Fun Fact Friday #25 - You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry...🎅

      Did you know that Santa Claus was a real person? 

The first depiction of the red suit Santa wears.
Thomas Nast c. 1869

     Of course you did!  Most people know that he is based off of somebody known as Saint Nicholas, but historically, we do not know much more about him. According to tradition, or legend, Saint Nicholas was known to to be the secret gift giver to children on December 6, the day the Church celebrates him and supposedly the date of his death. In Europe it became a custom for people to place nuts, apples, and sweets in shoes left beside beds, on windowsills, or before the hearth on his day.

      It is a popular notion that these traditions of gift giving in North America come from the Dutch when they founded New Amsterdam (New York) and then passed around from there. 

       Ever since the anonymous poem "The Night Before Christmas" was popularized in 1823, Santa was depicted as an elfin figure with "a little round belly/That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.". Even today the image of the jolly big guy continues to thrive.

Learn more about the history of Christmas traditions at the Backus-Page House Museum. Book a tour today!
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
519-762-3072
     

Fun Fact Friday #24 - O Christmas Tree 🎄

The Royal Family's Christmas Illustation

      Did you know that it was Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, that popularized the modern and familiar Christmas traditions?

      Prior Prince Albert's influence, Christmas was scarcely celebrated and treated much more religiously than it is today. By 1870, in Canada, the holiday had become a community and family celebration. This is also when familiar attributes such as Santa Claus, Yule logs, holly and mistletoe, caroling, and Christmas trees became extremely popular. 

      Although the royal families had been decorating Christmas trees since at least 1800, Prince Albert's family were the first ones to display their tree in an illustration that was published in 1848. The general public liked this idea and started doing it themselves and it was eventually brought over to Canada due to British immigration. 

Learn more about early Christmas traditions when you book a tour at the Backus-Page House Museum.
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
519-762-3072

Fun Fact Friday #23 - What Wood You Do In The Winter? 🌲

Late 29th Century Canadian
Lumberjacks

      Did you know that most farmers in the 19th century were also lumberjacks during the winter months?

      It is well-known that farmers cannot continue growing their crops when it's negative degree weather outside. Farmers during this time also could not just do nothing during the months from November to February. So, instead of farming, men would productively use their time felling and collecting lumber. This time of the year was best for cutting down trees because the sap would be frozen.

      Then, during spring, the lumber would be sent to saw mills and the lumberjacks would be farmers again. After the fall harvest, loggers were back on the job, building camps and clearing roads to get ready once again for winter. 

       Book a tour today at the Backus-Page House Museum to learn more about life during the winter in the 19th century.
2924 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
519-762-3072

Fun Fact Friday #22 - Hockey Night In Canada 🏒

Port Stanley, ON Today

      Did you know that Port Stanley and the Stanley Cup are named after a father and son?

      Colonel Thomas Talbot was a major part in the distribution of land along the shores of lake Erie in early 19th century. In 1824 Talbot decided to rename a settlement after his dear friend, Lord Edward Smith Stanley. This is now known as the small beach town, Port Stanley. Lord Stanley enjoyed the area so much and would visit when he could. He eventually became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and had three children with his wife, Emma. 

2018 Stanley Cup champion, Alexander Ovechkin

      One of those three children was Fredrick Stanley. Fredrick was a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary and then the sixth Governor General of Canada. He was also very interested in sports. His sons became avid ice hockey players in Canada, playing in amateur leagues in Ottawa. Finally, in 1892, he donated a treasured national icon, the Stanley Cup. This now-famous cup bears Stanley's name as tribute to his encouragement and love for sport in Canada.

Come visit the Backus-Page House Museum for more information at:
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
519-762-3072

Fun Fact Friday #21 - Hard Work Pays Off! 🔨

       Did you know that most settlers that prospered in the early 1800's were not the most proper or wealthy?

What a settlement might have
looked like in 19th century Upper Canada

      During the early 19th century, members of the British gentry believed that they would easily rise to the top of the colonial society in Canada. They thought that with their brains, manners, and education they would be at the top of the list for owning land compared to their "poor and ignorant" fellow immigrants. 

