Lennox and Addington County Museum and Archives
97 Thomas Street East K7R 4B9 Napanee, ON, Canada

AUDIBLE GASP! By Kim the Archivist I'm breaking out of Lennox and Addington County's borders for this AUDIBLE GASP! to show a clip from a 16mm film we had digitized recently of the 1939 royal tour of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The tour covered every Canadian province, the Dominion of Newfoundland plus four days in the United States. It was the first time a reigning Canadian monarch had visited this country. This video - in colour! - leaves nothing to the imagination ...in terms of the effort cities around the country went to welcoming the royal couple. There would be another Canadian royal tour in 1959, and during the 1984 tour, a stop in Ernestown Township by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip for the opening of the Loyalist Parkway. 1984 marked bicentennial celebrations in Ontario and New Brunswick. The royal visit of 1939 is just one of several colour films digitized from the late 1930s to early 1940s we hope to get out to you soon! #AudibleGasp #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #BehindtheScenes #VirtualTour #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumFromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Collection #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist #Archives

October is Women's History Month in Canada, and with only two days left in the month, we're honouring the women of L&A County with this tiny collection of photographs from the archives. It's a privilege and honour every day to hold objects and records from the women that have lifted up the communities of L&A for generations. Enjoy this photographic trip into the lives of some of those women. #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #B...ehindtheScenes #VirtualTour #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumFromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Collection #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist #Archives See more

Intern Takeover - Michelle Barclay (Archival Intern) I recently started organizing the various records once belonging to the Township of North Fredericksburgh. Fredericksburgh Township, established in 1784, later separated into North and South Fredericksburg in 1857. The Township of North Fredericksburgh remained active until 1999 when it amalgamated with the neighbouring townships of Richmond, South Fredericksburgh, and Adolphustown, to become the Town of Greater Napanee. Si...nce my internship began, I have only been working with private individuals’ collections. Government records are an entirely different game. When North Fredericksburgh was absorbed by Greater Napanee, it left the Archives with various financial documents, correspondence, oaths of office, land surveys, assessment rolls, court records, by-laws, even bridge blueprints! I’ve quickly realized that my knowledge of finance and municipal government functions is a bit limited, to say the least! I’ve just come across some copies of township plans printed in 1867 by the Department of Crown Lands that are quite attractive and include whimsical sketches of Hay Bay that I wanted to share with you. I wonder when they stopped hand painting such documents... I think what I love most about sifting through dusty old government records is admiring all the handwriting, which must have felt so effortless back then! #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #MuseumTakeOver #InternTakeOver #PhotoOfTheDay #Collection #Photo #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumfromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Archives

There are only 4 weeks left to visit the museum and see Tim Nimigans exhibit "Our Town is Your Town"!! Tim will be doing his final live tour on November 27th, speaking about his journey into becoming a cartoonist and the inspiration behind them. For tickets to this special event please visit https://lennox-addington.on.ca//friday-morning-with-tim-no

Intern Takeover - Alannah MacGregor (Curatorial Intern) Sometimes while working in a museum you find something that makes you feel truly connected to the past, and sometimes you find an artifact that shows you exactly how different it was. However it is a rare occurrence when you find an artifact that does both. For me I got this feeling when I came across a drop-front desk used at the Switzerville Post Office. Having had the opportunity to see behind the scenes of a post of...fice years ago my first thought upon seeing the desk was that these post office desks haven’t changed much in over 150 years. However, while looking at the record for this desk I was surprised to find that the post office had actually been in the home of the post-master, a practice you don’t see so much today. Upon further research into this little homebased post office, it become clear how unique this desk is. The Switzerville post-office only existed for a little under sixty years, between November 1, 1853 and May 31, 1911. This desk belonged to the first of two postmaster’s for this post office, Calvin W. Miller [1803-1872] whose house it was located in. He was post-master for Switzerville until his Death. The desk was passed down to the next and final post-master for Switzerville, Peter Egerton Ryerson Miller [1845-1916], Calvin Miller’s son, who ran the post office until it closed. #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #MuseumTakeOver #InternTakeOver #PhotoOfTheDay #Collection #Photo #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumfromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Archives

