In June of 2003, Sir Sandford FlemingCollege Museum Management & Curatorshipstudent Jennifer Shaw came to Lang PioneerVillage for a three-month internship. Oneof the requirements of the internship was aresearch project. After some considerationand consultation with the Museum staff, Isuggested she do a feasibility study on thepotential benefit to the Museum of therestoration of the Museum’s Jacquard loom.Eight years and two months later, wewitnessed the culmination of that initiativewith the official opening of the S.W. LowryWeaver Shop and Jacquard Loom InterpretiveCentre at our Festival of Textiles event onSaturday, August 13, 2011.

A lot of activity has taken place since our lastupdate on the project in the spring editionof the Lang Register. Jay Peacock and his teamfrom Stoney Shores ConstructionCompany finished off the interior of thebuilding. Audrey Caryi and a team of staffand volunteers brought in the Museum’stwo- and four-harness looms from theTrades Barn and set them up in the WeaverShop portion of the building. VolunteersCarrie Osborne, Krystyna Perron and JoMills used their expertise to determineadjustments needed to the two- and four-harness looms to enable them to operatesmoothly and, after Dave Mitchell andGraham Varrin made the adjustments, theywarped the two-harness loom. Workcontinues in order to get the complexbalance of the four-harness loom in workingcondition. The two Jacquard looms were

The S.W. Lowry Weaver Shop and Jacquard Loom Interpretive Centre Opens

By Joe Corrigan, Museum Manager

Fall 2011Vol. 4, No. 2

BUILDING OUR FUTURE FROM THE FABRIC OF THE PAST

brought out of storage in the County Jail andwere placed in their respective locations forreassembly. There, the original loom wasgiven conservation treatment and stained byBasia Baklinski, and Graham Varrinapplied linseed oil to the replica loom frame.Master weaver and loom designer DidierSchvartz came back to the Museum fromNova Scotia for a week in July and re-assembled the two looms and shared hisexpertise with the Jacquard team. With somefinal touches added to the exhibit, the placewas ready just in time for the grand opening.

The opening reception was attended by well over100 invited guests. These included the Countyof Peterborough Warden J. Murray Jones,

VOLUNTEERAPPRECIATION

SALEDecember 12 ~ 16,

10am ~ 4pm

Volunteers get 30% offeverything in the

Museum Gift Shop

Enjoy a cup of hot cocoa while you browse.

Left: Interior of Weaver Shop

Below left: Festival of Textiles Opening Ceremony, Ontonabee Conservation

Authority Vice-Chair Sherry Senis, MPP Jeff Leal and Warden J. Murray Jones

continued on page 2

2

By Laurie Siblock, Special Event and Community Liaison

In 2007, Lang Pioneer Village created anannual award to recognize the volunteer thathad contributed the most hours. Last year,after receiving the award for three yearsrunning and realizing that he was the leadingcandidate once again, Dave Mitchell duckedout of the volunteer appreciation lunch justbefore the awards were presented. When Iapproached him later to ask where he hadgone, he let me know that receiving that awardwas getting downright embarrassing for him.“Someone else should get that award,” he said.Dave was also very humble in 2008 when hewas awarded the Ontario Heritage TrustGovernor General’s Award for LifetimeAchievement for his work to conservecommunity heritage over a period of morethan 25 years. “All right, Dave,” I replied, “Ican see your point. We’ll take a look atreworking that award to spare you the walk tothe podium yet again.” Dave has contributed agreat deal to the Village in the last 12 years hehas been volunteering here and has donemuch to preserve the history of PeterboroughCounty. We appreciate you, Dave, and weappreciate your humbleness too.

At Dave’s behest, wehave reworked theaward, once namedthe Most VolunteerHours ContributedAward, to nowacknowledgeoutstanding volunteer

contributions. We think it’s a good idea,because volunteer contributions are notreflected in hours alone. This year we wouldlike to recognize three recipients — one for2010 and two for 2011. The 2010Outstanding Volunteer Contribution Awardgoes to Harry van Dompseler. Harry hasalways been the runner-up for the MostVolunteer Hours Contributed Award. Harry’s

work in the Village has been wide and varied.He has used his carpentry skills to maintainthe heritage buildings, build new buildingsand make repairs to artifacts. He hasinterpreted in many of Lang Pioneer Village’sbuildings, been a fur-trade re-enactor andhelped kids scrounge for pirates’ gold at theSpooky Halloween event. Currently, he isassisting with the repairs of the floors in theFood Booth and Trades Barn. In 2009, Harryreceived the Ontario Volunteer Service Awardfor 30 years of service at Lang Pioneer Village.We’re proud to acknowledge your outstandingcontributions here at the Village, Harry.Thanks!

The 2011 recipients of the OutstandingVolunteer Contribution Award are TerryBrown and Ron Lang. Terry and Ron, bothfairly new volunteers, have made a big impactat the Village in a short period of time. You’veprobably noticed how great the Village hasbeen looking this year. That is in large partdue to all the painting Terry and Ron havebeen doing since the spring (read more aboutthis on page 10 in the article “Volunteers Paintthe Town”). In addition, Terry and Ron haveboth come out to many special events to helpwith lighting and parking. Your contributionshave been outstanding, Terry and Ron.Thanks to your efforts, the Village has neverlooked better.

OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERCONTRIBUTION AWARD

Ron Lang, Applefest 2010

Photo: Carol Siblock

Weaver Shop Opens continued from cover

Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal, City ofPeterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett,Otonabee Conservation Authority Vice-Chair Sherry Senis and Lang PioneerVillage Advisory Committee ChairMichael Gillespie. Also in attendance were10 members of Peterborough CountyCouncil, representatives of the local andregional tourism organizations as well asMuseum Advisory Committee membersand more. The event was catered by BlackHoney and visitors were drawn to theopening ceremonies by a bagpiper from themusical group Appalachian Celtic. After weheard from the official speakers, WardenJones presided over the ribbon-cuttingceremony, declaring the S.W. Lowry WeaverShop exhibit officially open. Five days laterthe Weaver Shop hosted another formal

reception as Ontario Minister of Tourismand Culture, the Honourable MichaelChan, paid a visit and spoke to several localtourism stakeholders on his way to open theHavelock Jamboree.

Over the course of the 2011 season, theWeaver Shop and Interpretive Centre hashosted more than 2,000 visitors with threereceptions, a County Council meeting, sevenperformances of plays in the HeritageCelebration in Story and Song series, twoperformances of a dance recital by dancersfrom New Dance Technology, and 12 magic-show performances by J. B. Buttons duringthe Spooky Halloween event. The benefits ofthis new venue for the Museum are only justbeginning. It was a long time coming, but thefinal product is definitely worth the wait.

Harry van Dompseler

Photo: Hans Fischer

Many of Samuel Lowry's descendants attended the Weaver Shop

opening. Pictured here are Samuel Lowry’s great-nieces-

Madeleine Clements and Elinor Gunther. Photo: Lowry family

Terry Brown

Photo: Laurie Siblock

Carl Doughty — 5 yearsAdvisory Committee — Carl was an active member of the Lang Pioneer Village Museum AdvisoryCommittee from 2004 to 2010. While he has retired from his Advisory Committee role, Carlstayed on to lend his expertise as a member of the IPM Legacy Building Subcommittee. In prioryears, Carl brought his collection of antique milk bottles to display at Lang Pioneer Villagespecial events and to share with the visitors at our Day in the Dairy event. In 2006, Carl wasrecognized with the Peterborough Historical Society Charlotte Nichols Award for hisgenerous contribution to the restoration of the Lang Grist Mill Roof.

Murray Lincoln — 5 yearsInterpretation Volunteer — Murray has a surprising number of skills and talents that he has broughtto volunteering at Lang Pioneer Village. He interprets in the Carpenter’s Shop during schoolprograms and at special events. This past summer Murray has brought his fascinating self-constructed spring-pole lathe for demonstrations outside the Carpenter Shop. He also holds arapt crowd around him demonstrating tatting and lace-making at our Christmas event and theFestival of Textiles. In addition, Murray is a prolific blogger and often blogs about hisexperience volunteering at Lang Pioneer Village Museum.

Carrie Osborne — 5 yearsInterpretation Volunteer – Carrie is a multi-talented individual who demonstrates many traditionalskills and crafts in the Village. She interprets and demonstrates tinsmithing with her husband,Allin, demonstrates weaving on a two-harness loom, and shares her knowledge of Victorianpaper pin-prick crafts, crochet, tatting, embroidery and corn-husk crafts. Carrie, who is alwaysenthusiastic about helping where help is needed, has also assisted with supporting outreachevents, setting up of the Village in the spring and prepping the apple crisps for Applefest.

Allin Osborne — 5 yearsInterpretation Volunteer — When our longtime tinsmith Gord Vidler passed away, Allin and his wife,Carrie, came forward to fill Gord’s big shoes. Allin took a tinsmithing course from the Vidlers,and learned the interpretation of the Tinsmith Shop. He now interprets and demonstratestinsmithing at special events.

The Harley Family: Roger, Julie, James and Emily — 8 years (5-year award)Farm Animal Provider — The Harley family has been involved with Lang Pioneer Village since 2003.They have loaned the Village their pigs, sheep, goats and chickens to enliven Lang with livestock.They have also brought additional animals to special events and in particular have contributedlivestock to the Live Nativity re-enactment at the Christmas by Candlelight event.

Leona Jackson — 15 yearsSpecial Events Volunteer — For 15 years now Leona has helped with the organization and registrationat the Smoke & Steam Show and has assisted with the antique tractor pulls. She helps with thespecial events in many areas, including the food booth and beverage sales, selling 50/50 ticketsand working to ensure that other volunteers are well taken care of in the volunteer appreciationarea. Leona has also taught knitting to seasonal staff during the training period before we openfor the season.

Youth Nomination: Hailey Doughty — 7 yearsInterpretation Volunteer — Since she was nine years old, Hailey has come to Lang Pioneer Villagealmost every Sunday to interpret at the Milburn with her grandmother, Joyce Williams, andmore recently with her good friend Amelia Pinn. She has learned and demonstrated knitting,crochet, embroidery, wool cleaning and carding and has begun to learn spinning. Hailey alsobakes and has demonstrated how laundry and lawn mowing was done in the 19th century. Inaddition, she runs children’s activities at our Spooky Halloween event.

