ISSN 1206-4394 The Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley Volume 10, number 4, February 2006 Table of Contents Trent Valley Archives .......................................................................................................... 2 President’s Report ........................................................................... ................. John Marsh 2 Miracle on Elm Street: The True Gift of Christmas ................................................ Gina Martin 3 Christmases Past ................................................................................................................. 6 Santa Claus Parade 1939; Christmas Trees 1938; Spirit of Christmas 1938 Valentines Past ................................................................................................................... 7 St Valentine’s Day 1881; Ladies Entertained 1904; Should a Man Marry 1906 Peter Hamilton Manufacturing Company, Peterborough ................................ Barb van Vierzen 9 ‘Number Please’ To Be Heard No More in Millbrook, Ida, Cavan ................ Doris Ingham, 1963 11 History of Nexicom Coming .................................................................................................. 12 Peter Robinson and the Press ................................................................................................ 12 Robert Weir (1832- 1905) ........................................................................ Patty McCormick 13 Queries .......................................................................................................... Diane Robnik 16 Leahy; Batty; Graham; McIlmoyl; Ploughing Match 2006; Charles Lauder; Dyson Worth Fine Steamer from Peterborough Canoe; Millage; Bad Luck Bank Robbers [Havelock 1961] His Mother Did the Christening; Frank Stewart Hastings Patriarch in Ninetieth Year [James Stevenson] .................................... Examiner, 1923 19 Ex-Chief of Police of Peterborough [William Arnott] ........................................... Review, 1899 20 Peterborough Hotels and Hoteliers 1901 ............................................................................... 20 Lodgers, Boarders, Roomers 1911 and some earlier ........................................... Diane Robnik 20 The Vision and the Robin ............................................................ John William Garvin, 1902 31 History of the Peterborough ski Club ..................................................................................... 32 Recent Books of Local Interest ............................................................................................... 32 Kawartha Nordic Ski Club 1974-2004 by Marjorie Rasmusson-Shephard; Eyesore or Ornament A Brief History of Jackson Creek by Meredith Carter; Elections in Peterborough by Peter Adams; Hockey Town by Ed Arnold; Country Fairs in Canada by Guy Scott Trent Valley Archives Annual General Meeting ........................................................................ 33 Guest Speaker: Dr John C. Carter, “Barns: Our Disappearing Heritage” ..................................... 33 Peterborough School Board, 1861-1913 ........................................................... F. H. Dobbin 34 McGibeny Family came in November 1891 ........................................................ Elwood Jones 35 Books from Trent Valley Archives .......................................................................................... 36 Fighting Fires in Peterborough .............................................................................................. 37 Heritage Trails ................................................................................................... John Marsh 37 Upcoming events ................................................................................................................. 39 Trent Valley Archives, By-laws .............................................................................................. 39 Trent Valley Archives; Nexicom Communications .................................................. Inside covers Cover photo: Trent Valley ARCHIVES Fairview Heritage Centre 567 Carnegie Avenue Peterborough Ontario K9L 1N1 (705) 745-4404 [email protected] www.trentvalleyarchives.com Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley Volume 10 * number 4 * February 2006 2 of such use. Around Halloween our ghost tours in Ashburnham were in great demand. We thank Martha Kidd for Trent Valley offering her lovely house where we could provide refreshments, and the President’s Report Trent Severn Waterway for lighting up the liftlock on these occasions. Word ARCHIVES of this event led to the producers of By the time this is published we will be the TV show Creepy Canada coming to getting close to the Annual General Peterborough, and we eagerly await Meeting of the Trent Valley Archives on Fairview Heritage Centre the resulting program about the 27 April 2006. This will be a time to 567 Carnegie Avenue Liftlock ghost amongst others. review the past year and consider Peterborough ON K9L 1N1 In the fall we hosted a future activities, as well as enjoy a Harvest Dinner, and thank Trinity (705) 745-4404 fascinating illustrated presentation on United Church for accommodating us. [email protected] Ontario’s historic but vanishing barns. In December, we presented a Winter Throughout the year, I have www.trentvalleyarchives.com Storytime, featuring costumed readers been impressed by the amount of of historical stories, including one activity at the TVA. Every day people Reading Room open written specially for the occasion by come through the door to pursue their Gina Martin. Keith Dinsdale and Basia Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm family and local history research. Baklinski offered workshops to aid Requests for help are regularly received people embarking on family history by mail, email and telephone. Enquiries Board of Directors research or wishing to learn about come in from the Peterborough area, Heather Aiton-Landry conservation of materials. We were the rest of the country and abroad. A David Edgerton honoured to host two excellent recent perusal of our guest-book, for Bruce Fitzpatrick genealogical evenings featuring the year ending in November, indicated Elwood Jones Professor Crystal Fulton from Dublin visitors from all over Canada, as well as Susan Kyle on researching Irish families in Ireland nine U.S states, England and Ireland. Doug Lavery and by Else Churchill on researching in TVA, like many other archives and local Alice MacKenzie English sources. Special thanks to history centers, is a significant Keith Dinsdale for making these Wally Macht community resource and a tourist evenings possible. John Marsh, President attraction. Accordingly TVA participated During Archives Awareness Gina Martin in November in a Tourism Education Week, 4- 8 April2006, we will have a Marjorie Shephard Session organized by the Greater workshop and open-house. In May, Don Willcock Peterborough Area Economic you will also be able to get some Keith Dinsdale Development Corporation, and we are bargains at our annual book sale. Andre Dorfman advertising our events on the Ontario Meanwhile behind the scenes, Tourism Marketing Partnership Martha Ann Kidd we continue to add to our archival Corporation website, and in local Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley collections. Recent additions to our tourism offices. Elwood Jones, editor resources, some still being processed, Fortunately we have had the [email protected] include donations from Mary services of our enthusiastic, Keith Dinsdale Stephenson, Dr John Martyn, hardworking, flexible and reliable Martha Kidd Peterborough Examiner, Trent Glass, Assistant Archivist, Diane Robnik. She John Marsh Marlyne Heasman-Fisher, Rene Bowes, has been supported by the Board Gina Martin Cy Monkman, Bill Painter, and Bruce members familiar with our resources, Hodgins. We will share the information Diane Robnik and by other volunteers. A manual is as we can. We continue to add to our Don Willcock, assistant editor now available to assist volunteers. excellent newspaper holdings with People seem generally satisfied with our more finds from Don Cournyea, and Trent Valley Archives services, but we always hope to widen the editorial files of the Heritage Diane Robnik and improve them, and suggestions are Gazette editor. Associate Archivist welcome. In order to disseminate As in previous years we have [email protected] history and raise funds, we have organized various events of an produced some really interesting historical nature that serve to further The information and opinions publications. Without fail, Elwood our objectives and raise funds. During expressed are those of the contributors Jones has delivered our quarterly the summer we ran weekly cemetery and not necessarily those of the Trent Heritage Gazette, which is now on sale tours at Little Lake, the themes this Valley Archives or its directors. at some local locations. The Mary and year being: Peterborough’s military, Doug Lavery have worked hard with tragic tales and E dwardian ©2006 Trent Valley Archives the Apsley Historical Society to Peterborough. TVA provided exhibits for Any copying, downloading or uploading produce a wonderful authoritative and the conference on Edwardian without the explicit consent of the editor highly illustrated book, Up the Burleigh Peterborough that was part of the is prohibited. Classroom use is Road, which is imminent. Diane Robnik celebrations of the city’s centennial. encouraged, but please