This weeks L&A Kids Who Care story is about 9 year old Anna who used a Museum art kit to give back. Anna took our acorn necklaces and added her own pizzazz of colour and humour to gift to her friends. What a kind gesture Anna, I'm sure you made your friends feel so special. Gifts from the heart are such a lovely surprise.... #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #ChildrensMuseum #LAndAKidsWhoCare #Kindness #KidsWhoCare #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumFromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife

We are remembering and paying tribute in a different way this Remembrance Day. Although we can not be together physically at our local Cenotaph, the L&A County and National Ceremony in Ottawa will be streamed live for us to watch starting at 10:45. In addition to the ceremony we invite you to share a photo of your family members or loved ones who have served here on this post. Remembering always. National Ceremony... https://www.legion.ca//remembrance-d/the-national-ceremony Local Ceremony https://www.facebook.com/887myfm/ #lestweforget #rememberanceday2020 #landacounty #landacountymuseum #museumathome

MUSEUM BRAIN GYM Good morning everyone -we have a saturday morning puzzle for you! Crazy patch quilts such as this one were economically and environmentally friendly as they were usually created from scraps of fabrics found around the house.... Today these quilts have found their way into most museum collections. They are highly collectible for their artistry, whimsy, and for the beautiful fabrics (velvets and silks) often used. Solve this puzzle and discover the story behind this beautiful quilt.

There’s been a newspaper digitization project happening in the archives for a while, and Jim Sova, one of our volunteers, has been working tirelessly to provide keyword access to our earliest papers. The Napanee Express is now keyword searchable for the years 1868-1906. It was with a keyword search that we confirmed when E. Pauline Johnson, poet, author, and performer (Mohawk stage name Tekahionwake), came to Napanee. We know she was here from a pamphlet with advertisements o...f local businesses and a hand written date of 1893. We wanted confirmation that hand written date was accurate and wanted a possible venue where she performed. One keyword search in the papers for Pauline later, and we had our answer from the January 6, 1893 issue of the Napanee Express. E. Pauline Johnson performed in Napanee on January 13, 1893 at the Brisco Opera House. Incidentally, this find led to another - the front page of that Napanee Express issue was printed with the wrong date it was printed as 1892 not 1893! Always do your research with a critical eye. Follow the link below to try your own keyword search. You never know what you’ll find https://archive.org//lennox-and-addington-county-museum-an

L&A Kids Who Care, are looking for a way to give back to the community this week? Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre is looking for some items to help their fawns. Apples Spring mix and romaine lettuce Smelt fish... Dry leaves in paper bags Bleach Liquid laundry soap Paper towel Interested in helping? We'd love to hear your story which can be submitted online at https://lennox-addington.on.ca/kids-who-care. #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #ChildrensMuseum #LAndAKidsWhoCare #Kindness #KidsWhoCare #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumFromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife

Tonight's talk, October 13th, with Tim Nimigan has been postponed. For those interested, the next tour with Tim will be October 30 and the exhibit is available for viewing from Monday-Friday. For a full list of times for Tim's talk and tours please visit our website. https://lennox-addington.on.ca/museum-archives/events

Our Town Is Your Town on display now! The museum is happy to host this funny depiction of small town living courtesy of local artist and cartoonist, Tim Nimigan. There are 40 cartoons on display that will make you chuckle. Every week we will feature a few of the displayed cartoons and get you, at home, to poll the favourite of the week! Those weekly favourites will be pooled and a People’s Choice will be selected by YOU the week of December 1st. A lucky winner will be gif...ted the framed People’s Choice cartoon from the exhibit. Be sure to vote for a chance to win! The museum is NOW open by appointment www.countymuseum.ca. Come check out Tim’s wonderfully funny art in person and pick up a copy of his new book while you are here. #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #TimNimigan #photooftheday #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #Archives #HistoryMuseum #MuseumfromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Collection #Photo #Gallery #PhotoOfTheDay #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist

Intern Takeover - Alannah MacGregor (Curatorial Intern) If you’ve seen the Gibbard Gallery you have probably stood in front of the green doors and looked in to see the bedstead that almost looms over every other piece in the gallery. When seen, the patters on the decorative panels are not what you would expect to see when looking at a piece of wooden furniture. The pattern is not a consistent grain but a mix of nonsensical whorls and swirls. This is because those panels were ...made of burl walnut, instead of just regular walnut like the rest of the frame. So what is burl? The first thing to know is that ‘burl’ is not a type of tree but is actually a growth that happens on trees. You might have seen a burl, if you’ve walked around any woodlands in Lennox and Addington County. They’re the abnormally shaped growths usually found near the base of a tree. These burls are a tree’s reaction to any number of diseases, fungi, insects, or just to being injured. Once a burl is produced a tree often will continue living, it just happens to have a burl. Why do they make such desired furniture? Firstly the wood taken from a burl is absolutely unique, because the growth is completely abnormal and does not follow a single growing pattern like the rest of the tree which creates a grain. Beyond that, it’s unpredictable if a tree will produce a burl, as the trigger could be from so many different sources. This makes burls rare enough to be highly sought after. In the attached pictures you can see the incredible patterns created by the burl in contrast to the wood with the normal grain. #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #MuseumTakeOver #InternTakeOver #PhotoOfTheDay #Collection #Photo #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumfromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Archives

Intern Takeover - Michelle Barclay (Archival Intern) As I was busy organizing Florence Wilson fonds in the Archives, I came across these amazing Halloween greeting postcards pasted into one of Florence’s scrapbooks. Her parents, Stanley and Elizabeth Reid, bought these postcards to give to volunteers of Fourth Line United Church in Odessa one October in the early 1900s. And while the kids anxiously await the verdict on Halloween happenings this year, perhaps a century-old gre...eting card or two will boost their spirits! Happy Halloween everyone! #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #MuseumTakeOver #InternTakeOver #PhotoOfTheDay #Collection #Photo #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumfromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Archives See more

Behind the Scenes This week we created education kits for some local classes. It’s been great reaching out to teachers and finding ways that we can still be a part of their school day. We miss having the kids in the museum as normally we would be welcoming them daily this time of year. ... If you work within a L&A County school and are interested in some in class education activities please reach out! https://lennox-addington.on.ca/museum-archives/mk-at-home

Behind The Scene Even while closed projects don’t stop. Macpherson House resident Weaver, Susi Reinink has been at the loom completing a coverlet. It is hoped after this project, this close to 200 year loom will under go some minor restoration before the next project starts. ... Thank you always to Susi for her passion and commitment to Macpherson House. #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #photooftheday #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #Archives #HistoryMuseum #MuseumfromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Collection #Photo #Gallery #PhotoOfTheDay #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist

AUDIBLE GASP! by Kim, the Archivist This AUDIBLE GASP! is brought to you by a voters list! A very common question around the archives is where exactly did my ancestor live? For folks doing ancestry work with settler families, tracking people's movements is vital to the story and to the context in which they lived. We rely on census records for this but voters lists are useful for the years between censuses, and many include lot and concession numbers of the voters (all male... of course until 1918 when women won the fight to vote). The Government of Canada started keeping these registration lists of eligible voters in 1867, just after Confederation. There's one voters list - one of many in our collection - that receives the award for this AUDIBLE GASP! It’s the 1867 voters list for the united townships of Denbigh, Abinger and Ashby. It’s a short list, much shorter than other early lists, with just 24 men listed. Those northern townships were settled relatively late compared to their cousins in the south of L&A County, and to have a historical record of those early inhabitants is incredible. Gasp worthy. #AudibleGasp #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #BehindtheScenes #VirtualTour #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumFromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Collection #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist #Archives

Museum Kids at Home! Check out this fun activity making Acorn Felted Necklaces that you can do with your kiddos or grandkids at home. The kits are free to pick up anytime today and tomorrow at the Museum between 10-5. Since we aren’t able to have you in for Museum Kids we thought it would be great to have us connect through art this way, for now!... We are located at 97 Thomas Street East Napanee. If you have any questions we can also be reached at 613-354-3027. #landacounty #landacountymuseum #museumkidsathome #loveart #lovenature

