Toolsday-Hay Knives

Hello readers! I’m Carlie, and I’m the Agricultural Exhibit Designer at the Backus-Page House Museum. Throughout the summer, I'll be sorting through various tools in the barn to get ready for the exhibit! Every Tuesday I’ll be sharing some of what I learned on our blog!

Hay you! Today we'll be talking about a tool that was essential to the lives of the settlers, the hay knife! 

As I'm sure you can imagine, hay was essential to the lives of the settlers. As farms got larger (and growth of the farm was definitely one of the goals of the settlers), the quantity of hay needed to sustain the livestock increased. Due to spacing issues, farmers often had to keep hay outside in haystacks. Next, the stack would need to be put into a dome shape with a top to prevent the elements from damaging it.  

This was an important task, because a farmer had to assure that there was enough hay to feed all of the livestock throughout the winter. If there wasn't enough, then the farmer would be in a very bad place.

The most well known hay harvesting tool is the scythe, which was most likely created by the Romans. The hay knife, although less well known, was a useful tool for our settlers. It would have been used to cut hay.



If you want to learn more about the tools here at the Backus-Page Museum, or want to come see our collection with your own eyes, then come to out our Civil War Reenactment on July 27th and 28th.  See you then!

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

Fun Fact Friday #19 - Movie Buffs 🎥

Movie Poster for
"That Old Feeling"

       Did you know that a Hollywood movie was filmed in little old Wallacetown at the St. Peter's Church?

      St. Peter's Church in Wallacetown received it's 15 minutes of fame in 1997 when "That Old Feeling", starring Bette Middler and Dennis Farina, filmed a scene there. Although the church can only be seen for a few seconds, it did not stop the locals from a feeling of pride. 

St. Peter's Church

      Keith Large was the movie location manager for the film and was looking for "an Upper-New York State or Connecticut-style clapboard church" somewhere in Southwestern Ontario. The beautiful St. Peter's was the perfect fit for everything on their check list including a bell tower and a big window for one of the characters to look out of. 

Come see the church for yourself right next to the Backus-Page House Museum at 29526 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, Ontario. Call the museum for more details 519-762-3072 or visit www.stpeterschurchtyrconnell.org. 


      

Fun Fact Friday #18 - A Proper Education 📚

       Did you know that in the 19th century female education was altered to that of male?

A classroom of young boys and girls (approx. 1850)

      Although today women are well represented in schools as teachers and students, it was not the same during the 19th century. There was public schooling available to both boys and girls, but it was very general. If a person wanted a more advanced education they would have to enter private schools. Except these schools focused more on domestic personal, and social properties rather than mathematical, scientific, or even reading and writing. The curriculum was made to have women practice "the arts and graces of life".  Thank goodness we have come a long way since then.

Visit the home of a woman who immigrated to Canada with only her two children and no husband in the early 19th century. A very difficult task at the time indefinitely.

The Backus-Page House Museum
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
519-762-3072

Fun Fact Friday #16 - Trick or Treat! 👻

      Did you know that children did not start trick-or-treating until about 1911?

Something children might have worn
on Halloween (approx. 1911)

      Trick-or-treating is a classic Halloween tradition that is practiced all over the world. In Canada it did not come around until 1911 in Kingston, Ontario. It was reported that children went street "guising", which basically means running around dressed in costume, on Halloween in between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. They would visit shops and neighbours to gather as many nuts and candies they could. To win the treats they would have to perform a song or rhyme and if the audience enjoyed they would toss them something tasty. The term "trick-or-treat" did not show up until around 1927 in Blackie, Alberta.

Come and visit an old Victorian home where children who began the trick-or-treating tradition in Canada might have lived, now called The Backus-Page House Museum!
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
519-762-3072

Fun Fact Friday #15 - Beer Hops 🍺

      Did you know that almost all kinds beer uses a flower called Hop? 
      Hops are little cone-shaped flowers that grow on the humulus lupus plant found in North America. When they are dried out in an oast house and ground they are usually used in beer as a flavouring and stabilizing agent because of it's bitter, zesty, or citric flavours. 

      The earliest documented use of hops in beer was in the year 736 in Germany, it was then passed to England in 1524, and finally to North America in 1629. These days most hop yards are found in Canada and the U.S.

