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Bobcaygeon Road
Corporate body

In 1852, William Lyon Mackenzie introduced to the Legislative Assembly a resolution asking for a survey of the Huron-Ottawa Territory. His intent was to increase settlement within the uninhabited region of Canada West, to encourage immigration from Europe, and discourage emigration from the province. This resolution, along with similar recommendations, led to the Colonization Roads policy, and ultimately to the passing of the Public Land Act in 1853 by the Legislature. This Act allowed the government "to appropriate as free grants any public land in the province to actual settlers, upon or in the vicinity of any public roads in any new settlements which shall or may be opened through the Lands of the Crown." The survey of the Bobcaygeon Road came about as a result of this legislation. Before 1854, the Bobcaygeon Road did not extend beyond the village of Bobcaygeon. By 1857, the road had been constructed to Kinmount. A year later, surveyor Michael Deane was commissioned by the Department of Crown Lands to conduct a survey of lot frontages along the proposed Bobcaygeon Road from just north of Kinmount (Somerville Township) to Bell's Line. In 1860, surveyor Crosbie Brady was hired to survey the Bobcaygeon Road from where Deane had left off, north of Bell's Line, to Nippissing Road Line, on the south shore of Lake Nippissing. Throughout the years, the road and the lots along either side of the road have been re-surveyed for the purpose of establishing specific boundaries and correcting any mistakes in the initial surveys. All that remains of the original Bobcaygeon Road today is Highway 649 which extends from the village of Bobcaygeon to Highway 121, south of Kinmount. (Taken from: Spragge, George W. "Colonization Roads in Canada West." "Ontario History." Vol. XLIX, no. 1, 1957., and W. D. Thomas. "Bobcaygeon: The Hub of the Kawarthas." Bobcaygeon: W. D. Thomas, 1980.)

Corporate body

In 1869, Reverend C.W. Patterson was appointed to Bobcaygeon, Ontario. Previous to 1869, a sum of money had been collected and deposited in the Peterborough branch of the Bank of Toronto as a building fund for the construction of an Anglican Church in Bobcaygeon. It was decided in the same year that enough money had been collected and that a new church and parsonage should be built. Architect John E. Belcher was contracted to design and build the church and parsonage in 1870. On January 5, 1871, Christ Church was formally opened by the Lord Bishop of Toronto.

Birdsall family
Family

Richard Birdsall was born in 1799 at Thornton-le-dale, England, and educated at Londesborough, Yorkshire. His family intended a naval career for him upon graduation. Instead, when he graduated in 1817, he emigrated to Canada. Due to his education, he qualified for a position as a fully-accredited land surveyor in Canada West. In May of 1820, he was commissioned to survey the Newcastle District, where he remained for the rest of his life and became a very prominent man. The Newcastle District was comprised of the counties of Northumberland and Durham and included which would later become the counties of Peterborough, Victoria, and Haliburton. In 1821, he married Elizabeth Burnham, daughter of Zaccheus Burnham, who was a prominent early settler in the District. From his father-in-law, Birdsall bought 920 acres of land at the northeast end of Rice Lake (Lot 1, Concession 1, Asphodel Township) and made his home there. His wife died in a tragic fall in 1827 leaving Birdsall with four young daughters. He remarried in 1836 to Charlotte Jane Everett of Belleville and had four more children with his second wife; two of these were Richard Everett Birdsall (1837-1877) and Francis (Frank) Birdsall (1838-1914). Between the years of 1827 and 1836, Birdsall carried out most of his surveying work, including the survey for the town of Peterborough. In 1831, he was commissioned Captain of the fourth Regiment of Northumberland Militia and he led the Asphodel contingent when the militia was called out in the Rebellion of 1837. Later he was an officer in the Peterborough Regiment. Birdsall was also a Commissioner of the Court of Requests and a Justice of the Peace. When the Colborne District was created in 1841, he was the councillor for Asphodel and in 1850, when districts were replaced by counties, he represented Asphodel at the Peterborough County Council as its first Reeve. He continued in this position until his death on January 20, 1852. (taken from Peterborough: Land of Shining Waters. Peterborough: City and County of Peterborough, 1967.)

