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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police had previously been known as the North West Mounted Police (from 1873 to 1904), and the Royal North West Mounted Police (from 1904 to 1920). On February 1, 1920, the name was changed to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The force was established to protect and police the newly acquired lands from various threats including American annexation and various illegal activities. It was also established to help encourage settlement throughout the region. Today, the RCMP is Canada's national police force.

The Young's Point Cheese Factory was located in Young's Point, Smith Township, Ontario. It was established in the early 1900's and was owned and run by Andrew Wilson. The factory was a family enterprise which included Andrew's brother George, and Andrew's sons, Rex and Len.

The Peterborough Young Women's Christian Association was founded 1891 when a young man, who greatly appreciated what the Y.M.C.A. had done for him, felt that a similar organization should be offered to women. With the support of Mr. Colville, secretary of the Y.M.C.A., a meeting was arranged at which sixteen ladies attended (two from each church). These ladies became the charter members of the Peterborough Young Women's Christian Association. The first meeting took place over Long's Confectionery Shop on George Street. Bible studies, educational classes and club group meetings were held there. In 1892 a house on the north side of Brock Street (near George Street) was furnished to serve as a Residence for young girls who had no homes in the town. Before long all the work of the Association was carried out at the Brock Street residence. The Peterborough Y.W.C.A. was actively involved in many of the conferences and new ideas that came into the Association. For instance it was one of the first associations to take up Industrial work and offer meetings, in 1909, for girls employed at the electrical works. In 1901 the Y.W.C.A. needed to move into larger quarters due to the expansion of its members. They were able to secure rooms, with the aid of Hon. Senator Cox, on the west side of George Street and stayed there for two years. In 1904 the Y.W.C.A. decided it needed a Y.W.C.A. building and purchased the lot on the corner of Simcoe and Aylmer Streets. The Hon. Senator Cox provided rooms in the Bank of Commerce Building and the rooms on George Street and the house on Brock Street were given up. Mrs. Cox laid the cornerstone September 7, 1904 and the new building was opened in 1905. In 1912 rooms at 133 Rubidge street were formally opened. In 1916 a swimming pool was built and by May 30, 1918 was able to be used. In 1919 the Y.W.C.A. rented a cottage on Stoney Lake as a summer camp. The aim of the Y.W.C.A. was to provide religious education as well as special clubs, classes and parties to encourage the development of the all-round girl who would be the woman of the future. The Y.W.C.A. was considered a fellowship. In 1929 the Y.W.C.A. purchased nine acres of land near the centre of Stoney Lake as a campground, called Camp Inglestane and charged $7.00 a week per girl. The camp was sold at the end of the 1940's. The Y.W.C.A. continued to act as an employment bureau and forming clubs in the industrial sector. In June, 1939 the Peterborough Y.W.C.A. became more newly equipped with a more modern gymnasium and a new pool was opened. A nursery school opened in 1960. The Y.W.C.A. continued to grow and develop with each new year and national and international changes. In 1967 the Y.W.C.A. purchased the Knights of Columbus building as a Centennial project. This building was adjacent to the original Y building and was called Stevenson Hall in memory of James E. Stevenson, the original owner of the property. (Taken from: "The Peterborough Y.W.C.A. 1891 to 1981." Box 3, folder 2, Trent University Archives.) In the original Y.W.C.A. building programs such as Crossroads, which was a program for battered women and a series of shelters, and "Y's Buys" were run. The original building which was on the corner of Simcoe and Aylmer, and had been sold a number of years ago, burnt down on February 15, 1996. (See "Arthur" Volume 30, Issue 19, February 27, 1996, p 8.)

Camp Wangoma was an overnight camp operated by East York YMCA and the Toronto Y Camping Services from 1956-1973. The Camp operated in the Madawaska Highlands thirty minutes east of Bancroft, just south of McArthur’s Mills on the north end of Wanamaker Lake. The history of the camp started in 1919 with Sunfish Camp on Sunfish Island run by Toronto Central YMCA. Due to the building of the Island Airport on Hanlan’s Point the residents of Hanlan's Point were moved to Sunfish Island (Olympic Island) in 1934. Sunfish Camp moved to a site south of Barrie on west side of Lake Simcoe operated by East York YMCA.

Due to the growth of the population on Lake Simcoe, the Y decided to move the Camp in 1955 to a former Private Camp on Lake Catchacoma. They rented the Camp for 1955 and the Camp was called Camp Woapka. The East York Y Camp Committee found during that time the site for Camp Wangoma which is the present day, Cedar Ridge Camp. The Camp started in 1956 and ran until 1973. As an Outdoor Education Centre, it ran from 1974-1978.

