New Years

By Karis Regamey

I always find the start of a New Year exciting. It’s a time to reflect on all the good things that happened the previous year but also to acknowledge all the things that you hoped would happen, but didn’t. It’s a time to build off of the “things that didn’t” and plan ahead to make those things a reality in the year to come. It can naturally be considered a fresh start following a year that didn’t go as planned.

I, for one, start out a new year making a mental list of the things I want to accomplish and the places I want to go in the year to come. I still often come to the end of the year and think “well, I sure didn’t do everything I had hoped”. Nevertheless, there are always things that I never thought would have been possible on the list of accomplishments at year end and it’s in those things that the majority of the excitement for the New Year lies.

Here at Lang Pioneer Village Museum, we aren’t that much different! As the year comes to a close and a new one dawns, we have taken a look back at 2014 and analyzed what worked and didn’t work and are planning for an even better year in 2015 than the one we just had. We have shaken up our programming once again to keep it new and exciting but also to bring back some beloved favourites. In 2015, we will continue our increased daily programming throughout the summer with themes like power & equipment, transportation, pop culture, textiles and the harvest season. We will also see the return of the Father’s Day Smoke & Steam Show, the Antique & Classic Car Show, the Festival of Textiles, Applefest, Historic All Hallows’ Eve and Christmas by Candlelight. For those that enjoy the serenity and mystery of the Village in the evening, we will once again have our evening Historic Walks of Lang and new this season, Historic Literary Walks of Lang which focus on the stories of local writers and how their histories have influenced the interpretations within the Village.

Our blog has also taken on a fresh image for the New Year and it is our goal to provide more frequent entries that provide interesting tidbits and a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the Museum.

We hope you will take a look at what we have planned for 2015 and that we see you in the very near future! Our 2015 programming schedule can be found at http://www.langpioneervillage.ca/whats-happening/daily-programming/.

Go ahead and make that “wish list” for 2015 and see just how much you can make a reality in the year to come! Happy New Year!

Karis Regamey is the Marketing Consultant for Lang Pioneer Village Museum, She has been with the Museum since February of 2009. When she is not busy overseeing the advertising of the Village, she can be found chasing after her two little ones.

20 Handwritten Letters and a Lesson in Gratitude

By Jill Chapman

On a particularly industrious day in late June, a package arrived on my desk very much unlike the other items that tend to come through the Lang office mail system. Instantly a smile spread across my face as I realized the contents.

A small brown envelope contained 20 neat, hand-written letters on lined notebook paper from Mrs. McTaggart’s Class at Madoc Public School, who came to take part in the Spring Education program a short time ago in mid-June.

Reading the letters, the personalities of each of the young writers came across in such an innocent way, as they shared their experiences of the Museum. Their letters were sprinkled with humour, colourful language, lovely manners, questions & smatterings of the high points of their day. Some students even included illustrations to show memories of their time at Lang. Sarah’s saddle drawing, for instance, connected her hobby as a horse enthusiast with our historic artefacts from the collection on site. I have shared snippets of some of the letters below. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kudos to Mrs. McTaggart (elementary teacher at Madoc PS) for including letter writing as a post-visit activity to solidify the Village experience for your students. It is a very important lesson for folks of all ages to reflect and show gratitude. You have certainly all touched our hearts and should expect my package of personalized response letters at Madoc Public School shortly.

Keep up the beautiful writing, and enjoy your well-deserved summer vacation! You said very kind things about our staff, interpreters and the ways in which we presented living history to you to make it memorable. On behalf of our team here, thank you so very much.

Jill Chapman is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. She has been a member of the Lang team since May of 2012. Jill is a passionate advocate for education, the arts and fitness. When not at work, Jill might be found running through the North Cavan foothills or on one of the County’s rotary trails.

June’s Plenty - Wild Strawberries

By Elizabeth King

I don’t know about you, but I love wild strawberries – one of nature’s delicious gifts! Not the movie, not the band - but the beautiful little creeping plant that grows in forests, fields, along the County roads and behind our very own Fife Cabin on the edge of the wooded area before you hit the riverbank here at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. There is something about the delicious, sweet little berries on this wild perennial herb that remind me of the carefree days of summer weekends in the sun. And of course, did I mention enough that they are delicious?

You probably might not even realize the plants are there if you aren’t looking for them. They are fairly small compared to the berries we are used to seeing at our supermarkets and cultivated farms. They tend to grow well among with weeds, grasses and poison ivy, which means they often get killed off or cut with the mower before they can flourish. But let me tell you, if you ever get the chance to lie down in a field of these wild gems – do so. Breathe in and enjoy the aroma, which is subtle and reminiscent of roses and clean, fresh air.

