Ingersoll Museum

King Henry Five – In Ingersoll’s Centennial Park!

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Hello Everyone,

Information for this post is provided by Scott Gillies, from the Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum:

Driftwood Theatre is returning to Ingersoll this Saturday night with their performance of HENRY V.

Show begins at 7:30pm in Centennial Park. Bring your own blankets, bug spray and lawn chairs. Pay what you can afford admission.

For more information, call the Ingersoll Museum at 519-485-5510.

Scott Gillies, Curator
Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum
290 Harris Street, Ingersoll ON
519-485-5510
Twitter: @IngersollMuse1     Facebook: IngersollCheeseMuseum

DOORS OPEN INGERSOLL: Saturday, June 18, 2022 between 10am-4pm

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Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum,
Photo courtesy of TurnipSeed Travel

Hello Everyone,

Please see this guest post from Scott Gillies, Curator of the Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum:

DOORS OPEN RETURNS TO OXFORD COUNTY WITH IN-PERSON TOURS

Ever wanted to explore parts of Oxford County – the dairy capital of Canada –  that are not always open to the public? Here is your chance.

After what has seemed like far more than two years, Doors Open Oxford is returning to in-person visits; this year in the Town of Ingersoll.

Eighteen different stops are on the tour taking place Saturday June 18th, between 10:00am and 4:00pm. 

Begin your exploration by starting at the Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum, located at 290 Harris Street, just 1 kilometre north of the 401 at Exit 218. Here you will receive a printed map and guide of all the stops along the way,  as well as vouchers for BIA Bucks you can redeem at downtown merchants. After visiting this award-winning museum, head through Centennial Park and the Ingersoll Creative Arts Centre. Other stops include First Baptist Church, a virtual tour of the wonderful historic homes on Oxford Street, and a stop at Oxford Square to witness all the changes they are making to the former St. James Anglican Church.

From here it’s a short jaunt to the Ingersoll Kiwanis Farmers’ Market, the Ingersoll Town Hall and the site of the first curling club in town which is now home to Anderson’s Appliances. Your next stop is Trinity United Church, once described as the most impressive Methodist Church in the Niagara Conference. Since its first formation in the 19th century this structure has undergone numerous alterations.

A short drive through some of the older neighbourhoods in Ingersoll will bring you to the Ingersoll & District Curling Club – the one place in town you can throw rocks inside their house! Meanwhile the Ingersoll Pipe Band have plans for musically entertaining you while you visit their armoury. 

While you are downtown spending those BIA Bucks, be sure to check out the slide show of historical photographs of Ingersoll on the big screen tv in Dewan Park. Try to answer all the questions on the scavenger hunt while you are shopping too. Then It’s off to the theatre – Ingersoll Theatre of Performing Arts. Come see how they have transformed the old movie theatre into a stage for plays, concerts and performances. A short walk will take you to St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church. In that same area are some wonderful antique shops you can explore too.

Cross the river and head to Fusion Youth Centre, the former Sacred Heart Separate School that is now the site of dynamic interactive programming for youth. Check out their new recording studio and take a picture in front of their green screen. Thanks to modern technology you will be transported back in time and onto an historic image of Ingersoll!

Whip out your phone and log on for the virtual tour of Sacred Heart Church before leaving the parking lot. Around the corner are the Ingersoll Sports Hall of Fame in the Arena, as well as the Ingersoll Fire Hall and Kiwanis Safety Village. Your final destination (for the day) will be a quiet contemplative walk through the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery and the 1920s mausoleum which will be open for visitation.

For more information and to find photos of the Doors Open Ingersoll sites, visit https://www.doorsopenontario.on.ca/pages/events/oxford-ingersoll 

Additional information is available by contacting the Cheese Museum at 519-485-5510.

Scott Gillies
Curator
Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum
290 Harris Street, Ingersoll
519-485-5510
http://www.ingersoll.ca/cheesemuseum
Twitter: @IngersollMuse1     Facebook: IngersollCheeseMuseum

Doors Open INGERSOLL – Saturday June 18 10:00am to 4:00pm

We want to see you  in ’22

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.

Discovering Your Oxford Roots: Paths to the Past

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Hello Everyone,

Please see this guest post from to of the Oxford Historical Society Members, Janice & Doug Ferguson, for the Ingersoll 50+ Activity Centre.

Back in the Day…

Discovering Your Oxford Roots: Paths to the Past – Tuesday, May 18 at 2:00 PM

An on-line presentation hosted free of charge for all district residents over 50 years of age by the Ingersoll 50+ Activity Centre. (You do NOT need a Centre membership for this presentation.)

Presented by Vicki Brenner, Digital Literacy and Local History Technician, Oxford County Library Ingersoll Branch

A treasure trove of Oxford County’s past is available through Oxford County library resources, whether you are a serious researcher or simply curious about family, people, places and events of long ago. Better still, much is as close as your computer. This is your opportunity to discover these paths back in time. A question and answer period follows.

See the attached poster to reserve your spot: Back in the Day…Download

Reserve your spot by Friday, May 14 at 519-485-3869

This is a Zoom event. After you register, you will be sent an email with a link. At presentation time, simply click on the link and you will be connected.

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.

Ingersoll Street Names: Their Stories

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Hello Everyone,

Please see this guest post from to of the Oxford Historical Society Members, Janice & Doug Ferguson, for the Ingersoll 50+ Activity Centre.

