SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

June, July @ August - 1812 Walking Tours on Thurs, Fri. & Sat. at 11 am and Sun. at 2 pm

June 4 - Janet Carnochan Day - free admission

June 20 - 1812 Lecture by Cecilia Morgan, 7:30 pm

June 23 - Secord Descendants event, 12 - 3 pm

July 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 - Petticoats, Boots & Muskets, 12:30 pm

July 18 - Music Niagara concert at the Museum, 2 pm

July 18 - 1812 Lecture by Dorothy Duncan, 7:30 pm

July 31, August 7, 14, 21, 28 - Children's program, 9 am to 4 pm

August 3, 4, 10, 11 - 1812 Poetry & Prose, 12:30 pm

August 5 - Heritage Festival at the Museum, 11 am - 3 pm

August 17, 18, 24, 25 - Petticoats, Boots & Muskets, 12:30 pm

August 15 - 1812 Lecture by Gene Smith, 7:30 pm

THE YEAR OF WAR IN NIAGARA, 1813 SUMMER 2013 NEWSLETTER

Museum Chronicles “Petticoats, Boots & Muskets”

Back for Another Season! Thanks to funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Petticoats, Boots & Muskets will return this summer. After outstanding reviews in 2012, we are thrilled to be able to offer this program again!

The performance will have many of the beloved songs and stories from last year but will also have some new content and a brand new song! We will also be introducing Lauren Shepherd to the cast to take the place of Heather Lowe. Pam Mundy will also be back to tell the audience about 1812 period recipes and share some of her treats.

Petticoats, Boots and Muskets offers a glimpse into the domestic side of life during the War of 1812, told in song, words, and humour. Local heroes, saints and sinners all have their moment to shine in this cabaret version of Canada’s historic war – told with a nod to the absurd, as well as the facts.

Petticoats will be held on Saturdays & Sundays at 12:30 pm from July 6 - August 25 under the tent in the courtyard. Please note, there will be no performances on two weekends (August 3/4 and 10/11), but check out page 4 of the newsletter to find out about another 1812 program which will take its place on those dates. Tickets to this romp through history are $15, which includes admission to the Museum. Member tickets are $10.

Photo courtesy of Fab Formisano

MUSEUM STAFF Sarah Maloney - Managing Director sarahmaloney@niagarahistorical.museum Amy Klassen – Society Administrator amyklassen@niagarahistorical.museum

CONTACT US 43 Castlereagh Street, PO Box 208 Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0 Phone: 905-468-3912 | Fax: 905-468-1728

Niagara Historical Society & Museum

MUSEUM HOURS The Museum is open daily year-round. May-October: 10 am to 5 pm | November-April: 1 pm to 5 pm

The Museum is closed: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Eve.

THE NIAGARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM WISHES TO THANK THE TOWN OF NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE

AND THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO FOR THEIR ONGOING SUPPORT

@NHS_Museum Niagara Historical Society & Museum

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dennis Kam, President Karen McGrath, VP Museum Julian Rance, VP Society Martin Richardson, Treasurer Terry Boulton, Secretary Neil Rumble Amalie Enns Charles Jackson Elizabeth Surtees Steve Hinchliffe Lorraine Joyner Jim Collard, Town Representative

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Joy Ormsby Richard Taylor Dr. Richard Merritt Christopher Allen

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Museum Chronicles

Do you like to go green? Help the Museum save trees and cut costs by

receiving this newsletter by email!

Contact Amy to sign up.

Celebrate Simcoe Day (Civic Holiday) with us and check out what’s happening on the grounds of the Museum!

Monday, August 5th from 11 am to 3 pm

Demonstrations, Food vendors, Merchants, Entertainment

Children’s activities Free admission to the Museum

This is a free community event and everyone is

welcome. More information to come.

HERITAGE FESTIVAL

The Niagara Historical Society is partnering with Parks Canada to bring you a unique War of 1812 event on November 7, 2013.

From May - December 1813, the town of Niagara functioned as an occupied territory under the somewhat heavy hand of the American army. As the occupation stretched on, the attitudes of the U.S. commanders changed in response to the sometimes open hostility shown to them by local inhabitants.

“In the Grip of the Eagle” is an evening with our American occupiers in the year 1813. Combining a wonderful dining experience with period music, this light hearted event features a military tribunal to address the resistance of those still loyal to the British Crown.

