Goulbourn Museum

This week’s featured objects are the stained glass windows from St. Thomas Anglican Church. On this day 60 years ago, a severe electrical storm with hailstones the size of golf balls descended on Stittsville. The storm caused a major fire, an accident resulting in the loss of two lives, and significant damage to surrounding grain and corn fields. In Stanley Corners, lightning struck the finial atop the St. Thomas Church’s steeple and the building caught fire. Soon the flames spread to the roof of the Church which had been insulated with wood shavings.

Firefighters tore apart the roof and pulled down the ceiling to extinguish the fire. The interior of the church was covered in debris. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all involved, the roof was damaged so severely the structure was no longer usable.

Thanks to the bravery of the firefighters and parishioners, many objects were rescued from the burning church. Among the items recovered were seven stained glass windows which are now prominently displayed at St. Thomas Anglican Church in Stittsville.

Thank you to St Thomas Anglican Church Stittsville for being this week’s community feature.

We're sharing our a day early this week to allow for the reveal to take place tomorrow, a very significant date for this mystery object! Think you know what it might be? Take a look at this week’s clues and leave your guess in the comments below.

1. Seven of these objects were once located in Stanley Corners but now reside in Stittsville.
2. This object was witness to an historic event in Goulbourn Township on June 26, 1964.
3. This object was dedicated in the memory of James Cathcart by his wife Annie Cathcart.

We look forward to sharing all the details tomorrow!

This week’s heat wave has caused thermostats to soar and air conditioners to hum. For those unable to cool their homes with central air, a trip to the nearest lake might be the answer!

This week’s is a lakeside memory from the summer of 1908. Isabelle McFadden, left, and two other young ladies try not to get their skirts wet as they enjoy a dip in Mississippi Lake in Carleton Place. The McFadden family enjoyed summer camping trips along the Mississippi under canvas tents and riding on the lake in their single cylinder motor boat (visible in the background). By 1914 the family had started construction on a cottage.

Isabelle McFadden was the adopted daughter of Abraham McFadden who was born in Ashton. The family are descendants of William McFadden who served as a Private in the 100th Regiment of Foot and settled Concession 8, Lot 1 West of Goulbourn Township.

We hope you can stay cool and hydrated in this heat...but if all else fails, follow the McFadden family’s lead and go jump in a lake!

The Museum will be closed tomorrow as staff will be offsite representing the Museum at the Welcome to Stittsville Multicultural Festival. The festival showcases Stittsville's diverse community, promotes new connections with residents, and welcomes new immigrants. Last year's event was a huge success with over 800 people attending, and we engaged with lots of new Canadians who were eager to learn about the local history.

We hope you'll join us! The festival takes place from 12-4 PM at Village Square Park (6000 Abbott St. East). tomorrow, Saturday, June 15th. More details here: https://www.glengower.ca/events/june-15-welcome-to-stittsville-multicultural-festival/

The Museum will reopen Sunday morning at 10 AM.

Well done! You ab-sew-lutely nailed it this week! Yesterday’s mystery object was a quilt! This piece titled “In My Garden” was a challenge completed by the Richmond Area Quilters Guild in 1999-2000. Each block was made by different members and after the blocks were completed and assembled the Guild came together to quilt the piece by hand.

Quilting is the process of sewing two or more layers of fabric together to make a thick padded material. Typically, quilting is done with three layers: the quilt top, batting, and backing material. The quilter’s hand passes the needle and thread through all layers and then brings the needle back up.

Take a closer look at the details of this quilt. Can you see that the quilting pattern includes nature details in the form of birds, leaves, and floral designs? This quilt showcases a number of skills including hand and machine applique, dimensional designs, embroidery, and hand quilting.

Are you thready for this week’s ? Check out these clues and leave your best guess in the comments section:

1. This artefact was handmade by a group of people.
2. This object’s design is inspired by nature.
3. In total, this artefact measures 251.5 cm long x 217 cm wide.

Remember to check back tomorrow for the mystery reveal!

Come and brighten up this rainy PD Day by making colourful rainbows at the Museum! We have everything your kids will need to make these creative collages. AND you can leave the mess here! Come and craft with us today from 10 AM to 4 PM. Children can also play dress up in our Village Store and build things with our Lincoln Logs!

Happy ! We reached into our newspaper archives this week to share local coverage of a paw-some event that took place in Stittsville 66 years ago today! On June 7th 1958, The Feed Mill was the place to be for the Purina Pooch Parade. An advertisement in the May 15th, 1958 issue of The Stittsville News promised a “barrel of fun and a chance to win a prize and a ribbon.”

The Pooch Parade and Pet Dog Show was held in connection with National Dog Week & open to any child under 16 living in the community. All dogs were welcome, “big or little dog, purebred or mongrel.” However, they had to have a strong collar and leash and children had to be able to control them. “No unruly or belligerent dogs will be permitted to remain in the show.”

