Pieces of the Past

There have been many books, news stories and plays written about the Donnelly family of Biddulph Township over the years. Discord seemed to follow them and on the fateful night of Feb. 4, 1880, they met their demise.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Stratford paper ran a column titled “Minute Interviews.” Some questions were amusing, while others were quite serious and still resonate today. Some were directed at adults and some to children. The question to you is: how would you have answered?

The book, History of Blanshard Township in Review, records that “In the tragic days of 1914 when war was declared by Germany, the young men of Blanshard responded to the call, true to the traditions of loyalty and devotion shown by their forefathers, enlisted to the number of 138.

In 1912, Norman Honderich was inspired after seeing an illustration of a kitchen cabinet in an issue of Ladies Home Journal. He knew that most of the kitchen cabinets for sale in Canada were manufactured in the United States. He believed that this type of product could easily be made and sold in Can

Trick-or-treat! Halloween is fast approaching and Oct. 31 will be here before we know it. It’s a night for children to dress up in ghoulish or character-themed costumes, going door-to door in hopes of getting a tasty treat.

The simple title page of one of the most important manuscripts at Stratford-Perth Archives reads: ‘Perth County Historical Material Collected 1954 – 1957 under the supervision of Miss E. Lillian Morley, B. A. at the request of County Council.’

This year, Western Canada experienced drought due to low rainfall and high temperatures. Although global warming and climate change are very real problems, now being tackled by scientists, politicians and concerned citizens the world over, drought is not new to the Prairies.

A significant addition is coming soon to the Digitized Collections section of the Stratford-Perth Archives website. ‘Families of Perth County’ is a project that aims to locate, preserve and share photographs and associated documents related to the lives of several Perth County families.

Mirrors made of polished stone, dating back to 6000 BC, have been found in Anatolia or modern-day Turkey.

There was a time when animals freely roamed the streets of Listowel, as well as other communities in the area. Over time, it became necessary to create the position of pound-keeper in many communities. In Listowel, in the early years, the job of rounding up and impounding these animals fell to the v

One hundred years ago, the students at Millbank School (Mornington Township School Section #3)…

The first commercial mill in Tavistock was erected in 1876 by Klein, Kalbfleisch and Poehlman. The property consisted of a four-storey white brick building that was 36 feet by 48 feet, plus a three-and-a-half storey frame addition, and a free-standing engine house. At the time, it was said to be one

The first Royal Tour of Canada and the United States took place in the summer and fall of 1860. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, visited Perth County as part of his tour of Canada. He was born at Buckingham Palace on Nov. 9, 1841, and hadn’t yet turned 19 when he was sent on a

The executive of the Stratford Club of the Canadian Federation of University Women posed for this photograph in May 1960. They are, sitting: Mary Rayner (President and a founding member), and, Mrs. J.B. Lewis (Recording Secretary); standing: Mrs. D.B. Mackay (Second Vice President), Mrs. Ross Drake

One of Canada’s most famous judges of the early twentieth century, Supreme Court Justice John Idington had a deep connection to Perth County.