Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 7 p.m. Lions Room, Newcastle Community Hall
Find out what we’ve been doing for the past year
Help honour this year’s Preservation Award winner; The Refinery Salon and Barber
Participate in our fun and informative Show and Tell
The meeting portion will be short and then it will be on to the fun of sharing our interesting items of historical interest. Got an object from Great Aunt Bessie’s basement that you can’t quite identify? Something amazing you found at a garage sale last summer? Bring it in and share at our Newcastle mini-Antiques Roadshow.
As a follow-up to Sher Leetooze’s interesting and informative talk on researching one’s ancestors, we’re posting links to some of the online resources that could come in very handy in your search. Most of the resources listed are Canadian; of course, if your search extends beyond Canada, there are many more options, both free and paid depending on the locale.
We hope you’ll find the links useful – and don’t forget, if you have ancestors in Newcastle/Clarke/Clarington, we may have information in our files at the Historical Room, so drop by and see us any Tuesday or Saturday from 9:30 to noon.
Myno Van Dyke, vice-president of the NVDHS board has written a fascinating article published in the Clarington Promoter about the old training school in Bowmanville. The property has been designated a National Historic Site and the Clarington branch of The Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and the Jury Lands Foundation have been working to preserve it.
Left to right: Vic Suppan, Chair, Clarington Heritage Committee; Myno Van Dyke, Vice-President, NVDHS; Chief David Mowat, Alderville First Nation (Ojibwa); Bob Malone, Immediate Past President, NVDHS
By Bob Malone
As proponents of the Newcastle Wilmot Creek Heritage Park, we have been working with David Mowat, formerly historical advisor to the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation in Port Perry, to ensure that Anishinaabek cultural interests are well represented in the proposed Park. We attended the inauguration and swearing-in of Chief Mowat of the Alderville First Nation (Ojibwa) on the morning of July 22, 2019.
The ceremony included a smudging bowl; a pouch of tobacco for participants in the proceedings; a traditional Ojibwa bonnet presented to the Chief and a circle of those involved in the ceremony around a medicine wheel. The speaker related the story told by the ceremonial wheel and spoke of the responsibilities the new Chief and his Council faced going forward.
We were honoured to have been invited and the Chief acknowledged our presence during his inaugural remarks. He also pledged his continued involvement in the plan to establish the proposed Wilmot Creek Heritage Park, which is intended to celebrate European and Anishinaabek peoples uses of the lands around the Creek.
On June 5, 2019 at the Season’s Retirement in Bowmanville, NVDHS presented Hazel Crago and Murray Walton with Lifetime Member Awards. These two long time members have been extraordinary members for many years.
Myno Van Dyke and Erla Jose present Hazel Crago with a Life Member Award
Hazel Crago, nee Powell, was born in Clarke Township to a family with four boys and four girls. She was initially educated at Lakeshore School and ironically when she finished her education she went back there to teach at her old school. She became a hairdresser after teaching and had a hair salon in her home on Beaver Street for over 20 years. She married Jack Crago and he was also a barber and hairdresser. Jack passed away in 2004 at age 88. Hazel was very active in the community – she was the recording secretary at Newcastle United Church for 23 years, active in the Newcastle Horticultural Society as well as the Pioneer Button Club. Hazel was one of the early members of our Newcastle Village & District Historical Society. She is a wonderful writer; she wrote articles about our community and its residents for many years in the Newcastle Independent which was part of the Canadian Statesman. She also wrote two books; one on the Powell Family and one about her former school called Life at Lakeshore. It is our great pleasure to present Hazel with our Lifetime Member Award.
Bob Malone, Murray Walton, Myno Van Dyke, Sher Leetooze and Erla Jose as Murray receives his Life Member Award
Murray Walton is a descendant of one of our first families in Clarke Township, the Bates, who arrived at Bond Head in 1796. The Walton family was well known in Newcastle in business as well as politics. In 1955, Murray and his uncle George Walton founded Waltona Park which was at Mill Street South, south of the CNR tracks. This was a popular spot for many years. Murray’s working career was in General Motors in Oshawa where he was a General Supervisor. In 1981, Murray was instrumental in forming the Newcastle Village & District Historical Society and served on the very first Board of Directors holding the position of Vice President for many years. Since then, Murray has been an active member of our Society. When you look through the Walton File in our Historical Room you will see the detailed information he has provided about the Waltons over the years. We are very pleased to present Murray with our Lifetime Member Award.
38 Hours To Montreal: William Weller and the Governor General’s Race of 1840
The Governor General was in a big hurry to get to Montreal in February of 1840 and he contracted with William Weller, the Stagecoach King, to do the job in under 38 hours. This Canadian history takes us from Beverly House in downtown Toronto to the Exchange Coffee House in Montreal, changing horses 24 times and avoiding damaged bridges and mud holes. Find out how Mr. Weller could have accomplished this feat and what the Governor General accomplished when he finally got to Montreal.
Come and hear the very engaging author and speaker Dan Buchanan speak on the remarkable race to Montreal in the winter of 1840. All NVDHS and community members welcome!
On Saturday March 23rd we celebrated Jack Gordon’s 9oth birthday with an open house at the Historical Room. Lots of people to dropped in to wish Jack a happy birthday and enjoy refreshments and of course, a birthday cake. We also honoured new Life Members Jean Rickard and Hazel Crago. Congratulations to Jack, Jean and Hazel! And on March 30, we honoured new Life Member Farncomb Le Gresley, who had been unable to attend the previous week. Congratulations, Farny!
A Gift of Art at 187 King Ave. E. in Newcastle is offering a free speaker series on Thursdays from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Upcoming speakers include:
February 28 – Christine Murphy: Humane Society of Durham
March 7 – Marilyn Glassford: Lakeshore Tours
March 21 – Kiley Percy: Clarington Public Library
March 28 – Sheila Burns: Primrose Donkey Sanctuary
April 4 – Mayor Adrian Foster: Your Clarington – an update
Refreshments are free – but the conversation that follows will be “priceless.” For more information, call 905-987-2264.
Join us Tuesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. for our Annual General Meeting and Show & Tell in the Historical Room at the Newcastle Community Hall, 20 King Ave. W. Members of our Society and Community bring and discuss items of historical significance to our community. Got an interesting photo, tool, letter, or anything else of historical interest to Newcastle residents? Bring it along!
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Find out what we’ve been doing for the past year