Tickets to this dinner and theatrical experience are $150 per person (tax receipt will be issued for a tax deductible portion) and are limited to 200 seats. The event will be held in the Court House in Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake and will include guest participation, history and humour!

As with the Brock Ball, tickets will sell fast so please call the Museum at 905-468-3912 to reserve your space! Tables of 8 can be reserved.

Proceeds from the event will support the ongoing work of the Niagara Historical Society and Fort George National Historic Site.

SUMMER 2013 Newsletter

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Letter from the President - Dennis Kam This year is shaping up to be an even more active year for 1812 commemoration events than 2012. There is a long list of such events that should satisfy all tastes. They will not only inform but also entertain and delight. Information on this year’s activities can be found on the Museum’s website or front desk, the Bicentennial Committee website and weekly in the Niagara Advance. Behind the headlines however, the traditional and critical work at the Museum goes on – the collecting, researching, cataloguing, preserving and storage of artifacts and documents. There is also the upkeep of the buildings and grounds. Our volunteers play a critical role in all these activities and we can’t thank them enough for their contributions. At this time, we have a particular need for more volunteers to help with the upkeep of the courtyard gardens and the high school grounds. We also need volunteers to help with special projects related to the upkeep of the buildings. In this latter case we would like to establish a call-up list that could be used to address small-scale projects when the need arises. Any members willing to help out in this regard or with the garden should please advise Amy. I wish to thank all those who provided feedback in our recent survey of members of the NHSM. We achieved an impressive 27% response rate and found a high level of satisfaction with the Museum’s programs and with our staff. It is clear that we are making a highly valued contribution to our community, particularly in the cultural and heritage domains. It is also recognized that NHSM’s achievements are exceptional, if not extraordinary, given the limited financial and staff resources brought to bear. Again, it’s our volunteers who make this happen, under the brilliant guidance and leadership of Sarah and Amy. More details on the survey results will be forthcoming.

In April the Museum hosted its Volunteer Appreciation event. Over 60 volunteers attended and enjoyed a light lunch in thanks for all they do! Each year we like to put certain volunteer projects in the spotlight and present them to the group. This year we focused on volunteers who researched and listed British POWs, house histories and Lincoln Militia lists. Thank you to all our volunteers for your significant contributions to the Museum. The Society’s success can be attributed to your dedication to history and the Museum. This fall the Society will be looking to fill three spots on our Board of Directors. If you have a keen interest in Niagara’s history and the projects of the historical society, send in a brief resume for consideration. Not only will you assist in guiding the future of the historical society but you’ll meet new people and have a great time too. Did I mention the side bonus of working more closely with Amy and myself? I knew that’d spark your interest! Feel free to give me a call if you’d like to learn more about our Board of Directors and their responsibilities. Do you have Facebook or Twitter? We’ve been involved with these Social Media sites for some time now and currently have 119 ‘likes’ on Facebook and 378 followers on Twitter. This is a great opportunity to stay up to date on Museum events, learn more about our collection and local history through “Did you know?” posts and read other historical articles from newspapers and the museum field. My favourite thing to post is the Artefact of the Month! In April we focused on Maria Rye’s Desk and in May we posted a Fenian Raid uniform from the Field Family. Check it out on Facebook or follow us on twitter @NHS_Museum to find out more!

Managing Director’s Report - Sarah Maloney

$18.13 Campaign

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Museum Chronicles

After great feedback from last year’s program, the Museum will be facilitating a children’s program again this summer. KID CURATORS is a program for kids who want to experience history & culture in Niagara-on-the-Lake! We will be traveling on foot throughout our town to experience its unique culture & history. As we go through town, we will document our expeditions in various ways & talk to experts on the sites we visit! Ultimately, we will create photo exhibits to display to our family & friends on Exhibit Day.

Program Dates: Wednesday July 31st 9:00 – 4:00 Topics: How to be a Kid Curator & Native History in Niagara Wednesday August 7th 9:00 – 4:00 Topics: Commercial History & Niagara-on-the-Lake: First & Oldest Wednesday August 14th 9:00 – 4:00 Topics: Shipping in Niagara & A Walk Through St Mark’s Wednesday August 21st 9:00 – 4:00 Topics: Niagara at War Wednesday August 28th 9:00 – 4:00 Topics: Niagara at Play & Exhibit Day Program registration fee is $20 per day. Please contact the Museum to register your children or grandchildren.

