Pieces of the Past

In many places around the world, the new year was ushered in by a baby representing “rebirth.”

In “the old days,” travelling anywhere was a multi-day event and required several stops, and hotels were a staple in small towns.

The first Santa Claus Parade in Canada was held on Dec. 2, 1905 in Toronto and sponsored by Eaton’s Department Store. Since that first one, many communities across Canada and Perth County have been holding parades, with Listowel being no exception. Excitement is always in the air when waiting to see

Christmas 1946 was a magical time for many families, as many Second World War veterans had returned home. That year, the Santa Claus parade in Listowel was a huge event with great emphasis placed on the visiting Sea Cadet band.

When John A. Hacking was elected Warden of Perth County by his fellow county councilors, he held a supper to celebrate – as is customary – on Jan. 24, 1894. The venue was the Royal Hotel in Stratford.

The Girl Guide movement began in 1909 when girls demanded to take part in a Boy Scout rally at the Crystal Palace in London, England. Lord Robert Baden-Powell was a British Army General who had written a series of articles on scouting based on his experiences and they were published in an English bo

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.