3

On May 5, 2011, ten LangPioneer Village volunteersreceived the Ontario VolunteerService Award. These awards aregiven by the provincialgovernment to recognize thevolunteers “for their undeniablecontributions. The awards are away to thank volunteers for theircontinuous years of commitmentand dedicated service to agroup.” Youth volunteers(under the age of 24) arerecognized for two or more yearsof continuous service. Adults arerecognized for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,30+, 40+, 50+ and 60+ years ofcontinuous service.

Congratulations and thank youto the Lang Pioneer Villagevolunteers who received the 2011 Ontario Volunteer ServiceAward!

OntarioVolunteerService AwardRecipients By Laurie Siblock, Special Event and

Community Liaison

Photos: Hans Fischer, Laurie Siblock

and the Harley Family

I met Neil in the Main Gallery of the VisitorCentre at about 3 pm on February 5, 2003. Iwas being interviewed by Barb van Vierzen,Interim Manager at the time, for an internshiprelated to my Museum Management Course atFleming College and she took me on a tour ofthe Visitor Centre. Neil and volunteer DavidMitchell were working on the “Home SweetHome” exhibit, which profiled pioneer interiordecorating. I realize now that, as I write this, I’mthe same age that Neil was then and that he wasabout as far along in his career at Lang PioneerVillage as I am now. He was 8 1/2 years into a17-year career as our Premises Coordinator. It’snot easy to sum up the contributions of a 17-year career in a few sentences, but here goes.

For those of you not familiar with the role ofPremises Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village,Neil has had to be a jack-of-all-trades, many ofwhich haven’t been practiced for decades. Lang,as a living history site, presents many challenges,with 10 hectares of property, a park area full ofgrass to cut and trees to look after, 25-plushistoric buildings, a working water-poweredgrist mill, shingle mill, blacksmith shop,tinsmith shop, steam engine and more.

Not only are there the heritage buildings,fencing and artifacts to look after, but there isalso the infrastructure associated with the Visitor

Centre’s heating, plumbing, electrical andalarm systems and a water system that extendsthrough the Village. A lot of these systems arealmost as old as the Village itself. Probably moretimes than he cares to remember, Neil has hadto make his way to the Village on off-hours todeal with an alarm that’s gone off or work late tosolve a problem with the water system or someother troublesome facet of Village operations.In addition to all these technical skills, thePremises Coordinator has to have the ability toget along with and direct the work of theMuseum’s volunteers and summer staff.

During his time here at Lang PioneerVillage, Neil has made a major contribution tothe success of the Museum. His achievementsinclude initiating and organizing the Father’sDay Smoke & Steam event for the last 15 years.Over the last three years this event has hadaverage attendance of 1,000. In 1996 he alsoinitiated and organized the Antique & ClassicCar Show, which over last three years has hadaverage attendance of 1,200. Neil has worked on

literally hundreds of special events over thecourse of the 17 years he has spent here at theMuseum.

Neil won the County of PeterboroughAward for Volunteering in 2006 when heworked on the 2006 IPM Committee alongwith other community activities. Neil was also amember of the team when Lang Pioneer Villagewon the County’s Innovation Award in 2004.It was Neil who came up with the idea for the 12’ x 30’ portable stage that was built in 2004and has been an asset in staging our specialevents here at the Village ever since. He had abig role to play in the creation and building ofseveral structures here at the Village, includingthe Ice House, Smoke House, Ash House,Cider Mill and, ultimately, the S.W. LowryWeaver Shop and Jacquard Loom InterpretiveCentre. That’s not to mention all the exhibitsthat he has worked on with Audrey Caryi,Museum Specialist, over the years.

One thing I’ll always appreciate aboutworking with Neil was his good-natured andpractical approach to his work and the peoplearound him. He always demonstrated patiencewith staff and volunteers when instructing themon various aspects of Village operations.

Neil, we thank you for your hard work anddedication, the many times you interruptedwhat you were doing at home to attend to theneeds of the Village, your passion for theMuseum, your contribution to its success, yourability to connect with staff, volunteers andvisitors, and especially your friendship. We wish you all the best as you enjoy a well-earned retirement!

Neil Allen, IPM Legacy Night Photo: Laurie Siblock

Neil Allen

RetiresBy Joe Corrigan, Museum Manager

I still remember the first time I heard the steam-engine whistle back in my first season here atLang Pioneer Village in the spring of 2003.Nothing evokes the 19th-century “age of steam”like the high-pitched sound of a steam enginepurging high-pressure steam and chugging slowly

around the Village. For many years,

our Sawyer Massey steam engine was brought tolife by long-time volunteer Gerry Murphy.

Sometime after Gerry retired from GeneralElectric in the 1990s, he met Lang’s steamengine operator, Frank Doris, in a machine-shop course at Fleming College. Frank got himinterested in joining him at the Village to assistwith operating the steam engine. He enjoyed it somuch that he got his steam engine operatorlicence and began operating the machine on hisown in 1998. Gerry was a fixture at our specialevents for almost 10 years, and later his wife,Euris, began volunteering as well. I enjoyedmany a conversation with Gerry and very muchadmired his soft-spoken and thoughtful nature.

