Audio Guide | Peterborough Museum & Archives: Recent Episodes
Dustin McIlwain
Listen along as we walk you through the history of Peterborough Area and the people who have lived here.
Take a peek inside this 1920's kitchen to discover what life was like for a working class family in Peterborough. The kitchen was the hub of family life and the ideal 1920's kitchen was a cheerful, vibrant room filled with bright colours, floral prints and linoleum floors in geometric patterns. Although electricity was now common in many homes, the working class kitchen was a place of transition. Electric lighting and electric stoves mixed with a traditional ice box for keeping for cold. Blocks of ice were delivered daily and housed in these coolers which were likely insulated with sawdust. Can you spot any familiar items that you remember? How about any items that are making a come back?
The Peterborough Lift Lock, constructed in 1904, is the highest hydraulic lock in the world with a rise of 19.8 meters. Between modern day Trent University and Little Lake. the water level drops approximately 20 meters. A conventional lock can only raise or lower a boat 6 to 8 meters at a time, while a lift lock can raise or lower a boat over 20 meters in the same time; The decision was made to build a single and extraordinarily tall lift lock to reduce the number of locks required for a boat to climb or drop from one end of Peterborough to the other.
The Lift Lock was built under difficult conditions: bad weather, general inexperience and poor working relations between the contractors and canal staff made this impressive endeavour even more challenging. The workers used the latest technologies of the time; for example, steam shovels and rivet guns, but the working conditions were dangerous and the scaffolding and supports were crude and rickety. Overall it took 8 years to construct the lift lock. Amazingly, only one person died during the construction. Both the business community and the city continue to use the Lift Lock to promote Peterborough. It is a symbol of the town and is one of the area’s largest tourist attractions.
The Indigenous peoples have travelled the lakes and rivers of what is now known as the Trent-Severn Waterway since 13,000 B.C.E. In the 1600s, European fur traders used the system, and the settlement of the Kawarthas was closely linked to the developing waterway. Traditionally, Peterborough is known as Nogojiwanong, which translates to Place at the End of the Rapids. While the rapids and waterfalls between the lakes provided waterpower for the early mills, they made travel difficult. The Trent-Severn Waterway was originally constructed so it could effectively transport military from the St. Lawrence River, inland, towards Lake Simcoe. In the late 1820s, demand for a waterway linking the upper lakes with Lake Ontario began as new settlers and farmers were looking for a way to move grain to southern markets. The first wooden lock was built in Bobcaygeon in 1833. By 1887 there were locks, canals, dams and slides at Chisholm Rapids (Hastings), Healy Falls (Campbellford), Crow Rapids (Marmora), Whitla Rapids (Peterborough), Burleigh Falls, Buckhorn, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls and Lindsay.
Peterborough, surrounded by lakes and rivers, was a natural centre for canoe-making. First Nations people developed many efficient methods of transportation suited to Canada’s geography and climate such as the canoe and snowshoes. In years to come, Peterborough would become a world centre for industrial production of these First Nations inventions. Canoe manufacturers and the Peterborough Ski and Toboggan Company (a division of the Peterborough Canoe Company) produced and shipped canoes, toboggans and snowshoes around the world. The Peterborough Canoe Company was started by John Stephenson of Ashburnham and Tom Gordon of Lakefield in the late 1850s. Their canoe design was lightweight and strong, combining the best features of the bark and dugout canoes. This new design put Peterborough on the map as the "Canoe Capital of Canada," and soon, many canoe-making companies emerged.
Prior to 1884, Peterborough’s downtown streets were lit by gas streetlights. Lamplighters were employed to manually spark the lamps in the evening and douse them in the morning. On May 24th, 1884, Peterborough became the first city in Canada with electric street lighting, earning itself the nickname, The Electric City.
The Edison Electric Company came to Peterborough from Sherbrooke Quebec in 1890, for the ample water power, rail lines, cheap taxes and the towns offer of free land. Later called the General Electric Company, it set up its plant on the southern edge of town between Park and Monaghan Streets, where it is still located. Its arrival changed the face of the town and ensured its future as a major industrial centre.
Peterborough's militia was formed in the early 1830s to protect Upper Canada against threats of rebellion. Following its reorganization in the late 1860s and early 1870s, the militia served not only as a military defense, but also as a key factor in the town's social life.