For the month of October L&A Kids Who Care will have opportunities to give back as a community. Community giving kits will be available every week to be picked up at the Museum and completed at home. Even though we can't be together doesn't mean we can't make a difference and give back together. This weeks kit will teddy bears for pediatric patients at the L&A County General Hospital. You can either call 613-354-3027 to reserve a kit or visit us Monday-Friday 10-5 to pick ...one up. #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #ChildrensMuseum #LAndAKidsWhoCare #Kindness #KidsWhoCare #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumFromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife

Intern Takeover - Michelle Barclay (Archival Intern) As I shift my focus from the museum’s collections to the archives’ collections I realize more and more how inextricably linked the two are. My first project in the archives is to process one archival collection from start to finish, so that it may be accessible to all of you. My first week in the archives has consisted of getting to know Florence Wilson (nee Reid), whose personal papers, photographs, and scrapbooks were don...ated to the archives. I have been delighted to come across a few photos taken by her of quilts that are now in the museum’s care, made by Odessa church groups. Florence was a teacher from Odessa and in her retirement became an avid genealogist. She saved so many wonderful family photographs because she recognized their value to future generations, especially to budding local genealogy buffs! Here’s a few photographs of Florence and her husband Meredith in their twenties, newly wed, embarking on adulthood together. And simply to celebrate Fall, the last photograph captures, as Florence describes it, a sample of her family’s bountiful harvest one year. #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #MuseumTakeOver #InternTakeOver #PhotoOfTheDay #Collection #Photo #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumfromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Archives

Take a 'Tour with Tim' at the Museum on Tuesday, October 17th at 7pm! Assemble your friends and join local artist Tim Nimigan as he walks you through his new "Our Town is Your Town" exhibit currently on display. It's sure to be an entertaining evening at the museum. Admission is only $3 per person and space is limited. Book now... https://lennox-addington.on.ca//tuesday-night-with-tim-oct

Behind the Scenes Tim Nimigan was in today doing a live tour of his exhibit Our Town is Your Town. He took the time to sign visitors books as well! If you missed out on todays tour, there are a few more opportunities in October and November to enjoy. Tickets can be purchased online at: https://lennox-addington.on.ca/museum/our-town-is-your-town... #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #photooftheday #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #Archives #HistoryMuseum #MuseumfromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Collection #Photo #Gallery #PhotoOfTheDay #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist

Pamphlets are some of the most interesting archival items and can tell us a lot about society at the time it was created! This one was tucked away in an archive our intern is working on that consists mainly of family photographs, diaries, and genealogical research. Published in Toronto by the Industrial Accident Prevention Associations - established in 1917 in support of workers in the manufacturing and industrial sectors - this tongue and cheek pamphlet gets straight to the ...point of a serious topic. It's design is typical of the 1950s but an exact date has yet to be determined. #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #BehindtheScenes #VirtualTour #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumFromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife #Collection #AskACurator #AskAnArchivist #Archives

This weeks L&A Kids Who Care highlight story is from brothers Blake and Easton McManus who saved the day in a big way at their cottage! Here is Blake and Easton's story: We rescued our cottage owl. He has been around the cottage for 4 years and we always hear him hooting, so we named him Hootie. We saw him on the ground hopping, not flying so we knew something was wrong. My Pop and Nan caught him and put him in a recycle bin and we drove him to Sandy Pines Wildlife Center in... Napanee. We hope he gets better and we will release him back out at our cottage. We are so proud of you both for keeping Hootie safe, and can't wait to hear the story of when you release him again! Do you have an L&A Kids Who Care story that you would like to share? You can submit them online at https://lennox-addington.on.ca/kids-who-care. #LAndACountyMuseum #LAndACounty #HistoryLivesHere #KingstonMuseums #MuseumsOntario #ChildrensMuseum #LAndAKidsWhoCare #Kindness #KidsWhoCare #MuseSocial #MuseTech #MuseumVisit #MuseumsUnite #History #Museum #HistoryMuseum #MuseumFromHome #HowDoYouMuseum #CdnHistory #MuseumLover #LoveHistory #Heritage #MuseumLife