Corporate body

The Birdsall collection of bookbinders' finishing tools was acquired by the Rare Books Department at the University of Toronto in 1968. The Birdsall collection was started when William Birdsall purchased the bookbinding business of John Lacy and Son in Northampton, England, in 1792. The new establishment consisted of a bindery, a book store, a circulating library, a post office and insurance and banking were transacted on the side. William brought his sons, James and Robert, into the business in 1823 and by 1826 James was the sole owner since his brother and father had both died. In the 1840's Anthony, a great-nephew of the founder William, bought the business and his son Richard entered the business in 1857. Anthony died in 1893 and Richard continued the business under the name of Birdsall & Son. The firm became a private company after 1915 when the descendants of Anthony and Richard took over the firm. Each successive generation expanded on the collection of tools and styles of bookbinding with developing interests in preservation, restoration and the history of books and bookbinding. The University of Toronto acquired the collection when the last member of the Birdsall firm died leaving behind the firm's vast collection of bookbinding tools and paperwork. (Taken from: Evans, Emrys and Rachel Grover. Birdsall Collection of Bookbinders' Finishing Tools. Toronto: Department of Rare Books & Special Collections, 1972.)

Corporate body

Founded in 1931, Beta Sigma Phi is an international women's organization that focuses on stimulating personal growth and development of its members through cultural and social programs and through service to others. Members volunteer for such activities as blood donor clinics, daffodil day, and meals on wheels. The organization supports various charities. Beta Sigma Phi was established in Peterborough in 1944.

Better Bait Company
Corporate body

The Better Bait Company was situated at 631 Lundy's Lane in Peterborough, Ontario. The company claimed to be the manufacturers of quality fishing tackle. The owner and operator was Perce Dyer, a Peterborough resident in the 1940s.

John Bertram & Sons
Corporate body

John Bertram & Sons was a business in Dundas, Ontario in the early Twentieth Century.

Benson Mills
Corporate body

Benson Mills was a large grist mill which was owned and operated by John Robinson Benson, husband of Catherine Evans Lee. He purchased the mill from Adam Scott. J.R. Benson was one of ten children in a family that settled in Peterborough.

Corporate body

The Belmont Municipal Telephone System began operation in 1922 in Havelock, Belmont Township, Ontario. This new system preceeded the Bell Telephone Company and the Havelock-Cordova Telephone Company in Belmont Township. It served subscribers for 33 years. In 1953, the Bell Telephone Company entered into negotiations with the Belmont Municipal System to re-acquire the system.

Beavermead Park
Corporate body

Beavermead Park is located on the east shore of Little Lake, Peterborough, Ontario, on land that was once owned by Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.

Baulch family
Family

The Baulch family were tailors who lived in Hampton, Ontario and Port Hope, Ontario. Members of the family include Joseph H. and his wife Laura, Henry N., R. Baulch, and Will Baulch, Rochester, New York.

Bateson family
Family

The Bateson family consisted of George who married Mary (?) and lived in Penetanguishene; Isaac Newton who married Margaret (?) and lived in Dowagiac, Michigan in the United States; Jane who married a Robert Russell (farmer) and lived in Scotland County, Missouri in the United States; Eliza who married James Morrison and lived in Lindsay, Ontario; Margaret who married James Marshall (Carriage-maker) and lived in the village of Cannington, Ontario; Letitia who married William Henry McCardle (labourer) and lived in Midland, Ontario; Mary Eleanor who married Thomas Richardson (blacksmith) and also lived in Midland, Ontario; and William who married Harriet (?) and lived in Bailieboro, Ontario. These nine people were children of Isaac (died January 22, 1880) and Ellen (died September 13, 1900) Bateson of Cavan Township. William Bateson died January 28, 1930. It is unknown who Thomas and John Bateson are except that they were executers of Isaac Bateson's Last Will and Testatment.