      Upon arriving in Upper Canada they found that they were completely incorrect. They lacked the essential skills and abilities required of pioneers is a hostile frontier landscape. Unlike the "poor and ignorant" settlers, the "proper" settlers did not know how to hunt, farm, build, or even handle the extreme weather conditions found in this part of the world. Most found themselves suffering with the threat of forest fires, wild animals, frostbite, and starvation.

      Canada during the 19th century was a place for hard working people to start a fresh life and prosper with the skills they had. The four founding families in the Talbot Settlement were a few of those hard working people. 

Come find out more about them at the Backus-Page House Museum:

29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON

519-762-3072

Fun Fact Friday #20 - The Little Pier That Could 🌊

      Did you know that Canadians living on the coast of Lake Erie built a pier to sell goods to the Americans across the lake during the Civil War?

What is left of the pier at Tyrconnell.

      In April of 1861 the Dunwich Pier Company was established in order complete the building of a 500 foot pier at Tyrconnell. The pier was 30 feet wide so that horses were able to turn around at the end and people would still be able to pile products, usually grain. The selling of grain bushels to the United States while the war was on created a very profitable economy for the farmers in the Tyrconnell area. The pier was considered so important that it became a possible landing spot for invaders from the U.S. 

      Unfortunately, after the war was over the pier was not used nearly as much and eventually, in 1890, became unsafe to use entirely. These days there is not much left of the old pier that used to be there, but is still an interesting story to tell locally.

Come visit the Backus-Page House Museum in Wallacetown to find out more interesting stories about the history of Elgin!
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
519-762-3072

Thank You Heritage Farm Show Contributors

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s Heritage Farm Show.

4-H Poultry Club
Ace Hardware
Pete Agar
Diana Arthur
Cathy Attridge
The Back Pages Band
Edwina Blakely
Don & Betty Ann Bobier
John & Angela Bobier
Campbell Seeds 
Joe Casey
Century Chocolates
Mark Clarke
Brad Conway
Conway Automotive
DJW Mini Backhoe Service
Dixon’s Feed Service
Amarilis Drouillard
Municipality of Dutton Dunwich and the Municipal Heritage Committee
Dunwich United Church
Dutton Foodland
Dutton Meadows Golf Course
Dutton Variety & Gas
Earl McDonald & Sons Transport
East Elgin Spinners and Weavers
Elgin County Archives
Elgin Poultry Club
Brian & Liz Elliott
Rob & Janice Ellis
Chris Ford
Ken Ford
Glenn Ford
Jessica & Olivia Foreman
Sam Foreman
Fulline Farm & Garden Equipment
Tony Gosnell
Ken Gowan
Larry & Paula Grafstein
Hair Razors
Rob & Laura Hathaway
Jim & Lois Hathaway
Mike & Ingrid Hentz
Stephanie Hounsell
Marg Hulls
Hugh & Nancy Hunter
Havanah Jackson
Martin Joldersmaa
Knight’s Home Hardware
Hailey Lunn
Mancari’s
Bruce & Lin McCann
Hugh & Joyce McFadden
Rick McFadden
Dan McKillop
Cal McMilllan
Cameron McWilliam
Melbourne Farm Automation Ltd.
Melbourne Farm Equipment
John Miller
Dennis Nash
NAPA West Lorne
New Roots Farm
Lorraine Vallee-Moczulski
Memories in Wool
Elizabeth Patterson
Todd Phibbs
Mike Price
Bob Purcell
Red Barn Accessories
Ken Reinke
Katlyn Reinstma
Brad & Joanne Reive
Edith Richardson
Sean Robinson & family
Karen Rose
Beth Russell
John Saunders
Melissa Schneider
Shannon’s Country Diner
W. D. Shaw
Don Skipper
Angie Smith
Stan’s Total Tire
Barb Summers
Talbot Trails Restaurant
Tasty Sweets Café
Thompson’s
Timber-Mart
Van Lahti’s Café & Eatery
Wallacetown Agricultural Society
Catie Welch
Dave Welch
Jim & Leta West
Dave & Joy Westelaken
West Lorne Foodland
Blanche Whiteman
volunteers, visitors, exhibitors and many more.