All Oxford Historical Society will be at held at the Woodstock Museum, NHS.
Doors open at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 6:45pm, presentation at 7pm.
Masks are suggested but not mandatory.
Meetings are free and are open to the public, Society membership not required.
2024 Events
Wednesday, January 31, 2024: AGM & Presentation
Please join us for the Society’s AGM, which will be held at the Woodstock Museum, NHS, meeting will begin at 6:30pm.
For 2024 the Society will not be taking membership fees.
AGM Presentation – Elaine Becker: Shipwrecks on Lake Erie from Port Dover to Port Stanley
From the presentation: “6,000 wrecks have occurred in the Great Lakes with 175 and 200 wrecks off Long Point. Many have never been identified. Port Dover to Port Stanley on Lake Erie, will be the focus of the presentation touching on some of the more notable stories.”
Wednesday, February 28, 2024: Brenda Boswell presenting ‘ Party Line – Supporting Homemakers Over the Airwaves!’
Please join us for Brenda Boswell’s presentation on Alice Munro and the Party Line, which will be held at the Woodstock Museum, NHS, doors open at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 6:45pm, presentation at 7pm.
From Brenda’s presentation:
“Alice Munro was invited into the homes of many women within the CKOX listening area every day from 10:10 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. CKOX introduced a new program “Party Line” in 1959 on an experimental basis. Women’s Commentator, Alice Munro invited listeners to call in and describe any problem pertaining to Homemaking which might require an answer. Others in the listening audience were encouraged to phone and supply the answer.
The show was so popular that Alice produced three booklets of “Hints and Recipes for the Homemaker” in 1960, 1961 and 1965 which were “must haves” for her followers.
Party Line was part of a bigger movement across North America to help women feel less isolated in their homes. As many women who had joined the workplace during WWII were displaced by returning soldiers, popular culture encouraged women to return to domestic life and look after their family which included creating interesting meals, keeping the home spotless and stain free.
While Alice Munro did not create the concept of reaching homemakers by the radio, she certainly captivated local homemakers. How many of us remember the hour after the 10:00 a.m. as being a sacred time in the kitchen. The presentation will explore some of the early homemakers tailored to reach an untapped part of the market and how the stringing of hydro lines brought the most isolated women a connection to the world. It also provided a wonderful opportunity for broadcasters to sell advertising.
From Alice Munro to Martha Stewart and beyond, women continue to connect with each other via the media.
Oh yes, we will also touch on the story of Aunt Sammy, a fictional character created by the US Bureau of Home Economics which focussed on rural farm women. And how does this relate to the Queen of Romania you ask? Set your dial to the Oxford Historical Society channel on Feb. 28th, to find out!“
Wednesday, March 27, 2024: Membership Discussion on the Future of the Oxford Historical Society!
Please join us for a meeting on the Future of the Oxford Historical Society, which will be held at the Woodstock Museum, NHS, doors open at 6:30pm and the meeting starts at 6:45pm.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024: All the Eyes of Canada Are Upon Us!
With those words, Major Edward Cuthbert Norsworthy inspired his small band of soldiers to hold the line and stem the onslaught of horrors fraught by the German hordes during the opening night of the Second Battle of Ypres, April 22, 1917. This act of heroism came at a deadly price but established the reputation for Canadian troops as some of the fiercest, bravest and best fighters of the Allied effort during the First World War. ~ What drove this young man; this boy from Ingersoll? ~ His story will inspire you. Warning! You may experience chills and shivers of pride as you listen to his tale.
Presented by Scott Gilles, local historian, former museum curator Norwich Museum & Archives and Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum.
Feel free to print and share this poster: All the Eyes of Canada Are Upon Us!
Meeting will be held at the Woodstock Museum, NHS, doors open at 6:30pm and the meeting starts at 6:45pm. This is a free public event, all are welcome to attend!
Keep checking our website as more information about upcoming events will be posted.