The Camp was sold in 1980 to the Pentecostal Church in Bancroft affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada). They ran Nature Land Bible Camp. In December 2005, the Bible Camp was sold to today’s owners of Cedar Ridge Camp which has been in operation for sixteen years.

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. The Xi-Iota Chapter folded in 1998 or 1999.

Windy Pine Point is a property located on Kushog Lake, near Minden, near Haliburton County, Ontario. The property was owned by Flora Morrison and Dr. Mary L. Northway from 1940 to 1982. As well as the main cottage, there were cabins which were available to friends and acquaintances. The owners planned and led girls' canoe trips from Windy Pine in the 1940's. It was deeded to Trent University.

It is believed that in 1880 John E. Belcher built the house for William Hamilton, the developer of a machine shop which became one of Peterborough's largest and most important industries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The house is solid brick, cream in colour, and has a two storey projecting bay with portico and entrance. The William Hamilton house is presently owned by the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Peterborough. A request for designation in accordance with the provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act, 1974, was filed 31 October 1985 by the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee.

We-Can: World Emergency Centre for Non-Violence was the local Peterborough Group of Alliance for Non-Violent Action. The Alliance for Non-Violent Action was a geographically dispersed collective of groups and individuals who gathered together to plan, organize and participate in education and events for non-violent direct action. They sought to remove oppression from the world through building a non-oppressive and non-exploitative world by removing the economic and political institutions and practices which supported injustice. They did this through supportive local groups such as We-Can. The strategy behind the Alliance organizations was through organizing public, non-violent actions and the development of educational materials, resources and projects. We-Can in Peterborough took on protests at the Litton Systems Plant in Rexdale, Ontario; a study on dismantling bombs and the cruise missile amongst other projects.

The Wendaban Stewardship Authority (WSA) was created through a Memorandum of Understanding of April, 1990 and an Addendum of May 23, 1991 in which the Ontario and Teme-Augama Anishnabai governments agreed to form a “Stewardship Council” with co-management jurisdiction over four geographic townships in the Sudbury/Nipissing district of northern Ontario: Acadia; Shelburne; Canton; and Delhi. The total land area is approximately 400 square kilometres. The area is located northwest of Lake Temagami and includes the shores of Lakes Wakimika, Diamond, and the northern part of Obabika. (Taken from promotional materials issued by the WSA).

The Wallace Point Bridge and Road Company was created on October 31, 1866 for the express purpose of building a road and bridge from South Monaghan Township, County of Northumberland, across the Otonabee River, to Wallace Point, Otonabee Township, County of Peterborough. The total distance of the road, including the bridge, was to be 2 1/4 miles. It is unknown when the company ceased to exist.

VOX was the student publication of United College, now the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Peterborough is situated, for the most part, on the west bank of the Otonabee River which runs south into Rice Lake. Samuel de Champlain was the first European to cross the site of Peterborough. In 1819 Barnabus Bletcher, Thomas Edmison, John Farrelly, Charles Fothergill, Adam Scott and Thomas Ward entered the area looking for a suitable mill site. The mill eventually became a landmark to residents and travellers in the area until it burnt down in 1835. In 1825 Peter Robinson entered the area with Irish settlers. The area was originally known as Scott's Plains. In 1826 the settlement was named Peterborough in honour of Peter Robinson. The town had mills and churches to start with and eventually expanded with banking arriving in 1840 and water power in the 1850's. (Taken from: Illustrated Historical Atlas of Peterborough County, 1825-1875. Peterborough: The Peterborough Historical Atlas Foundation Inc., 1975.)

The village of Ashburnham was situated in the north-west portion of Otonabee Township in Peterborough County. It is believed that Presbyterian minister, Reverend Samuel Armour, who arrived from Scotland in 1826, was its first settler. Prior to 1904, the village was a municipality of the County of Peterborough; in 1904, it was annexed by the City of Peterborough.