Gerry was dedicated to his role as steward of thesteam engine and made many suggestions abouthow to best preserve this important artifact.Gerry was able to pass his knowledge of theoperation of the steam engine on to othervolunteers and gradually stepped back from hisrole at the Village a couple of years ago.

It was with sadness that we learned of Gerry’spassing on August 7 at the PeterboroughRegional Health Centre at 88 years of age. Oursympathies go out to Euris and the rest of Gerry’sfamily. Our community here at Lang has lost adedicated volunteer, a gentleman and a truefriend.

In Memory of Gerry Murphy By Joe Corrigan, Museum Manager

Gerry Murphy 2006 Photo: Carol Siblock

4

By Joe Corrigan, Museum Manager

When my boss, Sheridan Graham,and I first learned this spring thatlong-time Premises Coordinator NeilAllen had decided he wanted to retirefrom Lang this fall, it caught us a bitby surprise. In retrospect, I shouldhave seen it coming when, after his lastbirthday, Neil kept asking me toremind him of the lyrics to a Beatlessong — "Will you still need me, willyou still feed me, when I’m 64?"

The Premises Coordinator role isnot an easy one to recruit for. TheVillage presents many challenges withits size and scope, and the fact that itfocuses on preserving a diverse rangeof 19th-century technology. Beyondtechnical skills, the job requires theability to work with all types of people— staff, volunteers and visitors alike —to be aware of and enforce health andsafety priorities, to direct teams inproject work and to coordinate the

logistical arrangements for a multitudeof special events over the course of theseason.

We were indeed very fortunate to hireGraham Varrin as Neil’s replacement.Graham has 12 years’ experience as acarpenter. He has worked for bothprivate and unionized companies overhis working career. Graham graduatedfrom George Brown College in GeneralCarpentry with honours and obtainedhis “Red Seal” interprovincial licence asa General Carpenter. For seven years heowned and operated a residentialconstruction company with up to eightemployees and sub-trades and, asdemonstrated over the past severalmonths here at Lang, Graham possessesa broad knowledge of all residentialconstruction trades.

Recognizing the complexity andunique nature of the infrastructure atLang Pioneer Village, PeterboroughCounty Council allowed for an overlap

period for Neil Allen to pass on hisknowledge of this challenging site toGraham. Graham has learned quicklyand is now a key member of ourteam. He has already experienced afull season of special events and beeninvolved in many maintenanceprojects during his time at Lang. Thestaff and volunteers of Lang PioneerVillage welcome you, Graham, andwish you every success in the monthsand years ahead.

A New Face in the Village: Graham Varrin Joins Our Team

Graham Varrin, 2011 Photo: Hans Fischer

5

In October 2007, Lang Pioneer VillageMuseum was the grateful recipient of a legacydonation in the amount of $75,000 from the2006 International Plowing Match. Mr.Norm Blodgett, IPM Chair, made theceremonial cheque presentation at LangPioneer Village’s Applefest event that year. Thefunds were intended to go towards a significantbuilding project that would commemorate the2006 IPM, be consistent with the values of theIPM and meet the needs of the Museum. Thosefunds were held in reserve, pending thedetermination of an appropriate buildingproject. As the Museum was working on boththe construction of the Cider Mill (completedin 2008) and the S.W. Lowry Weaver Shopand Jacquard Loom Interpretive Centre(completed in 2011), the IPM project was puton hold.

It was August of 2010 when Laurie Siblock,Special Event and Community Liaison, and I

The 2006 IPM 5th Anniversary Legacy Night Gala Reunion andFundraising Dinner By Joe Corrigan, Museum Manager & Laurie Siblock, Special Event and Community Liaison

John & Eileen Cockburn, Joe Corrigan, Marg & Jim GlennPhoto: Laurie Siblock

met with Marg Glenn and Marg Telford todiscuss their idea for holding a 5th AnniversaryReunion for the volunteers of the 2006International Plowing Match at Lang PioneerVillage. Over the months that followed, theplanning sessions continued and it wasproposed that the event be used as anopportunity to raise funds for the IPM Legacyproject. The idea was brought before theLang Pioneer Village Museum AdvisoryCommittee, who considered the ramificationsof this proposal for the strategic directionof the Museum. It was agreed that using the5th Anniversary Reunion as a fundraising

opportunity for the project was a good idea. Theonly problem was that there was no building tofundraise for. An IPM Legacy BuildingProject Subcommittee was formed, consistingof Norm Blodgett (Chair), Dave Nelson, RonWindover, Jim Glenn, Terry Low, DaveMitchell and Carl Doughty, with staff supportprovided by Chelsea McKelvey, Audrey Caryiand myself. The Subcommittee met severaltimes between April and August 2011. Several