It has been rumoured that British and Canadian militia coats were red to hide blood during battle, but in fact the colour had a more practical function of visibility on a battlefield when black-powder muskets and cannons where used. Khaki (olive green) uniforms were adopted in the early 20th century.
Between 1869 and 1992, three generations of the Roy family photographed virtually every aspect of life and work in Peterborough and surrounding areas. As a result, the Peterborough Museum & Archives has over 400,000 glass plate and film negatives donated to us by Jim Balsillie in 2000. It is thanks to the Roy Studio that we have such a comprehensive visual history of Peterborough.
By 1860, Peterborough had changed from an isolated logging town to a service centre for the local agricultural and lumber industries. At one point, there were even 4 railways going through Peterborough to assist in the transport of these goods.
Buildings in Peterborough changed as life became more settled. Houses changed from simple log or frame houses to larger, more complex designs.
The various state-of-the-art bridges built at Hunter Street provided an important link between the two growing communities of Peterborough and Ashburnham which would later become amalgamated as East City. The Hunter Street Bridge across the Otonabee River was, at the time of its completion, the longest span of un-reinforced concrete in Canada.
By 1884, four railways served the town of Peterborough, allowing the town to grow significantly. A house was constructed for the town’s first physician Dr. John Hutchison, close to the new station built at Bethune and Aylmer Streets, for convenience in receiving supplies and patients alike. In fact, much of the life of the town surrounded the main railway lines which crisscross the downtown area to this day.
With the end of the lumber era in Peterborough, and the increased development of highways, the use of transport and passenger trains significantly declined.
As a result of social, economic, and political developments in the Victorian Era, local First Nations communities began to adapt to widespread changes that affected their traditional ways of life. A new form of income came in the way of being guides for hunting camps.
In the Victorian Era, theatres and music halls were central to town life, providing much needed space for meetings and debate as well as concerts and plays. Peterborough's strong tradition of live entertainment continues today.
The scale model of the Bradburn Opera House was created by Dr. Barkley McKone in the mid 1990’s. He had a passion for recreating historic buildings in Peterborough. Designed by John Belcher, the Opera House was originally located next to Market Hall, but was torn down in 1973 to make way for Peterborough Square.
If not for the founder of the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee Martha Kidd, wrapping herself around Market Hall, it would have faced the same level of destruction.
Siblings Susanna, Catharine and Samuel Strickland emigrated to the Peterborough area at different times and were among the first English settlers in Upper Canada's backwoods. They are known primarily for their writing about their experience living here. Catharine had a strong love of nature and spent much of her time exploring Canada’s wilderness, studying the plants and animals. In 1891 she created an herbarium. This botany album consists of mounted ferns, grasses, moss and flower specimens. It is extraordinarily rare to find an intact album by Catherine Parr Traill of this size (a full 51 pages). This album is housed in our Archival collection and in 1999 the herbarium was designated as Canadian Cultural Property of outstanding significance and national importance.
In 1827, in recognition of Peter Robinson and his efforts to bring settlers to the area, Scott’s Plains was given a new name. At the suggestion of early settler Frances Stewart, the area was renamed Peterborough and on January 1, 1850, Peterborough was officially incorporated as a town. At this time, Peterborough changed quickly from backwoods to boomtown. This increasing growth brought opportunities and challenges for the diverse populations of new immigrants and First Nations.
The First Nation's traditional way of life depended on their ability to move freely across the land, as the four seasons often dictated their hunting, fishing and gathering patterns. However, Europeans saw this as "uncivilized". They pressured the First Nations to settle in one area and adopt European housing, farming techniques and religion. With immigrants clearing the forest and damming the waterways, the First Nations had little choice but to move to reserves.
Unlike other settlers who came to Canada, the Robinson settlers received government assistance. This included land, one year's provisions, tools, seed potatoes, and corn to begin their new life here. In this exhibit you can see examples of the variety of tools and supplies that the new settlers would have been equipped with. Their first task would have been to begin clearing the land and construct a simple dwelling such as this log cabin. An early settlers cabin would have been larger than this display by only one meter in length and width. In such a small space, multifunctionality was important! This settle bench was a space saver. It converted from a bed at night time to a bench during the day. A bed of this size would have accommodated 2-3 people. Over the cooking fire is a three legged cast iron pan, which would have served as an all purpose stove top. In a small space with very few windows and an open cook fire, the temperature would have been uncomfortably warm!