KID CURATORS

Join the Niagara Historical Society & Museum in our crusade to educate more youth about our community’s history in an exciting and interesting way!

We are asking members and friends to be a part of the “1813 Campaign” by donating $18.13 in support of our children’s programs. Your contribution will go directly towards providing engaging and fun programs for young people in our community, like the “Kid Curators” program above.

“Kid Curators” was developed by Mary Alice Hanson, now a teacher, who worked as a student here in 2012. After great feedback from her impromptu kid’s program last year, we decided to reach outside our normal budget to bring her back part-time this summer in order to help us deliver more great programming for the community.

The purpose of this campaign is to show that a small contribution from our supporters can go a long way in helping us to promote history to the next generation.

Join the 1813 Campaign today by making a donation of $18.13 or more. All donations are tax deductible and donors will be recognized in the Society newsletter.

SUMMER 2013 Newsletter

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The following are excepts taken from an article by local resident Al Clifford about growing up in Queenston. We will share several pieces from this article over the course of the next few newsletters. We thank Al for sharing his memories with us as these stories show us how much things have changed over the years. For years I thought I caused the great depression. I was born in October, I929. At age two and a half we moved to Queenston from Oshawa. This was probably due to the fact that my father may have lost his job at General Motors because of the depression or it may have been that my Grandfather had died and the farm needed someone to run it. Whatever the reason, it was where I would spend most of the next twenty years…

...Mike was the first dog I ever saw go under water. He would chase rocks which had been thrown into the water at the drop off of the river. If the rock went over the drop, Mike would go after it until he totally disappeared from sight. He seldom gave up without bringing out the rock. Mike was also known for his travels. It was not uncommon for him to take the Cayuga to Toronto and return on the next boat. I personally thought he was enticed by some of the crew.

In the early years I was forbidden to go near the river as it was deemed a very dangerous place. This was probably true for there were many stories told of people who had drowned there. One was my Uncle Reg Sheppard's brother and another was a boy I knew. He was pulled by the current between the sand sucker, Cadwell, and the shore while it was unloading sand at the sand pile, the swimming spot on the river... Occasionally, I did venture close to the river and could not figure how my parents knew despite how careful I was not to be seen. In later years I learned of the telltale sign that tipped them off. It was the red shale that clung to my shoes and clothes and it was found only near the river.

I do recall going to the river with our maid to get some fish. Under the old Queenston-Lewiston Bridge there were fish traps which, I suppose, were a sort of commercial fishing operation. We purchased twenty-five cents worth of perch fillets that were enough to feed the whole family. Not only did they have fish but there were also huge eels in the traps.

The sand pile, just upstream from the dock, (now the boat launch site) was where I learned to swim, despite the swimming lessons my mother took me to at the Jepson Street Pool in Niagara Falls. It was easy at the sand pile. You could dive in from shore over the drop and dog paddle back. It was a place for the guys but occasionally several mothers from the village would come and then we all had to find bathing suits or swim in our shorts. It was always interesting when the Cayuga left the dock and we were at the sand pile swimming. Most of the guys sat on the sand and covered up but there was always a few who said "to hell with it" and paraded around boldly in the nude with passengers on the boat admiring the view, or so the guys thought.

Growing up in a Small Town in the Thirties and Forties - Memories of T. Alan Clifford

Postcard of the Cayuga on the Niagara River in Queenston

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Museum Chronicles SUMMER 2013 Newsletter

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Taking “Flames of War” on the Road This summer the Niagara Historical Society has partnered with Parks Canada to present Flames of War - An 1812 Son et Lumière in locations as far east as Halifax and as far west as Gimli, on the shores of Lake Winnipeg. In addition to the multi media show, this touring production will include a promotional video highlighting the history and unique collection of the NHS. Funding for this outreach project has been generously provided by the Government of Canada.

Flames of War highlights the causes and events of the War of 1812 in a dramatic series of vignettes, visual imagery and animation. It is a story of survival, loss, heroics and victories, set against a backdrop of fire, water and stolen land. In particular the Flames of War focuses on the major battlefield of the war – Niagara.

Specifically, it captures the crucial role played by Native Nations and how their alliance directly affected the outcome of the war, resulting in the Canada we know today. Of special note is the contribution to this project by members of Niagara’s Native Nations, headed up by Steven Baranyai. His group In Spirit is well known throughout the Niagara region. (World Group of the Year - Niagara Music Awards). Steven is also featured playing many roles in our summer production of Petticoats, Boots and Muskets.