Back in the Day…

Ingersoll Street Names: Their Stories – April 20 at 2:00 PM

An on-line presentation hosted free of charge for all district residents over 50 years of age by the Ingersoll 50+ Activity Centre. (You do NOT need a Centre membership for this presentation.)

“ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE”

Presented by Scott Gillies, Curator of the Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum

Ingersoll resident or not, these and other stories behind street names are fun. Both famous author Jane Austin and the war of 1812 are linked to one Ingersoll street. The town’s main business area was not on Thames street, for a logical reason. Another street reflects an understanding between two large property owners (hint: it was a …..… agreement). A question and answer period follows.

See the attached poster to reserve your spot: Back in the Day…Download

This is a Zoom event. After you register, you will be sent an email with a link. At presentation time, simply click on the link and you will be connected.

Back in the Day…

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Beachville Lime Kilns, postcard from the J. Gruszka Collection, property of the OxHS

Hello Everyone,

This guest post is provided by the Ingersoll Senior Centre, via Oxford Historical Society members Doug & Janice Ferguson.

On-line presentation series hosted free of charge by the Ingersoll 50+ Activity Centre. All district residents over 50 years of age are welcome. You do NOT need a Centre membership for these presentations, nor do you need to live in Ingersoll.

Beachville Bedrock

Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 2pm

Dr. Stephanie Radu, curator of the Beachville District Museum, takes you through the limestone valley, tracing the story of the early companies and the generations of people who worked there, and describing how 20th century advancements changed the lime business.

The Street Where You Live

Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 2 pm

The history and stories behind the naming of a number of Ingersoll streets where you travel, where you work and play, and where you live. Told by Scott Gillies, curator of the Ingersoll Cheese and Agricultural Museum.

Discovering Your Oxford Roots

Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 2pm

Whether you are a researcher or simply a curious browser, a treasure trove of Oxford County’s past is available through Oxford County library resources. Better still, much of it is as close as your computer. Your guide is Vicki Brenner, Digital Literacy and Local History Technician at the Ingersoll library.

Reserve for each at 519-485-3869 or info@ingersollseniors.com

These are Zoom events. After you register, you will be sent an email with a link. At presentation time, simply click on the link and you will be connected.

New Whey to Visit Ingersoll Museum!

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This guest post is provided by Scott Gillies, Curator of the Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum.

In March of 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic came to Canada and stayed, the Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum was, like every other business, attraction and household, shut down.

While being closed to the public, museum staff were able to continue their efforts in researching and documenting local history by working from home. In that time since the end of March until early August many of you and others across North America have become followers of the museum’s Facebook page, and by that means you have been able to visit the museum from a virtual point of view.

We are pleased to announce that as of August 10th, the Ingersoll Museum has been able to reopen for public tours, between Monday and Friday, although some of our operating procedures have changed.

As I write this blog entry, we ask that you contact the museum ahead of time to arrange a date and time for a scheduled tour. In other words, we are open by appointment. When you wish to come to the museum, we ask that you call 519-485-5510 and reserve a time that is convenient for you. By doing so, you will also enjoy (we hope) a personally guided tour of the main building, the Oxford County Museum School, and of course the historical cheese factory.

What will you see? 2020 marks the 110th anniversary of the Ingersoll Pipe Band so the museum has installed a special commemorative exhibition that delves into the history of this world famous community ambassador and some of the individuals who have been long-time members.  Originally slated to have closed in June, “A Piper’s Salute” has been extended until October 1st.

As many of you know, the museums of Oxford County were part of the award winning Oxford Remembers Oxford’s Own Project from 2014 until 2018 to commemorate the centennial of the Great War. One of the displays that we had hoped to have in Ingersoll was unavailable until now.

“Souterrain Impressions” is a travelling exhibit created by the London based Canadigm Group. For a number of years this local group of researchers have voluntarily travelled to “somewhere in France” in order to climb down many metres below ground level to explore and document a large chalk cave that had been home to dozens of Canadian troops in the days and weeks leading up to the attack on Vimy Ridge. While encamped in this cave, soldiers carved and sculpted their names, cartoons and cap badges into the walls of soft chalk.

By carefully and painstakingly documenting and photographing the walls, pillars and ceiling of this cave, the members of the Canadigm Group have documented over 200 different soldiers who lived below ground during this important time in Canadian history.

With the use of high-resolution laser technology, their names and creations have been photographed; taking plaster casts of the carvings was not an option because the chalk is so soft. Some examples have been recreated using 3-D printers to fashion lifelike and life-size reproductions.

All of the work done by this group of enthusiasts was turned into a travelling exhibition that was seen in different Canadian cities in 2016 and 2017. It was then sent to the interpretive centre at Vimy Ridge to mark the 100th anniversary. Supplementing this larger exhibition were two smaller displays; one of which is now on view at the Ingersoll Museum. This particular one had been at the Canadian Embassy in Washington DC, and at Canada House in London England before coming here. We are honoured to be the current exhibitor.

With all this being said (or written), you can see that the Ingersoll Museum continues to be more than just cheese, and still has a lot to offer tourists from afar and visitors from around the corner. While things are not as they once were, and perhaps may not be for quite some time, we strive to offer a special experience to everyone who visits. We hope that you will be some of those people.

The Ingersoll Museum is located at 290 Harris Street in Ingersoll. For more details call 519-485-5510 or email curator@ingersoll.ca.