Front View of Proposed Storage BarnIllustration: Audrey Caryi

continued on back cover

6

Above: Volunteers on Apple Crisp Making Day Photo: Laurie Siblock

Right: Hayley Nabuurs, Spooky Halloween 2011 Photo: Dawn Knudsen2011

Below left: Geraldine Heffernan & assistant sheep shearer,

Festival of Textiles 2011

Photo: Ralph Colley

Below: Andrew Ward, Corn Roast 2011

Photo: Larry Keeley

Above: Harry & Janet van DompselerPhoto: Shawna Foxton

49th Regiment of Foot , Smoke & Steam Show 2011

Photo: Didi Anderson

Ross Johnston, Festival of Textiles 2011 Photo: Ralph Colley

Catherine Ginies, Smoke & Steam Show 2011

Photo: Didi Anderson

Neil Allen & Marg Telford,

IPM Legacy Night Gala

Photo: Laurie Siblock

Trevor Merriam, Peter Nelson and John McIntyre cutting woodPhoto: Laurie Siblock

Jackson, Zachary, Shawna, Maia, Bernette,

Christmas by Candlelight carollers 2010

7

Fenian Raid Reenactment,

Dominion Day 2011

Photo: Larry Keeley

Joyce Jones, Corn Roast 2011

Photo: Dennis Halstead

Above: Murray Lincoln, Christmas by

Candlelight 2010

Photo: Larry Keeley

Above right: Rob Howat,

Smoke & Steam Show 2011

Photo: Larry Keeley

Top far left: Patty McKeown, Car Show 2011Photo: Hans Fischer

Above left: Jewel Hamshaw & Claire Doris, Corn Roast 2011Photo: Jake Walling, SNAP

Above right: John Hoffman, MichaelKetemer, Glen Caradus, Mark Finnan,The Corktown Man 2011

Left: Mary Johnston, Applefest 2011Photo: Dawn Knudsen

Al Kirby, Carrie Osborne, Jim Yates, Dominion Day 2011

Photo: Larry Keeley

Rian & Nantes Nel, Corn Roast 2011Photo: Jake Walling, SNAP

Michael Gillespie, Smoke and Steam Show 2011Photo: Dawn Knudsen

By Rhonda Akey, Collections Intern

I am presently completing an unpaidinternship at Lang Pioneer Village that runsfrom September 6 until December 16. This isthe last stage of my college training for theCollections Conservation and Managementprogram offered by Fleming College. Theysay you should choose a career in somethingyou love. Though this is not my first career,working in a museum definitely fulfills mylong-standing passion for history.

As you can imagine, documenting andassessing the thousands of artifacts in LangPioneer Village Museum’s collection takestime. Therefore, my internship has focusedon documenting, assessing and digitizing thelarge textiles in the Museum’s collection. Theopening of the new S.W. Lowry Weaver Shopand Jacquard Loom Interpretive Centre hasprompted a need to verify how manyexamples of Jacquard textiles presently existwithin the collection. This will also helpdetermine what types of examples are lackingwithin the collection, in order to help guidethe Museum if a Jacquard textile is offered foracquisition in the future. Through my work Ihave uncovered several Jacquard textiles, someof which are exceptionally beautiful andunique pieces. In the future these wonderfulexamples of Jacquard loom weaving may be

on display in the Weaver Shop.Large textiles, such as quilts, blankets,

coverlets and table runners, are typicallystored in museums on big rolls like the thickcardboard tubes used by the carpet industry.To protect the rolled textiles from anyundesirable chemicals that may leach from therolls over time, we, as conservators, wrap thetubes in an inert archival-friendly plastic.

It is also preferable to store artifacts in asclean a condition as possible. However,washing them in a washing machine candamage the weakened and often brittle fibresof old fabric. Instead, I vacuum the textilesthrough a fine screen, which protects thefibres while pulling out the dust and debris.

The textiles are then rolled with acid-freetissue paper interleaved between the layers. Itis preferable that each roll contain amaximum of only two to three textiles. Theweight of too many textiles can stress the

Fleming College Intern Preserves Peterborough County Heritage One Textile at a Time

8

fabric and eventually cause damage. Theentire roll is then wrapped with unbleachedcotton sheeting, which acts as a dust cover.This also provides a barrier from harmful UVlight, which can fade and weaken the textiles,as well as air pollutants that ultimatelyaccelerate the breakdown of the fibres. It isbest to suspend the rolls by inserting a rodthrough the hollow tube. Any pressure pointson the textiles can eventually weaken anddamage the fibres.

The number of precautions we take to carefor these articles may seem excessive.However, it is important to remember that asthe years pass, it has become increasinglydifficult to find 19th-century textiles. Theconservation efforts we make today are meantto ensure the survival of these artifacts sofuture generations can continue to enjoythem.

I am incredibly thankful to the staff atLang Pioneer Village for giving me theopportunity to be a part of the continuedpreservation of Peterborough County’sheritage.

I was recently at a friend’s house, going throughsome of the things that had accumulated in thebasement over time. Tucked in a corner underthe stairs was an array of fruit jars with differenttypes of lids and closures. I started wonderinghow canning came to be and how we ended upwith the familiar Bernardin jars and lids myroommate uses today. How did we go fromsalting and packing foods in barrels to jammingthem in glass Mason jars?