At the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815, the economy in Ireland collapsed, and the country was pushed into a recession. Poverty, famine, and high unemployment became commonplace. The British Government decided to send these impoverished Irish farmers to the under populated Newcastle District (today's Peterborough) to give them a new start. Peter Robinson had a knowledge of the backwoods and many political connections. He was quickly hired as the man to recruit new immigrants and settle the land.
Attention, Attention: If you are under 45 years of age, are sound of body, hardworking and able, come to the New World, where there is land and food in abundance and a future that is your for the taking!
If you were under 45 years of age, healthy and able to work, you could apply to emigrate. While over 50,000 applied to come, only 2300 people were selected. They were looking forward to a brighter future in Canada, but it wouldn’t be easy. The voyage ahead of them would be 30-40 days before they would see the coast of Newfoundland. Then it would be an additional month of travelling down the St. Lawrence, across the north shore of Lake Ontario, and north to Peterborough. The berths were small and cramped and smelled of cleaning vinegar and the lime juice that was used to help calm stomachs. While you were encouraged to get fresh air daily on the decks of the ship, and many contracted small pox despite being immunized.
Some early settlers to this area include Charles Rubidge & Thomas and Francis Stewart. Thomas Stewart was granted 1,200 acres in the backwoods near Peterborough, along the Otonabee River in Douro Township. The Stewart family moved into their new home, after 3 months of travel in February 1823, and proceeded to raise 11 children. This museum case holds many artifacts discovered in the root cellar of the Stewart’s home during an excavation in 1973.
These artifacts of the Battle of Waterloo are souvenirs belonging to Thomas Stewart after tour of Europe in 1815. The Breast plate and back plate in the museum collection have since been 3D scanned and cast by Research Casting International as a replica to be loaned to other museums.
At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, members of the upper middle class in England and Ireland emigrated to Canada. For some, land grants were given for wartime achievements, or in lieu of half-pay pensions. Others craved the adventure, but many more were victims of a post-war depression economy.
The first recorded settler to move to this area was Adam Scott, a millwright of Edinburgh, Scotland. Scott built a lumber mill near what is today the corner of Water and King St. and later added a distillery. Many islands in the Otonabee river were actually created from sawdust deposits from the mill. As a result, this area was known for a time as Scott’s Mills or Scott’s Plains. Here on display are a variety of tools that would have been used in Adam Scott’s era.
In 1818, Treaty 20 was signed between the British Crown and the Anishinaabeg. This treaty allowed for the first settlers to arrive in Peterborough. Treaty 20 stated that in exchange for a payment of 740 pounds a year, the equivalent of $3000 at the time, they would surrender almost 2 million acres of land to the Crown for settlement. Yet, many of the settlers largely ignored the verbal negotiations that were agreed upon through the signing of the treaty.
In time the Anishinaabeg gave up their land because their population was desperately sick, and used the money from the treaty to purchase food, medicine, and blankets.
When the Europeans first arrived, they found the North American environment to be harsh. The First Nations people helped these newcomers, sharing their knowledge about hunting as well as trade and travel routes. The relationship was positive in the beginning and even military alliances and intermarriages took place.
In 1763, a Royal Proclamation was issued by the British Government that pledged no First Nations were to be disturbed unless a treaty was made wherein they would give up their land in exchange for compensation.
In 1812, a conflict arose between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain. During this particular time, the Haudenosaunee were being driven from their traditional territory, and in order to seek protection, they joined alliances with the British. Through their effort in the war, the Haudenosaunee were granted refugee within lower Canada, and were given parcels of land in which they could reside. These parcels of land include the territory of the Six Nations of the Grand River, Oneida Nation of the Thames, Wahta Mohawk Territory, and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.
Today, the Anishinaabeg people are one of the most widespread of any group of North America’s first peoples, with reservations and communities throughout three Canadian provinces and five American states. The shared history of the local Anishinaabeg and those who have immigrated to the area make Peterborough what it is today. Communities in Alderville First Nation, Chippewas of Beausoleil First Nation, Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, Chippewas of Rama First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation and Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, are growing and vibrant. These First Nations are commonly known as the Williams Treaty Nations. The people of today owe much to the ingenuity, resourcefulness and generosity of their Anishinaabeg neighbours.