 

 

 

 

In The Canadian Settler’s Guide by Catherine Parr Traill she talks about the abundance of wild fruits in newly surveyed townships, and the benefit they were to the settler’s. I have included the excerpt below:

“The absence of fruit from their diet would be most severely felt were it not that Nature has bounteously scattered abroad some of these blessings in the shape of wild fruits which are met with in many situations and often brought as it were almost miraculously to the settler's very door springing up without his care or culture.”

These treats are not just for us humans though. Many different types of birds and other animals enjoy their bounty; skunks, chipmunks, wild turkeys, voles, mice and some turtles too apparently enjoy this sweet indulgence. Thank goodness they share! These birds and other animals help to spread the plant around by pooping out the seeds. Now there’s something you probably didn’t think about! I love it.

I’ve opted to not share a recipe this time around…simply because they don’t need gussying up! Sometimes it’s the unpretentious things... So go out and pick some – you won’t regret a juicy handful of these naked berries, I promise!

Elizabeth King is the Administrative/Volunteer Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum.  She has been working at the Village since May of 2009.  Elizabeth is passionate about history, costuming, reading, vegan culinary crusades and environmental pursuits. When she isn’t in the middle of a project at Lang, she is 
often found with her head in the clouds.

A Time to Play

By Rhonda Akey

I have a confession to make…of all the artifacts I have had the privilege to handle over the past year of my internship here at Lang Pioneer Village Museum, the toys have been my most favorite of all. There is just something about them that brings an instant smile to your face. You are instantly transported to wonderful memories of your own childhood, like Christmas morning or the best birthday present you ever received, or maybe the memory of your favourite childhood toy. I bet you’re smiling already, aren’t you!

Today I thought I’d share some of the marvelous toys we found in the collection while reorganizing the shelves one day. I have to admit, I do not know much about the history of them, as I have not done any research. Despite this, thought it would be fun to provide some pictures of these wonderful artifacts.

This doll tea set is a miniature version made of enamelware. Not only is it adorable, there was a really wise parent behind this purchase, as they are very durable. They inspire thoughts of a little girl in the 1800s playing tea party with her little rag doll.

  

 

 

 

This is a tiny wooden, lathe turned tea set. I took the second picture with the end of a pencil to show you the tiny scale it was made to. I imagine a father working diligently out in the barn creating this as a special Christmas gift for his little girl. The craftsmanship is superb!

This is a puzzle which adds an educational element to the fun. On the back of each piece is a math equation. The pieces are then matched with the corresponding answer. The box contained several puzzles.

This is a tabletop game that is a cross between a billiard game and a pinball game. The inside of the wooden case has a picture of how to set up the pieces and rules on how to play.

The game came with these glass marbles. Each one is a different animal figure, encased in thick glass. Surprisingly, these are meant to be struck with a wooden cue, similar to how you play billiards!

The above are marbles made of fired clay. When examined closely you can see slight variations in shape, which suggests that each one was hand rolled. Don’t they provoke an image of a bunch of boys crowded together playing games in the school yard dirt?

 

 

 

 

This little toy is a miniature cannon that works. As you can see from the two images, the one end has a hammer that pulls down and is held in place by a clasp. A cap or some type of exploding powder would be placed in the hollow of the hammer. The hammer was then released to create a loud cannon pop. What little boy won’t love something so interactive and realistic?

I hope you enjoyed these toys as much as I do. I am sad to say that my one year internship has come to an end. It is bitter sweet, as I will be joining the interpretive staff this summer. If you’ve enjoyed reading my blogs and happen to visit Lang Pioneer Village this summer, please stop by the General Store to say hello. I wish you all a wonderful and safe summer.

Rhonda Akey is the Records Management Intern at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. She has been working and/or volunteering at the Village since September of 2010. Rhonda is fascinated by all things historic – and loves to share the neat tidbits she discovers behind the scenes in the Lang Pioneer Village Museum collection with everyone.

Dandelion Tea

By Elizabeth King

I love roasted dandelion root tea. The warm caramel-meets-coffee flavour that steeps from the root of this much hated weed is one of my favourite warm herbal drinks. Whether you call it tea or coffee, the drink is the same, and it is delicious!

My first experience with the idea of drinking steeped dandelion roots came from my early time here at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. I heard about it as a Historic Interpreter, and was told that we used to make it on-site as part of the Fife Cabin and Fitzpatrick House interpretations. Frankly, the idea sounded unappealing and gross. I was not surprised it wasn’t something that we still did.

To backtrack - The origins of this culinary interpretation came from reading Susanna Moodies’ Roughing it in the Bush, in which Susanna talks about making this drink using roots that she found while assisting her husband with the potato harvest. Apparently the Lang version did not turn out well, and thus the demonstration didn’t continue for long. However, as those who have read the book know, Susanna, like me, was pleasantly surprised by how fabulous the drink actually is!

