Media Mondays!

July QR Codes

This month we have chosen 5 special objects throughout the museum that are 

showcasing our new QR codes! We chose these objects because they are mysterious to most of

our visitors and our tour guides enjoy using them as a guessing game during tours! 

We chose to showcase a button hook, hair receiver, spittoon, candle mold, and child's goat toy…

I won't ruin the fun of showing you what they look like or what they involve - instead grab your smartphone and come out to the museum and take a tour! 

Behind The Scenes Sundays

Things Backus-Page House Museum staff said last week: "It's not giant hogweed, it's cow parsnip."

A belated Happy Canada Day and Happy Independence Day!  Sarah and I spent the afternoon on Tuesday at the Canada Day Celebrations in Dutton.  We took our new banner (shown in the photo), some gift shop items, and upcoming event flyers.  As always, the salt water taffy and maple kisses were the favourite with shoppers and History Camp for Kids was our most asked about event.  Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say Hello. 

 

 

Our 2013 financial audit is completed and I was able to submit two grant applications (Community Museum Operating Grant and Ontario Seniors Community Program) before month end.  Last year was the first time we reached the $100,000 in revenue milestone.  As a charitable organization, this comes with many changes in bookkeeping, which I won't bore you with, but does take extra time from staff.  Now that we've had the first audit, next year should be a much quicker process for us and our accountant. 

 

This has been a sad week for nature with high winds coming through last weekend and knocking down a large walnut tree just to the east of the museum and branches blocking part of the Spicer Trail.  By the time you read this post, all will be cleaned up thanks to Talbot Tree Service and volunteers Larry and Paula Graftsein and Rob and Janice Ellis.  Betty McLandress and staff spent alot of time weeding vegetable gardens.  Everything (including the weeds) are growing really well, except for the beans I planted which some birds decided looked tasty, so no Lazy Housewife Beans this year.   

 

Since our Sunday Summer Teas start today (1-4pm, $10/person includes tea and tour), the parlour was set up on Thursday to accomodate 2 tables of 4.  Tablecloths, linen napkins, flower arrangements, and cups and saucers are all ready for our visitors.  Volunteers will be donating the weekly baked goods made from 1850's recipes and I hear seed cake and apple cake might be served today.  Traditionally Mary Jane Backus would have hosted tea in the dining room of the house for her guests. 

 

Listen on St. Thomas MyFM for our summer commercials.  Leave a comment below telling us what baked goods you prefer to have with your tea and what topics you are curious about "Behind the Scenes at Backus-Page".  

 

 

Angela Bobier

Cultural Manager

 

As always please LIKE, SHARE, AND COMMENT ON OUR POSTS



Service Saturday- Betty McLandress

This weeks volunteer profile features Betty McLandress, from West Lorne. Betty decided to start volunteering with the Backus-Page House Museum when she saw the ad in the paper in search of volunteers. In the past, Betty has spent much of her time volunteering at various places in London. Betty helps with many of the events that are held at the museum including, the Strawberry Social, the Heritage Farm Show and clean up day in April. The museum is very grateful for all the help Betty provides, especially her hard work weeding the orchard garden this week. Betty enjoys the peaceful, quiet and relaxing environment at the museum. She says, "even though you are working, you're relaxed". The objects in the house, especially the beds are of interest to Betty because she finds it fascinating to see how the Backus family would have had to live. 

Thank you Betty for all the volunteering you do at the Backus-Page House Museum! 

Betty McLandress at The Strawberry Social 

Kelsey Conway

Backus-Page House Museum

Foodie Friday- Salt Water Taffy

Salt Water Taffy

Did You Know- Salt water taffy got its name from a popular story about a candy store owner, David Bradley. David Bradley had a candy shop on the Atlantic city boardwalk. A big storm in 1883 caused the ocean water to wash out David Bradley's candy store and soaked his taffy supply. After the storm, a young girl came into his store and asked for some taffy. David jokingly offered her some "salt water taffy" and the name stuck ever since. 

Salt Water Taffy

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup white corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. edible glycerin
• 1 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp. essential oil flavouring
• paste food colouring 
• icing sugar

Instructions:

1. In a large heavy saucepan, stir together sugar, corn syrup, water, cornstarch, glycerin and salt. Bring to boil over medium heat; cook, without stirring but brushing down the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until candy thermometer reaches hard- ball stage of 260 F or when 1 tsp. hot syrup dropped into cold water forms hard ball, about 8 minutes. 
2. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted; stir in flavouring and colouring. Without scraping bottom, carefully pour onto rimmed nonstick or greased baking sheet. 
3. Let cool enough to hold indentation when pressed with finger, about 7 minutes. Using greased scraper fold taffy over itself, turning and folding until cool enough to handle.
4. Using buttered hands, pull, fold and twist taffy until very pale (almost white), opaque, firm and more difficult to pull, about 15 minutes. 
5. On icing-sugar- dusted surface, pull and twist into 1 inch thick rope. Using greased scissors, cut into 1 inch pieces. Wrap each piece in waxed paper, twisting ends. 

Kelsey Conway

Backus Page House Museum

Tourism Talk

Dutton Library
July 3rd

• School Aged Summer Reading Club 1:30PM to 2:30PM
• Adult Book Club 7PM to 8PM

July 7th

• Lego Monday

July 8th

• Baby and Me Story Time 10:30AM to 11:00AM

Backus Page House Museum

• Summer Sunday Tea
• July 6th 1PM to 4PM
• $10.00 a person includes tea, baked goods and a guided tour
  

Catching up with Catie!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Our big event this past week was the Strawberry Social!  It turned out to be a beautiful night for it and the strawberry treats that were served were delicious!  We continue to enjoy the leftovers here J  Last Wednesday night was also the night that we launched our new parlour curtain samples.  Throughout the month of July, the samples are on display in the parlour and everyone is able to come and vote for their favourite by putting a donation of change into the corresponding jar.  So come out and vote! 

Other than our event, the rest of the week was pretty quiet, although we did get a nice grant from Mr. Joe Preston for new shelves in the storage room, which is needed!  Our MNR student started with us on Sunday and we are so happy to have Melanie back for a fourth year with us.  Our team is complete and what an awesome one it is! 

We also had quite a big and very windy storm on Sunday afternoon, which knocked a couple of our beautiful trees down out here and also left us a nice mess of twigs and branches to clean up on the grounds.  Luckily no buildings were damaged and no one was hurt J  I hope that everyone had a wonderful time celebrating for Canada Day yesterday, and is having a safe summer so far and keeping cool.  Until next week,

 

Catie!

Toolbox Tuesday- T-shaped Auger

T-shaped Auger

This tool is an invention of Roman times and is basically a long drill bit with a pair of wooden handles used for rotating the tool.  Augers were used to drill large and/or deep holes in wood, for which the bow or pump drill was not very useful. They were applied by shipbuilders, bridge builders, millwrights, wheelwrights and the like.  The drilling action of the auger is based on the principle of leverage: the longer the handle, the greater the potential of applied force.  Some augers and reamers were huge and had to be operated by several people.  The design changed over time, but was changed very little by the 19^th century.