After the Haudenosaunee were driven back to their traditional homelands across the Great Lakes, the Anishinaabeg settled again within this area, from their original home, which was located at the head of Lake Superior, otherwise known as Boweting (present day Sault Ste. Marie). They were drawn by the abundant natural resources such as wild rice and game animals. They lived in small family groups in wigwams, which were in some ways more portable than a long house. The birch bark covering would be preserved until the next season as the families moved on, and the frames could be returned to for many years in a row with little need for repair.
The Haudenosaunee or Iroquois arrived in this area in 900 C.E. and remained until the early 1700’s. The title Haudenosaunee translates to ‘People of the Longhouse.’ In this context, Haudenosaunee refers to more than a group of people. It is a philosophy, a way of life and a body of customs that stretch beyond location and proximity to one another.
The Haudenosaunee lived in villages of communal longhouses, in a single area for 15 to 20 years and would move once the soil had become depleted. Each long house was shared amongst 6 to 8 families. The Haudenosaunee follow a matrilineal social system, wherein mothers are heads of families, holding much power in the community. Women planted and cared for the crops under the direction of a clan mother.
Eventually these peoples moved back south across the Great Lakes to their traditional homelands, due to a war that was between the Mohawk/Seneca, and the Michi Saagiig and Chippewa Anishnaabeg, over a violation of a treaty between the two groups.
Nanabush and the Maple Trees
When the world was new, Gitchi Manitou made life easy for the people. There was always plenty of game and the weather was always good. Whenever people wanted to get maple syrup from the trees, they only had to break off a twig and collect the syrup that dripped out.
Nanabush looked high and low and found the people in the woods. They were lying on their backs letting the maple syrup drip into their mouths. “My people will grow fat and lazy if this continues,” said Nanabush.
Nanabush climbed the maple trees and poured water into their tops to make the syrup thin. This new, thinner maple syrup was very watery and hardly sweet at all.
“No longer will syrup drip from the trees,” Nanabush told the people. “This watery sap will have to be boiled for a long time to make a little syrup. Now you will learn to appreciate this maple syrup the Gitchee Manitou has given you. The sap will only drip from the trees at a certain time of the year and will not keep people from hunting, fishing, gathering and tending the fields.”
“This is how it will be,” said Nanabush. And that is how it is even today.
The earliest group of people theorized to live within this area over 13,000 years ago, are referred to as Paleo-Indians (i.e., the Clovis Culture) and could have possibly traveled here from north-east Siberia across the Bering Land Strait into North America. When the ice caps melted following the Ice Age, water levels rose, making this stretch of land less and less accessible, until it eventually disappeared into the ocean. This is still a debate within the archaeological/anthropological community, as coastal migration theory has gained further attention to help support numerous archaeological sites in the America’s that date back to 35,000 B.C.E.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/jacques-cinq-mars-bluefish-caves-scientific-progress-180962410/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2007/02/native-people-americans-clovis-news/
In this display case, you will see examples of tools they would have used.
These tools were made of stone and bone, and were used for fishing, or hunting large game such as mastodon and giant beavers.
Many First Nation creation stories begin with a giant turtle that carried mud on its back to begin life, as we know it today. The Anishinaabeg origin story features Nanaboozhoo. When the world was flooded, Nanaboozhoo asked the birds and animals to fetch some soil so that he could restore the earth. It was not the strong or the gifted, as might be expected, who retrieved the soil. Rather it was the least of their kin, the muskrat, who dove and brought back the small bit of soil. The soil was placed on a turtle’s back and Nanaboozhoo breathed life into the soil, which became the world that we live in. This is why North America is sometimes referred to as Turtle Island.
https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/aborig/fp/fpz2f30e.html#:~:text=The%20Anishnaabe%20origin%20story%20features,to%20form%20a%20crude%20raft.
We begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig (Mississauga) Anishinaabeg. The land that the Peterborough Museum & Archives currently resides on is also within the Treaty 20 area, which was settled between the Chippewa, the Michi Saagiig, and the Canada Government in 1818.
Welcome to the Peterborough Museum & Archives Audio Guide for the permanent galleries. To use this guide, simple select the track number that corresponds with the audio guide number in the museum. You can replay an audio track at any time by selecting the track again. Feel free to skip head to the tracks and exhibits that catch your attention. Please use headphones while listening to your audio guide. Enjoy your walk through history!
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