Bark family
Family

The Bark family resided in Toronto, Ontario during the early 1900's and spent their vacation time at their cottage, "Lingerlonger Lodge" which was located on the shores of Moore Lake, just south of Minden, Ontario.

Corporate body

Census taking in Canada was divided into enumeration districts which were usually located around cities and counties. The districts were divided into sub-districts which were usually located around towns, townships and city wards. Villages, small towns, parishes and seigneuries were generally enumerated as part of the township in which they were located. Census and county boundaries did not always coincide since boundaries and town names changed or disappeared. The first census in Canada was undertaken in 1666 by Intendant Jean Talon. Census taking was not required until it was put into the Constitution in 1867. Before 1867 census taking was sketchy and it was not until 1851 that it became established as a way of assessing population and colonial needs for the government. (Taken from: "Census Returns, 1666-1891." Public Archives, Canada, 1987.) In 1792, the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham were officially created in a proclamation made by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe. The proclamation divided Upper Canada in 19 counties for representation purposes. The United Counties are bounded by Lake Ontario in the south, Hasting County in the east, Ontario County in the west and Peterborough and Victoria Counties in the north. The town line between Hope and Hamilton Townships divide the two counties. Durham County consists of the Townships of Cartwright, Manvers, Cavan, Darlington, Clarke and Hope. Northumberland County consists of South Monaghan, Hamilton, Haldimand, Alnwick, Percy, Cramahe, Seymour, Brighton and Murray Townships. (Taken from: "Illustrated Historical Atlas of Northumberland and Durham Counties, Ontario." Belleville: Mika Silk Screening Limited, 1972.)

Dunsford family
Family

The Dunsford family is connected through marriage to families associated with the early settlement of Peterborough and area, namely the Boyd, Langton, and Rubidge families.

Davidson family
Family

James Davidson was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1801, the son of Hugh Davidson. In 1823, James Davidson came to Canada with his sister. They settled first with an Uncle in Smith Township. In 1831, James settled on lot 20, concession 5, Smith Township, and established his own 200 acre farm. He married Elizabeth McConnell of Cavan Township the same year. They had four sons and four daughters: Ann, Hugh, William, Mary Jane, Sarah, James Jr., Robert, and Fanny. In 1837, Davidson fought in the Rebellion. Robert eventually went into the hardware business in Peterborough, Hugh and James Jr. went into farming, and William became a grocer and flour merchant. Elizabeth Davidson died in 1864 and James Davidson died sometime after after 1884. (Taken from: "History of the County of Peterborough." Toronto: C. Blackett Robinson, 1884.)

Camp X Historical Society
Corporate body

Camp X Historical Society is located in Whitby, Ontario, near the former site of Camp X. Camp X, which operated from 1941 to 1946, was a training camp responsible for training recruits for the Special Operations Executive of the British Security Coordination during World War II. It was comprised of two sections, the Special Training School No. 103, which trained allied agents in the techniques of secret warfare, and Hydra, a network which communicated messages between Canada, United States, and Great Britain. Camp X Historical Society was established to track down surviving SOE agents, and to document and catalogue their experiences. The Society is in the process of establishing a small museum on the original site of the Camp to house artifacts and memorabilia which document the operation.

Camp Robin Hood
Corporate body

Camp Robin Hood was established in 1946 at Sherwood Park in north Toronto. In approximately 1964, it moved to Markham, Ontario where Robin Hood Sports Academy was developed. In later years Camp Robin Hood acquired Camp Walden and Madawaska Camps. In addition to offering camping experiences, Camp Robin Hood offers school programs and provides facilities for corporate and private events.

Camp Kawabi
Corporate body

Camp Kawabi is located 209 km north of Toronto on Big Hawk Lake, which is 32 km north of Minden, Ontario. The camp was a residential boys' camp, operating in the summer, for children between the ages of seven and fifteen.