Canning came about as a result of the need forfood preservation for military troops. At the end of the 18th century, the

From Wax and Corks to Rims and Discs: A Brief History of the Development of Fruit Jars By Renee Homiak, Records Management Intern

French government offered a reward of 12,000 francs for anybody whocould develop a viable food-preservation process. M. Nicolas Appertdeveloped a process that involved the application of high heat along with theexclusion of air from a sealed glass container. The heat killed any bacteriaand sealing the container prevented any other contamination. Unlike theearlier ceramic and metal containers used, glass was more easilymanufactured, is impermeable and is inert with almost all food product itholds, ensuring there is no off-flavouring into the food.

The first canning jars were referred to as “wax sealers.” They were hand-blown and used a combination of wax and cork or leather to seal the contentsinto the jar. This sealing method proved to be time-consuming and oftencostly, especially as the wax could not be reused. John Landis Mason, a

Rhonda Akey, Fleming College Collections Conservation

and Management student

Photo: Laurie Siblock

continued on page 11

9

By Janet vanDompseler, Costumer

“The fitted skirt and blouse of 1890introduced a new phase in dress design.Women were becoming more independent.For the few who were launching out into theprofessions, and many more who were takingup active outdoor sports, the costume, withits plain skirt and loose blouse was, for thosedays, a practical outfit.” — from The Cut of

Women’s Clothes, 1600 – 1930 by Norah Waugh.

In the 1890s, the fashion for women’swaists was much smaller than at any othertime. To emphasize this, the hems of skirtswere wide and the waist and hips fitted,paired with ever-expanding sleeve tops,epaulettes, shoulder frills and wide revers.

With the large sleeves, coats were difficultto wear so it became fashionable to usecapes, anywhere from elbow length to three-quarters length.

Skirts were generally gored with somefullness in the form of gathers or invertedpleats at the back. Artificial padding (e.g., bustle pad) was no longer used.Daywear skirts were floor-length. Trainedhems were reserved for evening wear.

All day dresses and blouses had highcollars. Only evening wear had low necklines

and short sleeves, and these were oftenpuffed.

Visitors to the Village will find examplesof womenswear from the end of the centuryworn in the Menie General Store, GlenAlda Church, South Lake School and theS.W. Lowry Weaver Shop.

Left: Miranda Forstall models early to

mid-1890s suit

Photo: Laurie Siblock

Right: Miranda Forstall models early

to mid-1890s skirt and blouse

Photo: Laurie Siblock

Costuming Characteristics of Womenswear at the End of the19th Century

By Catherine Charron, Youth Interpreter

This year, having turned 12, I applied for theLang Pioneer Village Youth Interpreter Programto satisfy my interest in the subject of pioneers. Ihave waited since I was four years old for thisopportunity. When I was accepted I was overcomewith joy—it was a dream come true.

Patience Pays Off: Young volunteer fulfillsdream she’s had since she was four years old

Catherine Charron 2011

Photo: Hans Fischer

The first day was exciting. Even though it was only the tourof the Village, we still got to be dressed up (which,admittedly, was what got me interested in the concept ofentering the program when I was only four) and I got tomeet so many people—staff as well as visitors.

The interpreting days were even more enjoyable because Ilove interpreting. I have learned so much history from myinterpretations throughout the Village and I’ve also learnedmany skills. Some of the skills I have learned include firesafety while working in the Fitzpatrick House, some redworkembroidery, being able to count fast in my head whileselling pies in the Keene Hotel and learning how to weave inthe Weaver Shop using an old-fashioned table loom. AndI got to learn all of these things while wearing a time-period dress!

My experiences at Lang Pioneer Village are unforgettable. Ihope to volunteer next year, as well as getting a job at theVillage later on. I recommend the program for other kidsand teens who are interested—it was so much fun! I alsowant to thank all the staff and volunteers who helped mewith my interpretations throughout the weeks!

10

Volunteers Paint the Town By Laurie Siblock, Special Event and Community Liaison

Over the course of the summer, the Villagehas been transformed from looking a littleweather-worn and weary to its currentlivelier, brighter appearance. We havevolunteers Terry Brown and Ron Lang tothank for that as they have literally painted thetown! They started in the spring by paintingthe Douro Town Hall. This involved scrapingdown old peeling paint from the windowsand siding, and laying down fresh layers,installing scaffolding to reach the highestlevels. Before the paint had barely dried on

that, they were eyeing up the next place in the Village that needed afacelift. They have since painted the Register Print Shop, the CheeseFactory, the doors, trim and windows on the Schoolhouse, the outdoorwashrooms, and the main-floor windows of the Keene Hotel.

“These guys really took a lot of initiative on this project,” says PremisesCoordinator Graham Varrin. “They would finish one building andwere right ready to jump onto doing the next thing that neededpainting. They went through 26 gallons of paint. That’s quite a bit ofpaint for two guys to spread over a short period of time.”

Ron and Terry have put a lot of time and energy into making the Villagelook great and they will be recognized for their efforts as the recipientsof the 2011 Outstanding Volunteer Contribution Award.

