Pieces of the Past

As most know, Ontario’s official flower is the white trillium. Found in the forests and woodlands…

Road trips and family drives are great ways to enjoy a summer day. Beginning in 1923, the Listowel Chamber of Commerce invited “motor hikers” to travel together in annual “community motor excursions” to advertise their town and others on the route. That first year, the caravan travelled to Kincardin

Advertising can reveal much about the times during which an ad was placed.

Mother’s Day has been celebrated in Canada since 1914. Ten years later, in 1924, Stratford and the towns and villages in Perth County celebrated the day with special services throughout the churches.

Mitchell was declared to be a town via an 1873 proclamation by the Lieutenant Governor that was made official at the beginning of 1874.

Let’s rewind a century to the Saturday, April 5, 1924 edition of one local newspaper which was full of advertising for the upcoming Better Homes Week. 

With the end of the Second World War expected soon, local newspapers described how area churches were “overflowing” for Easter services in April 1945. 

The hockey team that was “instrumental in bringing the first junior OHA championship to Stratford on March 1, 1900” was so beloved that the local paper republished this photograph in 1945 to celebrate the anniversary of its great victory.

In 2014, Stratford-Perth Archives received a donation of a very interesting scrapbook. It was donated by Phyllis Davidson and had belonged to her mother, Caroline Rose (Suhr) Barbour.

There are many rural villages throughout Perth County with rich histories. One of these villages is Carthage, which is located in the north part of Mornington Ward in Perth East.

In January 1918, Canada was still at war. Those with loved ones overseas would frequently send handwritten correspondence or small care packages. Sons, fathers, brothers, uncles, and cousins would appreciate any small offering that made its way though the mail. Things like wool mittens and socks, ci

Recognizing that what happens at Stratford-Perth Archives can seem a little mysterious, we thought we’d start the new year by answering some questions about ourselves. Though, like Lily in Toronto, who sent this lovely postcard to her friend in Sebringville on Dec. 31, 1907, we also want to wish eve

For about a decade, from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, aluminum trees and ornaments were all the rage. Perhaps you have a retro tree up in your house – maybe silver, pink, purple, white, or gold. All the colours are available once again on many well-known websites, new and vintage.  You’ll know if

While often prepared around the end of November and set aside to let the flavour develop until Christmas, it’s not too late to prepare a steamed pudding for your holiday gathering. You don’t need special equipment – a large pot, a bowl that can withstand being set in a pot of boiling water and some