Camp Illahee
Corporate body

Camp Illahee was established in 1946 in Cobourg, Ontario. It began as a children's camp run by the Toronto Y.M.C.A. for diabetic children and later began catering to children with other diseases including heart and kidney conditions, haemophilia, and controlled epilepsy. The camp was later taken over by the Family Service Association of Metropolitan Toronto, an agency of the United Way. The name of the camp was changed to Illahee Northwoods Camp and its location was moved from Cobourg to Drag Lake in Haliburton, Ontario.

Emily Township
Corporate body

Emily Township in Victoria County, previously Northumberland County in Newcastle District, was partially surveyed between October 18 and December 31, 1818 by Samuel Wilmot. The second part of the survey was completed by March 31, 1819. Emily Township is bounded by Verulam Township to the north, Ops and Manvers Townships to the east, Ennismore Township to the west, and Cavan Township to the south. It was described by Wilmot in a letter to the Suveyor General: "The quality of the land whereon there is maple, oak, elm and beech timber is exceedingly good, but the township is very much cut to pieces with swamps and a river that takes its rise in Manvers, presses diagonally through the township from the 2nd concession on that (west) boundary to the 12th concession on the east boundary, with immense marshes on each side." By the end of 1819, 44 settlers had been granted 100 acre half lots in the six concessions of Emily, between lots 8 and 23. By the end of 1820, the population had reached close to 100. The granting of lots tapered off between 1822 to 1824, and the first half of 1825. This occurred for two reasons: 1) the number of individuals coming to the district to seek land had decreased, and 2) the Land Board showed an interest in sending more newcomers into Smith, Otonabee, Ops and Mariposa Townships. Between 1822 and 1824 only 40 land grants were made in Emily. Even though migration into the township had decreased, the population continued grow. By 1825, the population had more than doubled to 216 inhabitants. From September to November of the same year, there was a large influx of Irish emigrants brought into Emily Township by Peter Robinson. In the following year, the population had increased to 837, three quarters of which were Robinson emigrants. The main source of livelihood for the settlers in Emily Township was agriculture. There were no mills in the Township until 1832, when William Cotnam built both grist and saw mills on his land beside the Pigeon River. Industry never really began and the township has remained mainly an agricultural area to the present day. (taken from Pammett, Howard. "Lilies and Shamrocks: A History of the Township of Emily in the County of Victoria". Lindsay: John Deyell Co., 1974.)

Energy Savers Peterborough
Corporate body

The Energy Savers Peterborough (ESP) was established in May, 1982. It was founded to promote energy conservation in the City and County of Peterborough. ESP was a project that was considered one of-a-kind and was studied by the Ontario Ministry of Energy and Conservation as a way to make communities more energy efficient. It was started in the 1980's due to the wealth of information on energy conservation which was confusing people due to all the different sources and resources. The idea behind ESP was to sort the information out and give it to people at a local level and thereby increase community awareness of energy conservation. In their first year of operation ESP established a storefront in Peterborough Square, on the Corner of Water and Charlotte Streets, where they were able to give free non-partisan advice. They also offered successful workshops for arena and curling rink operators, energy saving seminars to churches, clinics for local media members and fleet operators on how to drive to save gas, a tire-check program and tours of solar-heated homes in the area. ESP helped the local Public Utilities Commission's (PUC) Residential Energy Advisory Program (REAP) establish conservation consciousness in the community. The ESP committee was chaired by Professor Peter Adams of Trent University.

Early Canadian Life
Corporate body

"Early Canadian Life" was published 12 times a year in Oakville, Ontario. It was distributed nationally through a distributing company which was a subsidiary of MacLean-Hunter Ltd. It was published by Goldenglow Publications Ltd. and had a large readership throughout Canada.

C.E. Smith Boots and Shoes
Corporate body

C.E. Smith Boots appears in the Farmers and Business Directory for the Counties of Durham, Northumberland, Ontario, Peterboro, and Victoria, 1890. It is listed under Ontario County in a town with a population of 275 called Zephyr. Clinton E. Smith Boots and Shoes later appears in Vernon's City of Peterborough (Ontario) Directory for 1926, and was located at 384 George Street, Peterborough. The company does not appear in the 1936 Directory, but rather lists Agnew's Shoes located at that address.