Hops after they are dried and ground.

      The Backus-Page House Museum has it's very own hops plant in the garden!

Come find out what makes your refreshing beer taste the way it does at:
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072

Fun Fact Fridays #14 - No Solicitors! 💬

      Did you know that in the 19th century people would go door to door selling a "cure-all" called snake oil? If you have ever seen an old western/cowboy movie there has probably been a character selling some kind of elixir. This is the most accurate depiction of these snake oil sellers. Snake oil was said to be a cure-all by it's sellers, but was notorious for not actually working.

Snake Oil Salesman

       The original snake oil came from China. This oil was creating using the oils taken from Chinese River Snakes. They used this as a pain reliever for arthritis, bursitis, and other joint aches. It made it's way into North America in the mid 1800's and was sold door to door. Of course, there are no Chinese River Snakes in North America, so the contents were changed. North American snake oil consisted mostly of alcohol and was sold as an antiseptic. Very much like peroxide or rubbing alcohol, snake oil was used on scrapes or cuts, but it was not nearly as effective.
      The Backus-Page House has an original bottle with the original bottle, label, and contents displayed in our pantry room! Come check it out for yourself at the Backus-Page House Museum:

Snake Oil
Original Bottle, Label, and Contents

29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072





   

Fun Fact Friday #13 - Don't Forget to Wipe! 🚽

Manila Hemp Paper - Now usually
used for crafting and pulp.

      Did you know that toilet paper was not invented until about 1857?

      Joseph Gayetty was an American inventor that originally thought of the idea of cleaning your behind with something other than leaves or rags. He found that using flat sheets of manila hemp paper was much more comfortable and was advertised it as "the greatest necessity of the age". He then made it into a medically lubricated paper with aloe used for hemorrhoids. 

Scott Toilet Paper - 2018

Unfortunately, Gayetty's business failed and in stepped Thomas, Edward, and Clarence Scott. They founded the Scott Paper Company in 1879 and began selling paper on a roll instead of common flat sheets. This is now the brand you know as Scott Toilet Paper. 

Come and check out some of the old toilets people used in the 19th century at the Backus-Page House Museum:
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072

Fun Fact Friday #12 - Got Syrup? 🍁

      Did you know that maple syrup has more calcium in it than milk?

      Maple syrup seems to be a more reliable source of many different nutrients. You may have heard that the amount of calcium in milk "helps build strong bones", but in reality maple syrup contains about 321.3 mg of calcium per cup while milk contains 300 mg. Maple syrup also contains more potassium than a banana in the same context! There is also a ton of magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron! Who knew your pancakes could actually be so healthy?

Come learn more about maple syrup at the Backus-Page House Museum:

29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072

Fun Fact Friday #11 - Species at Risk 🐾

Monarch Butterfly

      Did you know that there are approximately 240 species that are at-risk is Ontario ALONE?

      Species including the redheaded woodpecker, monarch butterfly, bald eagle, american badger, and many more are threatened by all kinds of environmental factors. Changing environments and overpopulation of predators have these creatures fighting for their numbers. 

      Fortunately, conservation areas are working hard to protect these species and bring their numbers back up to a steady amount. John E. Pearce Provincial Park is one of those areas that is home to all of the species listed above.

Redheaded Woodpecker

See if you can spot any at-risk species along the trails at John E. Pearce Provincial Park:
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072

Fun Fact #10 - Weather Watchers ⛅

      Did you know that early settlers were able to read the sign language of nature? 

Farm equipment used to plow fields (approx. 1850)

      Farming was extremely important not only now, but also during the 19th century. Farms and crops were essential for living away from cities or towns. These days farmers are able to just check the weather network to see if it's going to rain, snow, or be sunny and hot all day long. The weather network, of course, was not around in the 1800's. Instead, farmers had to be able to figure out the signs of different weather conditions and then move forward accordingly. For example, a light dew and no wind, a bright sky with clouds that had dark middles, a fog on hilltops, and a possible wind coming from the east could mean that rain was on it's way. 

      Farmers have always been coming up with clever and productive ways to improve their fields. 