The event, which was sponsored by Stittsville Feed Supply, included categories such as: Cutest Puppy, Dog with the Longest Tail, Dog with the Most Spots, and Best Dog Costume. Judges for the event were Mrs. Betty Hills, Archie McWade, Jim Woods, and Alf. McCoy.

On Friday, June 13th 1958, The Stittsville News ran a follow up story on page two. The opening sentence read, “Purebreds and dogs of questionable parentage performed in the same ring on Saturday as youthful masters vied for ribbons and prizes in the Purina Pooch Parade.” The article went on to list the names of all the winners.

It’s nice to know we were just as crazy about dogs in 1958 as we are today!

If your kids have the day off this Friday, come and get creative with us! We will be making Rainbow Collages!

Children can also play in the Village Store and build cabins with our Lincoln Logs. No registration necessary, just drop in between 10 AM and 4 PM. (Parents/guardians must remain on site with children.)

Admission to the Museum is by donation. Hope to see you Friday!

Join us in welcoming our new Programming Assistant, Aiden Strudwick! In addition to providing visitor services, Aiden will also be contributing to the development, preparation, and delivery of public programs, as well as assisting with history presentations, outreach initiatives and special events this summer. Read Aiden's full bio here: https://goulbournmuseum.ca/meet-our-programming-assistant/

This week’s mystery object is a "murder bottle." A Victorian era infant feeding bottle, it was made of glass and sealed at one end with cork. Attached to the bottle was a length of rubber tubing and a ni**le. The bottles were advertised to mothers with names like “Mummies Darling,” “The Princess,” “Little Cherub,” and “The Best” like this example donated by the Graham family.

The bottles were appealing to mothers as they allowed for more independence and encouraged children to feed themselves. Unfortunately, the slanted shape made the bottle very hard to clean. The rubber stopper and tubing absorbed bacteria delivering it straight into very vulnerable individuals. To make matters worse, the popular figure Mrs. Isabella Beeton outlined dangerous recommendations for nursing bottles in her publication, The Book of Household Management (1861).

“The prepared teats can be obtained at any chemist's, and… they will require a little soaking in warm water, and gentle washing, before being tied securely, by means of fine twine... When once properly adjusted, the ni**le need never be removed till replaced by a new one, which will hardly be necessary oftener than once a fortnight [14 days], though with care one will last for several weeks.”

The design and materials of the bottles, along with inadequate cleaning and care recommendations, led to the nickname “murder bottle.”

Lots to do and see during Doors Open Ottawa this weekend!

From the launch of Goulbourn Museum's new digitization station to the re-opening of Fairfields Heritage House, there's a lot to discover at Ottawa's museums during Doors Open Ottawa this weekend!

Find out more at: https://ottawa.ca/en/arts-heritage-and-events/doors-open-ottawa
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Le lancement de la nouvelle station de digitalisation du Musée Goulbourn et la réouverture de la Maison du patrimoine Fairfields, il y a beaucoup à découvrir dans les musées d'Ottawa pendant Portes ouvertes Ottawa cette fin de semaine !

Pour en savoir plus: https://ottawa.ca/fr/arts-patrimoine-et-evenements/portes-ouvertes-ottawa


Billings Estate National Historic Site Bytown Museum | Musée Bytown The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum Fairfields Heritage House / Maison historique Fairfields Goulbourn Museum Osgoode Township Museum Muséoparc Vanier Watson's Mill Manotick Dickinson House Museum

We’re going “whey” back in time for this week’s mystery artefact! Don’t keep your answers bottled up, take a look at the following clues and leave your best guess in the comments below. Remember to check back tomorrow for the reveal!

1) This object was made for infants and young children.
2) Although popular in the mid to late 1800s this object would be considered too dangerous for use today.
3) This artefact measures 16.5 cm long x 8.5 cm wide and 6.8 cm high in total.

This Saturday and Sunday during Doors Open, we will be launching our new digitization station in the History Centre. Visit and learn how to conserve your family history and find out what’s available for you at the Museum to digitize and preserve your personal collections. Read more here: https://goulbournmuseum.ca/learn-how-to-preserve-your-family-history/

On Sunday we will have a HAM radio aficionado onsite offering demonstrations on a variety of equipment. In addition, visitors can try their hand at morse code and take part in an activity to make personalized morse code bracelets!

Doors Open takes place all weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. but the radio and morse code demonstrations will only be offered on Sunday.

Hope to see you at the Museum!

In the early 1900s, many schools created garden programs with the idea that the lessons learned in the garden would help create good, moral citizens. This photo was taken in the Richmond Public & High School Garden, c. 1906. From left to right are students Tommy O’Connor, Elizabeth O’Connor, Hazel Lewis and Jessie Ferrier.