It comes as no surprise to someone who has tried this drink, that it is often used as a coffee substitute. Both the taste and appearance resemble the much loved java of our famous addiction. The perk, however; is that it doesn’t have any of the effects that those who avoid coffee steer clear of – jitters, caffeine, bad breath...etc.

Touted as a liver tonic, a calming relaxant, a laxative and an up-and-coming cancer treatment aid, this drink made from that simple pesky weed on your front lawn, is a super treat!

A Recipe for Dandelion Coffee
From: Roughing It In The Bush, by Susanna Moodie

“I cut my roots into small pieces, the size of a kidney-bean, and roasted them on an iron baking-pan in the stove-oven, until they were as brown and crisp as coffee. I then ground and transferred a small cupful of the powder to the coffee-pot, pouring upon it scalding water, and boiling it for a few minutes briskly over the fire. The result was beyond my expectations. The coffee proved excellent–far superior to the common coffee we procured at the stores.”

 

 

 

 

 

For those who are interested in trying the drink – without the pioneering leg-work - you can also purchase a delicious convenient, pre-packaged, version from Bulk Barn. It’s in the tea section called Roasted Dandelion Tea, by Traditional Medicinal brand.

As I look out my window at the lawn though…there’s a lot of Dandelions out there! ;)

Elizabeth King is the Administrative/Volunteer Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum.  She has been working at the Village since May of 2009.  Elizabeth is passionate about history, costuming, reading, vegan culinary crusades and environmental pursuits. When she isn’t in the middle of a project at Lang, she is 

often found with her head in the clouds.

Discovering a Hidden Gem

By Rhonda Akey

For close to a year now, I have been working on cataloguing the various donated artifacts as part of my internship in Lang’s museum collections area. Yesterday, I began documenting a set of agricultural seed boxes that were donated last summer, before they moved to storage. The two boxes were slightly different in size and shape, and appeared to be well used.

Images Above: Grain seed box (left), Grass seed box (right)

Having no background in agriculture, I asked my colleagues if they knew anything about the objects. I always find some background information useful for distinguishing what is important to note when documenting a piece of machinery, especially one I am not familiar with. Originally, I was informed that the boxes were parts from a Peter Hamilton seed drill. The two components were most likely from the same piece of equipment. In fact I was shown a larger version that we already have on display and is, for the most part, complete. My colleague believed that the size suggested the newly donated boxes were from a smaller version, designed to be pulled by only one horse. Another colleague also mentioned we had a copy of an old Peter Hamilton Manufacturing Company catalogue for reference.

At this point I should explain the significance of this manufacturer. The Peter Hamilton Manufacturing Company was established in Peterborough, ON in 1848, and produced various farming implements. The close proximity of this company resulted in their products being extensively used by the farmers in the County of Peterborough area. As a result, our Museum, which represents the 19th-century rural past of Peterborough County, has developed an extensive collection of Peter Hamilton farm equipment. Some of the collection is presently on display in our Agricultural Barn in the village.

Image Above: Catalogue advertisement similar to the one previously existing in our collection, circa. 1899.

After writing up the documentation and applying the accession number to the two seed boxes, I asked if I could review the catalogue they mentioned. I thought it might provide some additional information that I could record, thus providing a more thorough document on the artifacts for future reference. To my surprise, there in the 1899 catalogue were the seed boxes I had just documented! What I discovered was that the seed boxes were not part of a piece of farming equipment. The seed boxes were actually attachments that retrofitted onto the Peter Hamilton Elastic Spring Tooth Cultivator, thus converting it into a broadcast seeder! They were sold either with the cultivator, or could be purchased separately at any time.

Images Above: Peter Hamilton Manufacturing Co.1899 catalogue advertisements for the Spring Tooth Seeder Seed Boxes (right) and Elastic Spring Tooth Cultivator (left) the seed boxes fit onto.

Needless to say, these seed boxes have instantly become a valuable part of the Peter Hamilton collection. With plans to further develop a Peter Hamilton exhibit in the future, I am thrilled about this discovery. But I am equally thankful for the existence of the old catalog for reference material. Without this information, we would have never known the real significance of the seed boxes.

Rhonda Akey is the Records Management Intern at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. She has been working and/or volunteering at the Village since September of 2010. Rhonda is fascinated by all things historic – and loves to share the neat tidbits she discovers behind the scenes in the Lang Pioneer Village Museum collection with everyone.

