Historic Sources

Doug Symons’ Tribute

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Hello Everyone,

Please read this guest post from the Woodstock Museum, NHS.

Give a shout out to historical stories!

In honour of the re-release of Doug Symons’ popular book “The Village that Straddled a Swamp”, the Woodstock Museum would like your help in reminiscing about a favourite piece of writing or photo from the book, and also if you have memories of Doug personally you’d like to share.

Please look through the book, choose an article, a photo, a quote or two about a certain local history site or story you find meaningful or interesting to you and share that story with the Museum. We would like to do a short bit of filming to pay tribute to Doug’s writings in a specific local history way. Some memories may be included in an upcoming exhibit related to “The Village that Straddle a Swamp”.

If you want to participate but are unsure of what to highlight we have some prepared prompts for anyone not familiar with the book. A voice recording may also be an option. If possible, we would like to set up a time for you to come into the museum during the first week or two of November.

Contact Kerrie Gill to set up a time at (519) 537-8411 ext. 2903 or kgill@cityofwoodstock.ca    

Tonight: Zoom Meeting – Wednesday, October 27, 2021

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Please join the Oxford Historical Society at our next Zoom meeting as Elaine Becker discusses the research and stories that went into So They Came: Young Men Farmers.

The presentation will take place on Wednesday, October 27 at 6:30pm via Zoom. The Zoom information is listed at the bottom of this post.

Excerpt from the book: “Destination Woodstock – The stories of young men who left home and family to make a new way of life in Canada is both thrilling and encouraging. They were not outstanding in any other way than that they had a hope for the future. They came from families facing untold challenges of unemployment, illness and death, as well as the lack of hope for the future”

Learn about the role that the Salvation Army played in bringing the immigrants to Canada, what was involved in researching Burnside Lodge, tracing family members, creating the list of immigrants and many other aspects of the book.

The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81906248857

The Zoom link will open approximately 10 minutes before the start time of a meeting

For all Zoom meetings use this ID#: 81906248857, no password is required.


If you have pictures and articles concerning the history of Oxford County that you would like published on the Society’s blog please email us at info@oxhs.ca.

Zoom Meeting Wednesday, October 27, 2021

by

Please join the Oxford Historical Society at our next Zoom meeting as Elaine Becker discusses the research and stories that went into So They Came: Young Men Farmers.

The presentation will take place on Wednesday, October 27 at 6:30pm via Zoom. The Zoom information is listed at the bottom of this post.

Excerpt from the book: “Destination Woodstock – The stories of young men who left home and family to make a new way of life in Canada is both thrilling and encouraging. They were not outstanding in any other way than that they had a hope for the future. They came from families facing untold challenges of unemployment, illness and death, as well as the lack of hope for the future”

Learn about the role that the Salvation Army played in bringing the immigrants to Canada, what was involved in researching Burnside Lodge, tracing family members, creating the list of immigrants and many other aspects of the book.

The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81906248857

The Zoom link will open approximately 10 minutes before the start time of a meeting

For all Zoom meetings use this ID#: 81906248857, no password is required.


If you have pictures and articles concerning the history of Oxford County that you would like published on the Society’s blog please email us at info@oxhs.ca.

Street Names of Woodstock

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Ever wonder where some of Woodstock street names came from?

Mrs. E. J. Canfield did too! So she did some research and in 1932 presented a paper to the Oxford Historical Society at the AGM. Her paper was subsequently published in its original text by the Society and in the Sentinel Review on Friday, May 20, 1932.

In 1970, Mrs. W. R. Ward added to Mrs. Canfield’s research. Her supplement was added to the original document and was published by the Oxford Historical Society.

Then, between 2017 and 2021, Kathie Richards and Elaine Becker, both of the Oxford Historical Society, updated the research to include the majority of Woodstock’s street names.

The Oxford Historical Society has made both of these documents, the 1970 version and the 2021 available for download. They are also located on our Resource Page.

Mrs. Canfield’s Street Names of Woodstock 1932 & OxHS Street Names of Woodstock 2021.

Reminder – Zoom Meeting Tonight – Wednesday, May 26, 2021 @ 6:30pm

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Don’t forget to join the Oxford Historical Society in welcoming George Emery, Scott Gillies and Vicki Brenner for their presentation on George Emery’s newest publication: Public Festivals in Ingersoll, 1855-1930.

The presentation will take place on Wednesday, May 26 at 6:30pm via Zoom. The Zoom information is listed at the bottom of this post.

From the book’s introduction by George Emery: “The book enriches the literature on Ingersoll’s local history. It describes Ingersoll’s street festivals in their late-19th-and early-20th-century times and furnishes guidelines for their interpretation.  It supplements newspaper descriptions with photographic images, drawn from the rich archives of Ingersoll’s Cheese & Agricultural Museum and the Ingersoll Library. In the process the book showcases those archives as gateways for research on our community’s local history Gateways, indeed! The digital files on the Oxford County Library local-history website offer access to documentary sources –from the comfort of one’s home.  Moreover, the Ingersoll Historical Photo Gallery, developed in collaboration with Scott Gillies of the Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum, provides a brilliant introduction to 30 some dimensions of Ingersoll’s past. The library’s rich digital files, in turn, lead directly to photographs and artifacts in Scott’s Cheese & Agricultural Museum–simply a gem of a place to visit.  Through its several book publications, the Ingersoll & District Historical Society is an essential third agency for promoting knowledge of our local past.“

The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81906248857

The Zoom link will open approximately 10 minutes before the start time of a meeting

For all Zoom meetings use this ID#: 81906248857, no password is required.