This summer it will be continue to be shown at Fort George on Monday evenings till early October, (some exceptions), and be a part of many historical celebrations across Ontario from Chatham to Cornwall.

In February the Niagara Historical Society & Museum received an 8 month grant through the Museum and Technology Fund to digitize a portion of the museum’s collection. I was hired to coordinate this task and wanted to update everyone on my progress.

Before I began digitizing we first needed a platform to host our images within an online database. We were able to upgrade our cataloguing system to the latest version which allows us to directly host images online. This external database will allow access to our digitized records from anywhere in the world, when connected to the internet. The online database will also have many different search features to allow for ease when conducting specific research.

The digitization process is a slow one as each item in the collection needs to be photographed or scanned, given a physical description, added to our database, and then uploaded online. To date we have digitized over 1,600 items in the collection with over 4,500 images attached, giving us an average of around 3 images per item. Although this is a substantial number there is much work to be done before the contract comes to an end in October. I want to send a big thank-you to the volunteers who have been dedicating their time to this project - Diana Bellerby, Tom Patterson, Daryl Rutt, Penny Augustine and Nick Clemens; but also want to extend an invitation to anyone who would be interested in helping out with this project to contact me.

I strongly believe digitizing the collection comes with numerous benefits to the museum as it will aid with research, allow greater public access to the collection, help preserve artefacts (less handling), and allow for financial gains from image requests. I look forward to sharing the end results of the project with you come October.

DIGITIZING THE COLLECTION - Joshua Lichty

BATTLEFIELD NIAGARA - On display until December 30th, 2013

1812 LECTURE SERIES - 3rd Thursday at 7:30 pm JUNE 20: Remembering the War: Candy, Cows, and Commemorating Laura Secord by Cecilia Morgan JULY 18: Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst: Everyday Life in Upper Canada, 1812-1814 by Dorothy Duncan AUGUST 15: Fighting for Freedom: African Americans and the War of 1812 by Gene Smith SEPTEMBER 19: Burning of Niagara by Dan Laroche Admission is $10 for non-members and free for Niagara Historical Society members. Advance registration required. The lecture series is generously sponsored by Lorraine & Geoffrey Joyner and Niagara’s Finest Inns.

1812 WALKING TOURS - Join our wonderful volunteer guides in Queen’s Royal Park every Thursday, Friday

and Saturday at 11 am and Sundays at 2 pm in June, July and August. In September, tours will run Thursdays and Sundays only. Tickets $5.

LAURA SECORD DESCENDANTS EVENT - On June 23rd, after hundreds have walked in the footsteps

of Laura Secord, descendants of various families (Secord, Ingersoll, Fitzbibbon and others) will be invited to the Museum for a special event. The public is also welcome to attend. Tickets are $10 each and include admission to the Museum, light food and refreshments, a performance of “Petticoats, Boots & Muskets”, and a chance to meet various descendants. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Museum.

PETTICOATS, BOOTS & MUSKETS - Saturdays & Sundays at 12:30 pm in July and August (no shows on

August 3, 4, 10 & 11). Tickets $15 or $10 for historical society members.

AN UNFINISHED WAR: WAR OF 1812 POETRY & PROSE - For two weekends in August when

“Petticoats” will not be taking place, a special poetry reading will be held in its place. On August 3, 4, 10 & 11 join us at 12:30 pm under the courtyard tent for War of 1812 poetry and prose. Readings by three poets are taken from a recent publication “An Unfinished War: War of 1812 Poetry & Prose”. The book will also be available for sale. Admission to the readings is by donation.

CEMETERY TOURS - Theatrical tours of St. Mark’s Cemetery will take place again in 2013! Join us September

20, 21, 27 & 28th as we learn about the War of 1812 from the people who lived through it. The actors are all volunteers and will portray local people buried at St. Mark’s. Watch for more information in the September newsletter.

NIGHT OF THE PHOENIX - On December 7th, just before the community gathers at the Court House for the

“Niagara on Fire” event, the Niagara Historical Museum commemorates the Burning of Niagara with some hearty food and drink. Come in from the cold and warm up with neighbours and friends while we remember how the community rose from its ashes to rebuild Niagara after the burning 200 years ago. Call 905-468-3912 for more information.

Bicentennial Programs @ the Museum