If You've Got It, Flaunt It

By Karis Regamey

You know the phrase “if you’ve got it, flaunt it”? All too often the things that are flaunted definitely should not be. In the Museum’s case, we have waited too long in my opinion! For those of you who do not know Audrey, she is our Museum Specialist, meaning she knows almost everything there is to know about Lang Pioneer Village Museum and then some. Audrey has been working at the Museum for the past 31 years. During this time, she has been an interpreter, exhibit designer, in charge of accessioning and deaccessioning artifacts, cataloguing the archives and so much more. While she is talented at everything she does, I think one of her greatest talents is drawing. Over the years Audrey has done many drawings for the Village. If you have visited the Museum, you may have seen pen-and-ink drawings on text panels in the Village. You may have also seen our Guide Book, the Village Map on our website or streetscape on various collectibles like mugs that were once sold in the Museum Shop to name a few. Nevertheless, if you have seen a hand-drawn image in the Village or on promotional material for the Village, it was most likely drawn by Audrey. Unfortunately, as is the case with most things, many of these amazing drawings have been tucked away and forgotten- until now, that is.

This season we are finally flaunting the artist that we have and are turning the gallery into a display room for the many wonderful drawings that Audrey has done over the years. Audrey once said to me, “I was actually amazed how many bits of paper I found with artwork. Had I known I would ever use them again I might have taken better care of them. The coffee stains make them original right??”. I think that if we had really realized all those years ago what an incredible talent we had on-site, we would have made sure that every drawing was saved in perfect condition. It may be too late to rescue some of those drawings but it certainly isn’t too late to show our visitors the artist we have with the artwork we have remembered to tuck away.

    

 

 

 

Above: Just a couple of Audrey's drawings

You can come see some of these hand-drawn masterpieces for yourself when the exhibit opens on Father's Day. We are lucky to have our very own artist, and this season our gallery is going to flaunt it.

Karis Regamey is the Marketing Consultant for Lang Pioneer Village Museum, She has been with the Museum since February of 2009. When she is not busy overseeing the advertising of the Village, she can be found chasing after her two little ones.

A Time(piece) in History

By Michael Gillespie

While participating at the 2013 Applefest, a few members of the Quinte Timekeepers - a clock club who are perennial volunteer participants at Lang Pioneer Village Museum - discovered this old clock. It was in extremely sad shape, varnished shut , not working and dustily languishing high on a cupboard in the Print Shop. Jim Hartog and Maurice Blanchard volunteered to restore the clock.

After many hours, Maurice was able to reproduce some of the wooden parts and the movement was now in working order. Jim disassembled the case, cleaned it and refinished it to look as it would have circa 1835. He donated some weights and dust covers from his own collection.

This important artifact is an Ogee, weight-driven clock made by Utley, in Niagara Falls around 1835. Its Canadian heritage and manufacture adds to the provenance. It is now fully restored and working.

  

Images: Jim, Maurice and fellow members of the Quinte Timekeepers with the restored clock

On behalf of Lang Pioneer Village Museum, I would like to extend our gratitude to these gentlemen and all of the Quinte Timekeepers who volunteer their popular services at Applefest.

Michael Gillespie has been a volunteer at Lang Pioneer Village Museum since 2000. Michael is the Chairman of the Lang Pioneer Village Advisory Committee, as well as an avid interpreter. Some of the more known highlights of his time at Lang include, broom tying in the Trades Barn, portraying Mr. Brown on Dominion Day, and restoring the clocks of the Museum collection to their previous glory.

Hayley Nabuurs Recognized with Ontario Heritage Trust Award

By Jill Chapman

Each year, the Ontario Heritage Trust recognizes “individuals and groups who have made volunteer contributions to preserving, protecting and promoting community heritage”. This year, our team is excited to report that one of our very own- Hayley Nabuurs- has been honoured as one of 2013’s “Young Heritage Leaders”.

Hayley demonstrates a love for community culture, a celebration of heritage, and a deep consideration for others in all that she does. She took part in the Lang Youth Interpreter Program and has four years of volunteer experience with the Museum. Here she gained knowledge in historic interpretation, as well as training in traditional crafts & skills, local Canadian history and working with the public.

In 2012, Hayley was nominated and was the recipient of the Ontario Volunteer Service Youth Award for her work and efforts.

In 2013, Hayley joined our seasonal staff team. Since then, the senior staff team at Lang have been unbelievably impressed by the level of effort and enthusiasm, positivity and commitment she brings to the role. She is very well-rounded and delivers through our mandate, “a living history experience of exceptional quality”.

Hayley is a superb representative of Lang Pioneer Village Museum, Trent University [where she is in her first year of undergraduate studies] and the County of Peterborough. She is highly deserving of this honour and we look forward to seeing her continue to grow as a leader and community servant.

You are very special to us, Hayley. If the youth of today continue in the direction of astounding young people such as yourself, the Heritage sector is certainly in good hands in the years to come.

Image: Hayley (pictured center) receives her certificate from Warden J. Murray Jones on behalf of the Ontario Heritage Trust during the opening session of the County Council meeting Wednesday April 2 at the County Court House.

Jill Chapman is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. She has been a member of the Lang team since May of 2012. Jill is a passionate advocate for education, the arts and fitness. When not at work, Jill might be found running through the North Cavan foothills or on one of the County’s rotary trails.