Painting the Print Shop

Terry Brown literally paintingthe townPhoto: Laurie Siblock

By Joe Corrigan, Museum Manager

If you receive an email from Sheridan Graham,you will notice a quotation by Napoleon Hillbeneath her signature that says, “It is literally true

that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to

succeed first.” Having worked closely withSheridan for a few years now, I can attest tothe fact that those are words she lives by.Sheridan’s strong work ethic is complementedby a generous nature that sees her go out ofher way to help others achieve their goals.Much of the development we’ve seen here atthe Village over the past few years is a directresult of Sheridan’s efforts, knowledge andsavvy ability to solve problems and get thingsdone. In the past two years, her oversight ofthe complex construction of the S.W. Lowry

Weaver Shop and Jacquard LoomInterpretive Centre saw the Museum’s goalof erecting a unique and important newbuilding to its successful completion andopening on August 13, 2011.

In addition to her work on behalf of theMuseum, Sheridan, who is the GeneralManager of Strategic Services and CorporateProjects for the County of Peterborough, hasa wide-ranging list of responsibilities. She

played a major part in the County’sdevelopment of a broadband network and iscurrently serving as Director of Procurementfor the Eastern Ontario Regional Network,which occupies about 25 percent of her timethese days. In recognition of these and manyother important contributions to the GreaterPeterborough Region, Sheridan Graham wasnamed Peterborough ExaminerBusinesswoman of the Year for 2011. Itshould be noted that she was also a finalist forthe 2010 award.

Sheridan, the staff and volunteers of LangPioneer Village are proud of you, yourachievements and your well-deservedrecognition. It is a pleasure and a privilege towork with you.

Sheridan Graham Wins Peterborough Examiner Businesswoman of the Year Award

Laurie Siblock, Sheridan Graham and Joe Corrigan at the

2009 Volunteer Appreciation Lunch Photo: Didi Anderson

Both volunteers continue to have their sights set onwhat needs to be done next. Terry has been workingwith Graham Varrin, Trevor Merriam and volunteersHarry van Dompseler and Dave Mitchell to replacefloorboards in the Food Booth and Trades Barn.

Ron has just completed the chainsaw certificationcourse, along with volunteers John McIntyre, RayVandervelde as well as staff Trevor Merriam andGraham Varrin. Therefore, he will now be able to helpvolunteer Peter Nelson with the chainsaw work to keepthe wood stocked to heat the buildings during theschool programs and Christmas by Candlelight event.

11

We were recently asked about the oatmealcookies that have been routinely baked andserved in the Keene Hotel for years. “Didthe pioneers really make oatmeal cookies?Did they even have oatmeal like what weuse today?” Simple questions really— ormaybe not.

With the recent surge of interest inculinary tourism, culinary historians areincreasingly faced with wonderful questionslike these. They challenge the assumptionsthat have been misrepresenting historicalfood in museums, books and film foryears. In accordance with the Lang PioneerVillage Museum mission, “To preserve,promote and authentically recreate therural history of Peterborough County,” we

A TASTE OF TIME: A Heritage Recipe Collection By Elizabeth King, Interpreter

have a responsibility and a passion forseeking out these answers.

It is with this in mind that we undertake anew project here at Lang Pioneer Village.To better ensure the authenticity of ourrecipes and live up to our mission, we arereviewing our culinary offerings, startingwith a thorough examination of the recipesused in each of our buildings. Analyzingeach one, we will seek to understand wherethe recipe came from, when theingredients were developed, when theybecame available in Upper Canada andthen later in rural Peterborough County.We want to be sure we can verify that therecipe is appropriate to the time period ofthe building in which the culinarydemonstration is taking place. Startingwith primary sources of the period andmoving through secondary sources availableto us now, we are undertaking this recipereview to ensure that we are providing aculinary tourism experience that is both

exceptional and authentic.It’s a big task, one that will take time and agreat deal of research. A food-historytimeline, recipe books that can be used ineach of the specific homes in the Villageand a practice run are all part of thisproject. If you are interested in gettinginvolved, please contact me at Lang PioneerVillage. We could use help in all steps of theprocess, right through to the taste-testphase (Yum!).

Oh, and by the way, the pioneers did notmake oatmeal cookies, at least not as far asthe research has shown thus far. And no,they did not have rolled oats like those weuse today. The pioneers used coarseoatmeal, which was made by grinding thewheat kernels between large millstones, amethod used for centuries and originatingin Scotland. Steel-cut oats and rolled oats,which are typical of “modern cooking,”were developed and available locally onlytowards the last quarter of the 19th century.

Shawna Foxton and Elizabeth King

Photo: Courtesy of Culinary Tourism

tinsmith from New York, found a way of cutting acontinuous thread into tin lids and glass jars thatwould allow a lid to be screwed onto the jar. Thenew jar-and-lid combination could be moreeasily sealed and opened, and was more cost-efficient as they could both be reused. The designwas patented on November 30, 1858. Because ofthe patent date, many jars have this date on them,but this does not reflect the actual date the jar wasmanufactured.

Mason’s lids had one drawback — they weremetal. Although the lids had a porcelain or zincliner, the metal lids could become rusted,contaminating and possibly affecting the flavourof the foods. Henry William Putnam worked outthis kink by developing the “Lightning Jar” in1882. This container used a glass inverted-cuplid that sat on a rubber gasket on a shelf just

below the jar’s rim. A wire clamp is attached tothe jar on the shoulders and clamped into placeon top of the glass lid. When the clamp isproperly in place, an effective seal is created.These new jars became popular because they werevery quick and easy to use, they were reusable andemployed a glass lid instead of a metal lid, whichprevented metal from ever touching the food.