The first school in the County of Carleton was built in Richmond in 1820. Thirty-four years later, in 1854, a grammar school was erected on Cockburn Street. In 1895, the Richmond Public & High School opened but it burned to the ground on March 27, 1924. It was replaced by a new brick school called the “Richmond Continuation School.” This is the same building (albeit expanded) that houses the current Richmond Public School at the corner of McBean and Martin streets.

Next week, on Thursday, May 30th, the Richmond Public School will be celebrating its centennial anniversary with an event from 4-7 p.m. There will be a commemorative tree planting ceremony at 6 p.m. and Goulbourn Museum staff will be in attendance with a selection of Richmond Public School artefacts from our collections. There will also be food trucks and a student art gallery.

Photo donated by Mrs. J. Nevin. Goulbourn Township Historical Society Collection.

SPACES STILL AVAILABLE! Don't miss the fun this Sunday! Join us for spring-themed crafts and activities at this month’s Family Craft Day! We'll be making butterflies, flowers and birds at this event which is geared towards children ages 4-11.

The fun takes place on Sunday, May 26th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the program. Cost is $5 per participant and pre-registration is required. Sign up before it fills up! Register online here: https://tinyurl.com/yjtmcm6b

This week’s artefact is an E. Ingraham & Co “Spectacle” shelf clock. This example was made between 1861 and 1881 and was advertised as an “eight and one day” brass clock because it needed to be wound about once a week.

is an opportunity for the Museum to learn, document, and share stories from the collections. While researching this week’s artefact we came across a bit of a history mystery! This clock was first donated to another Ottawa museum in the 1920s. At that time the donor said they had received the clock from Mrs. Burke. This information was documented as “Mrs. (Colonel) Burke” referring to Colonel George Thew Burke of Richmond. In 1991 the clock was transferred to the Goulbourn Museum due to its connection to Goulbourn Township.

However, while learning more about Elias Ingraham this week, we discovered that it would have been impossible for the Colonel and his wife to have owned this object. This particular clock was made after the death of Colonel Burke in 1854 and the death of Lydia Burke (nee Grant) in 1825. Oral history is an invaluable way of preserving different perspectives of the past but some details can get altered when information is passed down from generation to generation. In this case we’re wondering if Mrs. Burke, who first owned the clock, was not Lydia but rather another member of the Burke family. We look forward to learning more as the details unfold!

It’s that time again! Take a minute to read the clues and see if you can correctly guess this week’s mystery artefact.

1. This object would run for “eight and one day” before needing a little help to get moving again.
2. This object’s key does not open a lock.
3. This artefact measures 26.5 cm long, 11.3 cm wide, and 46.5 cm tall.

Leave your answer in the comments section and check back tomorrow for the reveal!

This original poster from 1894, courtesy of F.A. McTavish, was a Call for Tender for the construction of the Methodist Church in Munster. It later became the Munster United Church in 1925.

The church was built by donations from local families. The stone came from Shillington’s quarry and Mr. William Higginson donated the money for the belfry and spire. The bell for the church came from Ireland.

There had been a few churches in Munster before this one was built. The very first Methodist church in Munster was established in 1822 and a log church was built on the 6th Line. It was later replaced by another church on the 5th line. In 1884 a brick Methodist church was erected (where the United Church sits today) but was destroyed by fire less than 10 years later. This poster was the call out for the construction of the stone building that is now Munster United Church.

This photo of the Methodist Church was taken in about 1920, several years before it became the United Church. (Goulbourn Township Historical Society Collection)

The remains of the original log Methodist church on 6th Line can be seen in the foreground of this photo taken in 1978. (Goulbourn Township Historical Society Collection)

The “skyline” of downtown Munster is prominent in this picture taken by E.W. Garland in 1900. Photographed from the north-west corner of 6th Line (Munster Rd), it shows (L-R) Nettie Tubman, Marnie Tubman, Miss Gurnay, Roy Tubman and Miss Carmichael in the foreground and (L-R) the Continuation School, the church, and an elementary school in the background. (Goulbourn Township Historical Society Collection)

Join us for spring-themed crafts and activities at this month’s Family Craft Day! We'll be making butterflies, flowers and birds at this event which is geared towards children ages 4-11.

The fun takes place on Sunday, May 26th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the program. Cost is $5 per participant and pre-registration is required. Sign up before it fills up! Register online here: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLNT4A8TNJ5HW/checkout/GCEGCSBIDIBJUSQM42LSN66I

This week’s mystery object is a family photograph album! Believed to have been carefully assembled by Anna Maria Hill nee Butler, this album preserves a story connecting the Abbott, Butler, and Hill families.

At the beginning we are introduced to Francis Abbott. He and his wife Jane Dagg were born in Ireland and first settled in Nepean Township around 1822. Their daughter Sarah Ann married William Henry Butler and the family lived in Hazeldean. By the time of the 1871 Census Sarah and William’s family made Richmond, Ontario their home.