Back Pages Band

Come check out Tyrconnell Heritage Society's Heritage Farm Show this weekend (Sept. 8 & 9 10:00 Am to 4:00 PM) to find out more interesting facts about the history in the agriculture industry! There will be 165 heritage farm artifacts on display and the Back Pages Band will be performing in both days! It is $8.00 admission and kids under the age of 12 are free. 29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, Ontario. Call 519-762-3072 or visit www.backuspagehouse.ca for more                       information.

Fun Fact Friday #9 - Little Ireland 🍀

Colonel T. Talbot

      Did you know that the first four settlers in the Dunwich township were all related?

      On July 14, 1809, a raft-like boat sailed along the shore of Lake Erie. Packed with men, women, and children and all of their belongings, scared and excited to see what this new land had to offer. They finally landed and were met by a short, stocky man named Colonel Thomas Talbot. He was happy to greet them because they were the kind of settlers he wanted, Irish.

      There were four individual families aboard that craft, Storey, Backus, Patterson, and Pearce. Mary Storey was the eldest. A widow at 51 accompanied by her son, Walter, and daughters, Anne and Sarah. Anne ended up marrying Stephen Backus (another settler) and they bared eleven children. Leslie Patterson immigrated at the same time as his sister, Mary Storey, and met and married Lydia Backus. Mary and Leslie's other sister, Frances Patterson, married John Pearce in Pennsylvania, but then made their way to the Talbot Settlement along with the others.

      There is a barn quilt hung at the Backus-Page House Museum in honour of the four settling families. It is a green and yellow Irish star that symbolizes the families' ancestry. The star also emphasizes the progress that the settlers had made. Finally, the four pointed star represents the four families.

Visit Stephen Backus and Anne Storey's grandchildren's home at:
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072

A map of Elgin County in 1877.
Second from the left is the area (Dunwich)
 the families settled on.

Fun Fact Fridays #8 - Eva Pearce

      Did you know that Backus-Page House has Eva Pearce's bed that she scratched her name into almost 130 years ago?

      Eva Pearce was a young lady that was born in 1881 (d. 1965) and was a granddaughter to William Pearce, who settled on Lot 11, Concession 8, Dunwich in 1826. William was one of the first four settlers in that township. The area he chose to settle on is now known as Pearce Williams Christian Centre and is a summer camp for children who come from all over Canada.

      At Backus-Page House we have the exact bed that Eva Pearce slept on. It is a rope style bed (see Fun Fact Friday #3 - Sleep Tight... to learn more) with a head board that Eva, herself, carved her name into. It does not take long to figure out where her name is, but you can always come visit us to see for yourself!

Backus-Page Hosue Museum
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072

Fun Fact Fridays #7 - Bye, Bye Beavers 🐾

      Did you know that in the 19th century the beaver population in Canada was nearly extinct?

      Beaver pelts were a very important part of the Canadian fur trade economy. Starting out, they were mostly used for coats, but moving towards the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th century hats became a very fashionable item. People would wear hats on a daily basis and they were used as a status symbol instead of keeping the sun off their faces or keeping their ears warm.

      Hunters found it difficult to find beavers in certain regions, so they moved their hunt towards the north and west and established a large network of forts and supply routes that assisted in the development of Canadian economy. Though the money was good, the beaver population became scarce and were all almost completely wiped out until, finally,  in the late 19th century beaver pelts were not as sought after. Afterwards beavers reproduced quickly and can now be found near rivers, streams, small lakes, and marshes throughout North America.

      Come feel a real beaver pelt and try on a top hat made out of beaver pelt at:
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072

Top Hat Made Out of Beaver Pelt

Beaver Pelt

Fun Fact Fridays #6 - Don't Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water! 🛁

      Did you know that in the 19th century families would bathe from oldest to youngest and all use the same bath water? Usually in the summer, the Backus family usually bathed in the lake across the street, but it was way too cold to do that in the winter. Instead, they had either a bathtub or just a tub of water that they would all share. Starting with Andrew (the oldest), they would bathe one by one with the bath water getting dirtier and dirtier with every bath. Andrew and Mary Jane had 12 children altogether (only 6 lived to adulthood), so you can imagine how dirty that water would be when the baby goes. Hence, "don't throw the baby out with the bath water". Then again, it would really help the immune system. 

      Come see the type of bathtub the Backus' would have had in person at:
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072