Fruit jars evolved, with other designs cominginto use and disappearing because of practicality,expense, and trial and error. One stop on theevolutionary stage of canning jars involved acombination of Mason’s screw lid and Putnam’s

glass lid. A rubber gasket was placed between thetwo pieces of glass, and a tin ring screwed ontothe jar, effectively sealing the contents into thejar without a chance that they would touchmetal.

The modern-day canning jars that we are allfamiliar with came from an invention byAlexander H. Kerr in 1915. He improved anearlier idea that involved a thin metal disk with apermanent composition gasket on it. He usedthis metal disk in combination with a threadedmetal ring. During hot-water processing, themetal disk was attached to the jar and held downby the metal ring, effectively sealing in thecontents. Although the design has been slightlyaltered over the years, we are still using the sameidea for preserves today. I think the next timemy roommate gets frustrated with her modernjars and lids, I’ll remind her of the corks andwax used in yesteryears!

Lang’s Vision, Mission & MandateVISION: To provide each and every visitor to Lang Pioneer Village with a living history experience of exceptional quality.

MISSION: To preserve, promote and authentically recreate the rural history of Peterborough County.MANDATE: To be a vibrant living history museum that engages our community and actively preserves our cultural heritage in order

to provide an interactive and educational visitor experience.

History of Fruit Jars

continued from page 8

Many Thanks

to Lang Pioneer Village’s 2011

Season Sponsorship Partners!

Editor: Laurie Siblock

Proofreaders: Stuart Ross,Karis Regamey,

Rosemary Davidson

Graphic Designer: Brenda Mahaffy

Illustrations: Audrey Caryi

Fall 2011 Vol. 4, No. 2

Building Our Future from the Fabric of the Past

Contributors: Rhonda Akey, Catherine Charron,

Joe Corrigan, Renee Homiak, Elizabeth King,

Laurie Siblock, Janet van Dompseler,

concepts and designs were considered and the final proposal was a display and storage barn witha restoration workshop. The building plans were transformed by Audrey Caryi into an artist’sconceptual drawing, which was presented at the IPM Legacy Night Gala on August 28, 2011.

The night was a huge success, with over 250 people in attendance. A net of $6,000 was raisedfor the new building with ticket sales, auctions and donations taken into account. On behalf ofthe Museum and the IPM Gala Night Organizing Committee, I’d like to extend ourappreciation to Darling Insurance for their donation of $1,000 and Winslow GerolamyMotors Limited for their $200 sponsorship. Thanks also to KRUZ FM, The Wolf and CHEXTV for their media sponsorship of the event. Without the efforts of the IPM Gala NightOrganizing Committee and all the volunteers, this great evening wouldn’t have been possible.Our thanks go out to organizers Marg Glenn, Marg Telford, Norm Blodgett, JohnCockburn, Larry Jinkerson, John Dunford, Bernard Recker and Brenda McCarrell, as wellas all the volunteers who helped make the event possible — the Live and Silent AuctionCommittee and auctioneer Mark Stanley, the Designing Women who made the site look great,Eileen Cockburn and Pat Armstrong for organizing the Photo Memory Room and raffle ticketsales, the Junior Farmers for mail-out and greeting services, the Lions Centre for running the

bar, the performers (Al Kirby, Bill Olsen andGord McGee & the Huggy Bear Band) and soundtechnician Roy Craft, and the staff and volunteersof the Museum who got involved. Thank you all forcontributing to the success of the evening.

IPM Legacy Night Gala continued from page 5

Rear View of Proposed Storage Barn Illustration: Audrey Caryi

Event Sponsors: Media Sponsors:

Season Sponsor:

Congratulations to the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Museum and Archives, and Fleming College Artsand Heritage Programs for receiving the Ontario MuseumAssociation Award of Excellence for Corporate Service!

Lang Pioneer Village Museum often benefits from the Fleming College MuseumManagement and Curatorship and Collections Conservation and Managementprogram, because many of their students select Lang Pioneer Village Museum as aplace to gain workplace experience during the internship component of theprogram. In addition, recent graduates of the program have been hired on a contractbasis to complete specific projects. Renee Homiak, a graduate of the program, is ourcurrent contract Records Management Intern; Rhonda Akey, a program student, iscompleting a collections internship; and Allison Brown, also a student in theFleming program, is volunteering in the collections area and is working with Rhondato document our Jacquard textiles (see article titled “Fleming College InternPreserves Peterborough County Heritage One Textile at a Time,” page 8).

“The City of Peterborough’s municipal museum, The PeterboroughMuseum & Archives (PMA), is the only museum in Canada that servesopenly as a college campus. The opportunity for Fleming Collegestudents to learn museological and conservation theory and practice insitu is an unmatched and extraordinary asset. The PMA has served as theprimary host site for Fleming College’s Museum Management andCuratorship and Collections Conservation and Management programssince 1994, with ad hoc partnerships going back to the 1970s. The valueof learning in a museum setting; interacting and engaging with museumaudiences, collections, and staff, is invaluable to the students.”

Ontario Museum Association E-news Alert, October 31, 2011