OxHS Special Presentation: Woodstock Museum NHS 75th Anniversary on Wednesday, May 31, 2023!

Please join us on Wednesday, May 31st as Karen Houston, Museum Curator, discusses the founding of the Woodstock Museum, NHS and its ties with the community and with the Oxford Historical Society.

From Karen:

The Oxford Historical Society created a committee to oversee the founding of a museum to highlight the history of Oxford County. The committee consisted of naturalists, historians, university professors and interested citizens. The museum was incorporated in 1947 when artifacts were temporarily displayed in the county courthouse. Members of the committee worked on fundraising, preparing future exhibits, and learning museum best practises.

The committee later acquired a permanent home for the museum on the top floor of the Old Town Hall, which housed the City of Woodstock’s council chambers and mayor’s office on the main floor. Artifacts were moved into the new space and displayed for viewing.

The museum first opened on Jan. 28, 1948, on the second floor of the Old Town Hall.

Originally called the Oxford County Museum, it was renamed the Woodstock Museum in 1985 when the City of Woodstock took over operation of the museum and its collection.

Today the museum continues to reside in the Old Town Hall, which is designated as a national historic site

Presentation on the Woodstock Museum’s 75th Anniversary will be held at the Woodstock Museum, NHS, on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Doors open at 6:30pm.
This is a free event, all are welcome to attend.

Spirit of Christmas Tour of Homes!

Hello Everyone,
please read this guest post from the Woodstock Museum, NHS.

Are you interested in decking your halls for the Spirit of Christmas Tour of Homes this year? Our popular holiday fundraiser is returning on Saturday, November 25 and the Woodstock Museum Advisory Committee is looking for homeowners to participate!

Contact the Woodstock Museum by Friday, June 9 to let us know if you’re interested.

You’ll receive two free tickets to the tour, a one-year membership to the museum and a restaurant gift card. Need decorating assistance? We’re happy to reach out to local businesses on your behalf! We also supply volunteer greeters for the event and plastic bags for visitors to carry their shoes.

OxHS Presents: Woodstock Museum NHS 75th Anniversary!

Please join us on Wednesday, May 31st as Karen Houston, Museum Curator, discusses the founding of the Woodstock Museum, NHS and its ties with the community and with the Oxford Historical Society.

From Karen:

The Oxford Historical Society created a committee to oversee the founding of a museum to highlight the history of Oxford County. The committee consisted of naturalists, historians, university professors and interested citizens. The museum was incorporated in 1947 when artifacts were temporarily displayed in the county courthouse. Members of the committee worked on fundraising, preparing future exhibits, and learning museum best practises.

The committee later acquired a permanent home for the museum on the top floor of the Old Town Hall, which housed the City of Woodstock’s council chambers and mayor’s office on the main floor. Artifacts were moved into the new space and displayed for viewing.

The museum first opened on Jan. 28, 1948, on the second floor of the Old Town Hall.

Originally called the Oxford County Museum, it was renamed the Woodstock Museum in 1985 when the City of Woodstock took over operation of the museum and its collection.

Today the museum continues to reside in the Old Town Hall, which is designated as a national historic site

Presentation on the Woodstock Museum’s 75th Anniversary will be held at the Woodstock Museum, NHS, on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Doors open at 6:30pm.
This is a free event, all are welcome to attend.

Beachville District Museum Presents: Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz – Memories of Ontario Farmerettes!

Hello Everyone,
please see this guest post from the Beachville District Museum:

Bonnie Sitter and Shirleyan English will tell the story of the Ontario Farm Service Force that began in 1941 and ended after the summer of 1952. This was the time when girls aged 16,17 and 18 volunteered to become Farmerettes on market garden farms, orchards and vineyards. Learn how and why they were recruited, where they lived, what their work was and why many of them remember those summers as the best summers of their lives. The powerpoint presentation has many photos from Farmerettes who are now in their late 80s and 90s.

Bonnie and Shirelyan continues to collect their stories and photos and the book is being developed into a play for summer theatre in 2024. The push to have the Farmerettes recognized by Canada Post is looking very positive. They hoed, harvested and hitchhiked and aided in necessary food production during and after the war.

It is a story that was almost forgotten.

The presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 from 7:00-8:00pm.

Books will be available for $49.00 (no tax); cash, cheques and E-Transfers are accepted.

The talk will be followed by a question period, with refreshments and snacks served by the Historical Society members.

No registration required. Free to attend.

For more information contact the Beachville District Museum

Oxford Branch of Ontario Ancestors May 8th Meeting: The Hawke Papers!

Hello Everyone,

Please see this guest post from Oxford Branch of Ontario Ancestors:

“Please join the Oxford Branch of Ontario Ancestors for a Zoom meeting on Monday, May 8th at 7 pm for the presentation: The Hawke Papers and Anthony Hawke, Chief Emigrant Agent 1833-1864

Speaker Wendy Cameron will begin an introduction to the Hawke Papers with their 21st century return to Ontario, a wonderful tale of archival good fortune. A highlight is six large volumes of letters chronicling government aid to immigrants in every year from 1835 into 1869. Other treasures include ten volumes of registers (lists) kept at Toronto. They record immigrants as they arrived in the city and left for a next destination in Canada West/Ontario, and they date between 1857 and 1892.

Please visit our website at https:\\oxford.ogs.on.ca to pre-register.  Everyone is welcome.”

Liz Buchanan
Oxford Branch Publicity Coordinator Ontario Ancestors