Sarah and William’s daughter Anna Maria married James Rowland Hill in Richmond on June 10th, 1874. This album, which was inscribed by one of their grandchildren, identifies the cousins, siblings, spouses, and acquaintances of the Butlers and Hills. The photos preserved inside the pages are albumen prints and tintypes that date from approximately the 1860s to 1880s. Anna Maria died June 20, 1882 at the age of 28 and is laid to rest in Richmond.

May is Museum Month! This annual celebration run by the Ontario Museum Association celebrates the contributions of Ontario’s over 700 museums, 37,000 volunteers and 11,000 workers.

Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa, has issued a proclamation celebrating the contributions of museums to our community. See the proclamation: https://tinyurl.com/ybtvvcek

“Museums are portals to the world, and its rich history. As a child, they were hands down my favourite spots for school outings. We are very lucky to live in Ottawa, a city that features an array of amazing museums for residents and visitors alike. This month and all year round, take time to visit any of these awesome cultural treasures.” ~ Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa

Goulbourn Museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the month of May. Hope to see you soon!

Stay positive! We think you’ll figure out this week’s mystery in a snap! The following clues should help you focus and develop your answer:

1. Inside this object you will find family treasures made of both paper and metal.
2. This artefact is over 130 years old having been created between 1860 and 1890.
3. This object measures 16 cm tall, 14.5 cm long, and 5.5 cm wide in total.

Leave your guess in the comments section below and remember to check back tomorrow for the reveal!

In the 1880s Alexander McTavish, of the 9th Line of Beckwith just outside of Ashton, started an apiary which boasted 1,000 hives. Alexander and his wife Lenora Butler of Goulbourn made their living off the apiary and took care of bee yards located on many different local farms. This photo from the collection of F.A. McTavish shows a bee yard on Johnny Butler’s farm outside Munster, Ontario in 1939.

During the Second World War when this photograph was taken, the McTavish Apiary sent honey to Europe from bee yards like this one in Munster. The family notes that McTavish honey containers from this time period were stamped “for the war effort.”

The Butler family (owners of the farm in this picture) were among those who received Crown Patents following military service in the War of 1812. The family homestead, which they called “Maple Hill” was on the 6th Line of Goulbourn, west of Munster.

We are excited to announce that sensory bags are now available at all museums in the Ottawa Museum Network/ Réseau des musées d'Ottawa!

When the Goulbourn Museum reopens in May, you can borrow a bag full of sensory items during your visit to help create an environment that works for you! Learn more about the program here: https://ottawamuseumnetwork.ca/sensory-backpack-program/

This amazing project was made possible with help from Sherri Liska at Freely Divergent (https://www.freelydivergent.com) and with financial assistance from the Government of Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund.

This week’s mystery object is a bottle of smelling salts! This bottle, produced by the Yardley company in the 1950s, contains the active ingredients ammonia and alcohol. Yardley advertised that this product, “Temporarily relieves drowsiness” and recommended users to, “Sniff gently. Don’t inhale deeply or use continuously.” The potent ammonia fumes irritate the nose causing an immediate reflex. The lungs take deep breaths to clear out the stinging ammonia which was thought to reset normal breathing and send more oxygen to the brain.

This bottle of smelling salts along with a bottle of Yardley’s English Lavender Smelling Salts were donated to the Museum courtesy of the Brown family of Ashton.

In accordance with the Bylaws of the Goulbourn Museum, notice is hereby given of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held Tuesday, May 28th, 2024 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Goulbourn Museum.

PLEASE NOTE: You MUST register in advance to attend the event: All registrations, both in-person and virtual, must be done through Zoom. Register for AGM.

If you are unable to attend or are not yet certain, make your vote count by appointing a proxy.

Further details including links to all the documents you will need to participate in the AGM can be found here: https://goulbournmuseum.ca/election-to-the-board-of-directors-2024/

This week’s mystery object will tickle your senses. Take a look at the clues below (just under your nose) and see if you can sniff out the answer to this week's !

1. This object was made by a perfume and soap company.
2. The ingredients inside this container were said to temporarily relieve drowsiness.
3. This object is 4.7 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, and 6 cm tall.

Leave your best guess in the comments section and be sure to check back tomorrow for the reveal!

Are you an aspiring heritage programmer or teacher? Goulbourn Museum is looking to hire a motivated summer student for the position of Programming Assistant. This position will contribute to the development, preparation, and delivery of public programs, and provide visitor services in the Museum, during open hours. The selected candidate will support the Programming Manager with the ex*****on of local history presentations, school programming, family and senior programs, workshops, outreach initiatives, and special events. Deadline to apply is Friday, April 26th, 2024, at 11:59 PM. The full job description and application instructions can be found here: https://goulbournmuseum.ca/get-involved/careers/