If you have pictures and articles concerning the history of Oxford County that you would like published on the Society’s blog please email us at info@oxhs.ca.

Zoom Meeting Wednesday, May 26, 2021

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Please join the Oxford Historical Society in welcoming George Emery, Scott Gillies and Vicki Brenner for their presentation on George Emery’s newest publication: Public Festivals in Ingersoll, 1855-1930.

The presentation will take place on Wednesday, May 26 at 6:30pm via Zoom. The Zoom information is listed at the bottom of this post.

From the book’s introduction by George Emery: “The book enriches the literature on Ingersoll’s local history. It describes Ingersoll’s street festivals in their late-19th-and early-20th-century times and furnishes guidelines for their interpretation.  It supplements newspaper descriptions with photographic images, drawn from the rich archives of Ingersoll’s Cheese & Agricultural Museum and the Ingersoll Library. In the process the book showcases those archives as gateways for research on our community’s local history Gateways, indeed! The digital files on the Oxford County Library local-history website offer access to documentary sources –from the comfort of one’s home.  Moreover, the Ingersoll Historical Photo Gallery, developed in collaboration with Scott Gillies of the Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum, provides a brilliant introduction to 30 some dimensions of Ingersoll’s past. The library’s rich digital files, in turn, lead directly to photographs and artifacts in Scott’s Cheese & Agricultural Museum–simply a gem of a place to visit.  Through its several book publications, the Ingersoll & District Historical Society is an essential third agency for promoting knowledge of our local past.“

The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81906248857

The Zoom link will open approximately 10 minutes before the start time of a meeting

For all Zoom meetings use this ID#: 81906248857, no password is required.


If you have pictures and articles concerning the history of Oxford County that you would like published on the Society’s blog please email us at info@oxhs.ca.

Zoom Meeting Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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Please join the Oxford Historical Society in welcoming Brenda Boswell for her presentation: Women and The Bicycle Craze – Change and Resistance in 1890’s Oxford County, for a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 starting at 6:30pm.

Bicycles took much of the world by storm during the late Victorian age. The bicycle provided a tool for women to ride into a whole new world. This presentation will explore how the bicycle helped women move into this new era and the societal resistance that came with it.

It includes research by Rebecca Beaisaert, on turn of the century bicycle clubs in Ingersoll and Tillsonburg.

The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81906248857

The Zoom link will open approximately 10 minutes before the start time of a meeting

For all Zoom meetings use this ID#: 81906248857, no password is required.

Oxford Local History Day!

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This guest post is provided by Oxford County Library.

Please join Oxford County Library on Saturday, April 24, 2021 as they celebrate Oxford Local History Day through social media. Connect with them on their Facebook page to view presentations from the Oxford Historical Society, Oxford County Library, Oxford County Archives, Zorra Heritage Committee, Ingersoll History Book Launch and many other organizations.

Public Meeting Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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Please join the Oxford Historical Society in welcoming Brenda Boswell for her presentation: Women and The Bicycle Craze – Change and Resistance in 1890’s Oxford County, for a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 starting at 6:30pm.

Bicycles took much of the world by storm during the late Victorian age. The bicycle provided a tool for women to ride into a whole new world. This presentation will explore how the bicycle helped women move into this new era and the societal resistance that came with it.

It includes research by Rebecca Beaisaert, on turn of the century bicycle clubs in Ingersoll and Tillsonburg.

The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81906248857

The Zoom link will open approximately 10 minutes before the start time of a meeting

For all Zoom meetings use this ID#: 81906248857, no password is required.

Public Meeting Wednesday, March 31, 2021

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Join Oxford County Archivist Liz Dommasch and Archives Technician Megan Lockhart for an evening with the Archives. Liz and Megan will be discussing the variety of programs and services the Archives offers to their patrons and community members.

The Oxford County Archives is the official repository for archival records created by, for and about Oxford County including municipal and community records from community organizations, businesses, personal archival collections, schools, churches, and more. The Archives offers a variety of research services and has a reference library available for patrons who are looking for family history information or information on the general history of Oxford County. Staff at the Archives also provide basic conservation services and have developed a variety of educational and public programs which allows members of the Oxford County community to learn about local heritage and culture, and engage with archival collections.

The Oxford County Archives’ website contains a number of online exhibits about local history, educational resources for teachers, students, and families, as well as fun interactive activity pages and online puzzles: www.oxfordcounty.ca/archives.  Learn more about what the Archives is and what they do with guest speakers Liz and Megan.

Join the Oxford Historical Society and the Oxford County Archives for a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 6:30pm.

The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81906248857

For all Zoom meetings use this ID#: 81906248857, no password is required.

The Zoom link will open approximately 10 minutes before the start time of a meeting