Local History Gem! The Sarnia Observer Negative Collection.) Some of the hats Smith collected even had the original price tags! The collection was sold to the Canadian Museum of Civilization and featured in the Hold Onto Your Hats! exhibition, which noted that Miss Newton's collection "provides important information about the millinery trade in Ontario, as well as a visual and tactile impression of the kinds of hats that were popular in Ontario in the first half of this century."

For more information on Katherine Newton and her hat shop, visit Dave and Lyn Dennis's A Glance Back, Kate Newton article.

 

Women's Cloche from The Newton Hat Shop, late 1920s. Rayon.
From Canadian Museum of Civilization collection.

Front of card published by the Newton Hat Shop




Interior of card published by the Newton Hat Shop

Look at the Inwood Red Cross Society

I'm conducting research for the Lambton Heritage Museum's 2013 exhibit, Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton. I've been looking for good examples of women making positive change in their communities and beyond through formal organizations. In the Lambton Room's vault I found some really interesting material from the Inwood Red Cross Society, not an entirely female society but one with many female members. The Inwood Red Cross Society was established just after the outbreak of WWII to support Canadian soldiers. Here is a brief history of the Red Cross and the founding of the group in Inwood, and scans of some traces of the society we have in the Lambton Room collection.

The Red Cross was established by an act of Parliament in 1909. It can trace its roots back to Louis Riel's 1885 Northwest Rebellion, when Dr. George Ryerson designed a Red Cross flag to identify the wagon he used to transport wounded soldiers. Dr. Ryerson founded the British Red Cross overseas, which later became the Canadian Red Cross.

The Canadian Red Cross was involved overseas in humanitarian aid during WWI and WWII. Volunteers offered services including comfort and relief for troops and prisoners of war, medical aid, information services, and family reunification.



Receipt Feb 4, 1943 Inwood Red Cross Dutch Auction



On the home front, the Red Cross was a rally point for local residents eager for opportunities to support troops overseas. The Inwood Red Cross Society was established in 1940 as "S.S. #14." Shortly after the society was formed, on June 1 the group put out a call for "wool blankets so urgently needed." Not wasting any time, by June 3 members had shipped from Inwood "four pair new blankets and four slightly used blankets." (Information taken from Inwood Red Cross Society Minute Book, 1940-42, p. 3-5 in Lambton Room collection.) The Inwood Red Cross Society demonstrates how men and women worked together to provide for Canada's armed forces during WWII. Women held many important roles in the society including secretary, treasurer, sewing convenor, knitting convenor, quilting convenor, and social convenor. We have many interesting documents from their organization including minute books, receipts from purchases made for fundraisers and soldier care packages, and letters written by grateful soldiers.



Receipt Oct 15 1943, Inwood Red Cross for Soldiers Overseas

Keep tuned to the blog for more information on the involvement of women in Lambton County as my research continues!



Letter from Private N.A. Campbell, Jan. 26 1945 to Inwood Red Cross S.S. #14.