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Launching a Pioneer Museum elqln.eouxet§-‘ (“"315 «Hinze rem/5'3:- ' ,I/ By Mrs. R. J. Futcher 'Pioneer 11.5:u1‘tv, Stcchmnas,0ttt’. â€" This drawing by a local lnslilule member is printed on hosly noles which are sold as souvenirs Io supplement the museum lunds. Editor's Note: This article is taken from un ml- «55 by Mrs. Ftircher at the Grey«BruCe Women's writing convention. In addition to the inn-mu of a story we believe the experience of the Eight inity l‘l’omen's‘ Institutes may ofler snggesrimir ru 'et’rs planning or directing pioneer mnremnr. "NSTITUTE WOMEN know all about Twccds- l muir Histories. We go back to the years 193(3- 7 1939 when Lady Tweedsmuir first suggested this oject. I‘m sure I'm safe in saying that ninety pcr at of Ontario Women‘s Institutes have written or - in the process of writing a Twcedsmuir History. J what an intimate story it is. No historian could siny unearth the wealth of material thcsc his- ics contain: for established families of the com- nity delve into family records and family albums make the story completc. A museum is the rui- -1l follow-up of this written story. -\"c know how well the brain retains what thc cyc . ~. The written story of our communities 7 thc cedsmuir History â€" is tucked away on the shclvcs closets, in libraries or vaults, and brought otu on :nsion; but the visual story. the local museum. is is ready for perusal and instruction whcncvcr : is so inclined Our Elgin County Historical :ielyâ€"we used to have a very flourishing one? I been defunct for many years. so the Womcn‘s titute, because of our interest in the history of tho inty, was the logical organization to promotc the i .iblishment of the museum. There were other reasons: We wanted to honour ' pioneer ancestors who, with fortitude and Cl'ltltll‘v :6. opened up our county. And a local museum truly a memorial to the past and its traditions. i It preserves the way of life of our forefathers for l went and future generations. We realized that i Jerstanding and appreciation of the past. help in i understanding of the present. There is onc l ruse that sums up the whole importance and need i the study of history, It is engraved in stone over I . doorway of the beautiful State University of ‘ -~lorado at Boulder. The phrase is, “He who know i own generation only, remains always a child." ‘ Another reason we pushed ahead: we FCUIIZCd “'"i‘ré was no time to lose. Articles were being “When, lost and throwu out or carried away, many WINTER [960 of them across the hordcr hy cngci' antiquc seekers. As we tulkcd muxctim. Wc \vcrc nxkcd this ques- tion: “Why hother with small miixcums‘,’ Wc hrivc splendid provincial ones." ’I'riiciand they thI u broad story of our civilI/nlion lll'ILl lhc civllI/ntiot‘i of othcr countrics of thc world. 'I'hcy do not tell lhc intinitilc story 01' our L’Oll'lllllll‘llllc‘i#ll‘lt‘ story thtil is ours iiloiic. lt look Us thrcc yours to catiihlish our lilgin County Muscum. thrcc _\'L‘ilr\ ot' intcnsiyc cll’orl. The project was first upprovcd hy the Women's Institutc mcnthcrx of East and Wcst ltlgin districts in the spring of [054. and thc milscum opcning was in April 1957. In ()ctohcr IBIS-l twenty-[our Institutes ol' the county tirrungcd :1 showing of historic urticlcs in lltc largth dcpurtmcnt storc in St. Thomas for it wcck. Each lnstitutc hiid tin tilloltcd spucc to act up its display. Wc lclt we most know what intcrcst citiâ€" Ions in gcncral would hit“) in Mich n projcct. l‘uhlic intcrcsl Ilir cscccdcd our hopcx. Somc school chil- dren L‘tll'l'll.‘ hack day :il'icr day to have u better look. The i‘ntcrcsl was so great it put us on the spot. Wc had to go tihcud llrld ctipitulirc on that interest, clsc how would Wu cvcr pick it up. Wc ruiscd otir lirsl moncy. $45”, by scrving iil'tcrnoon (cu ciich day at that department store. In Noycmhcr 1954, just onc month lillL‘r. thc historical research convcncrs of lhc hranch Institutes met Ill‘lLl dcciilcd to go iihcud with [he promotion of u County Muscum in St. Thomas, tlic county seat. Next spring. we scl up two hoards. one honorary. tho ntlicr actch and rcprcscnting Ilic hrtmch Institutes. a dclunct historical society. local historians and [HA tcrcslcd husincumcn. VVL‘ wcrc tihle to buy a lilllilllll prnpcrty tn the old part of St. Thomas. hiiilt in H.443. chcr will I forgct lhc qualms when I signcd my mum. on be, hull of llic Institutcs, with only $45!) in thc hank. I must confess I had visions of my small hunk “CA count hcing complctcly wipcd out. The old house on the main street was idczil for our purposcinol too big, something we could mtimigc. ul'ltl it had an in. terexting story of its own. The property Inid been owned by Dr. Charles Duncomhc who. with Dr. John Ralph. founded the first medical school of Upper Canada, hcrc in St. Thomas. in I824. Dr 25