The Victoria Museum grew out of the Peterborough Historical Society's efforts to preserve the past. They received $200.00 from the City of Peterborough; $100.00 from the County of Peterborough and the Society raised $100.00. June 22, 1897 was the official dedication of the Victoria Museum. It was called the Victoria Museum to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. The Victoria Museum officially opened October 31, 1898. It was housed in the two front rooms, the large ground floor hall, the upstairs hall and two upstairs rooms at Inverlea House. The museum had a number of cases of birds and animals, Indigenous curios, old documents, antique firearms, an old canoe and displays of minerals. T.A.S. Hay became the first curator when the Victoria Museum moved from Inverlea Park to the top floor of the new library building on April 23, 1912. G.H. Clarke became the next curator as Hay died in 1917 and the Library Board took over stewardship of the museum. In the 1950's William Graff became the curator but by this point much of the museum's collection had been dispersed to other sources in the Peterborough area. The Historical Society re-established itself and the museum became renewed with display cases on the upper floor and in the basement of the library. Eventually the artifacts which were part of the Victoria Museum's collections and later under library stewardship came to be housed in the Peterborough Centennial Museum. The Centennial Museum originated from the need in the city for a new museum. At this point the Peterborough District Historical and Art Museum Foundation was established in 1961 to fund and establish a new museum and safeguard remnants of the Victoria Museum collection. On November 19, 1966 the Historical Society transferred ownership of the collection to the Foundation since the society was not incorporated. On October 28, 1967 the Peterborough Centennial Museum was officially opened on Armour Hill and the collections of the Victoria Museum became a part of the Centennial Museum's collections. (Taken from: Doherty, Ken. Preserving Peterborough's Past: 150 Years of Museums and History. Occasional Paper 16. Peterborough Historical Society, November 1995.)

Victoria County, formally established in 1860, is comprised of the Townships of Bexley, Carden, Dalton, Eldon, Emily, Fenelon, Laxton, Digby, Longford, Manvers, Mariposa, Ops, Somerville, and Verulam. The town of Lindsay in Ops Township is the county seat. The County is bordered in the north by the Muskoka District, in the east by Haliburton and Peterborough Counties, in the south by Lake Scugog and the Regional Municipality of Durham, and in the west by Durham and Simcoe Counties. It is 2 169 km square in area. The land in Victoria County was first opened for settlement in 1821 and the first settlers were mainly Irish, both Protestant and Catholic, and Scottish Presbyterians. By 1880, lumbering was firmly established as the main industry in the county. Quickly the region was stripped of its forests, and it was not until the 1920's that an interest in reforestation developed. Today, Victoria County is a prime grain producing region. As well, chemical industries and tourism make up the present day economic picture of the county. (Taken from: Mika, Nick and Helma. Places in Ontario, Part III. Belleville: Mika Publishing Company, 1983.)

Victoria College was established by the Methodists as an Academy in Cobourg, Canada West. In 1829 at the Conference of Methodist's conference it was decided to establish a seminary for preparatory education for males and females. The cornerstone of the College, which was known as the Upper Canada Academy, was laid June 7, 1832. The official opening occurred four years later on June 18, 1836. On October 6, 1836 the Academy was granted its Royal Charter for its incorporation. The Academy provided co-educational, non-denominational preparatory education similar to the grammar schools of the time. In 1841 a Provincial Statute elevated the status of the Academy to College. Thus on October 21, 1842 Victoria College started its first semester as a degree-granting institution. The College granted degrees in Arts, Science, Law, Medicine and Divinity. When it acquired its elevated status as a College women were no longer allowed to attend until 1880. From 1876 to 1878 a new building, called Faraday Hall, was built on campus to house the Science Department. This was sponsored by Dr. Eugene Haanel. The College enlivened the community of Cobourg by encouraging intellectual pursuits. The College gave a Conversazione, the first of its kind in Cobourg, after convocation. This allowed the students to march around to music since dancing was not allowed at that time in the College. On November 20, 1892 a Act was passed by the Province that federated Victoria College with the University of Toronto. At this point the college professors and students moved to Toronto and the building which used to house the College became in turn a Provincial Asylum, a Military Hospital, an Ontario Hospital and a training centre for the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. (Taken from: Cobourg Early Days and Modern Times. Cobourg: Haynes Printing Company, 1981.)

From 1966 to 1973, John Leishman was Controller and, from 1971, also Vice-President (Finance). The office was split in 1973 and there was a Vice-President (Finance) and a Controller (Peter Lewis). John Earnshaw became Vice-President (Administration and Finance) in 1981 as John Leishman moved to the position of Executive Vice-President (External Relations and Financial Affairs). John Earnshaw held the office until August 1991. Nancy Sullivan became Vice-President (Finance and Administration), 1991-1994. For further information about the office and its leadership over the years, see A.O.C. Cole, Trent: The Making of a University, pp. 126-129; D'Arcy Jenish, Trent University: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence, 2014; and the annual course calendars (available in the Archives Reading Room).

Newcastle District was created in 1802, and had been previously part of the Home District. Newcastle District encompassed the present day counties of Durham, Northumberland, Peterborough, Victoria, and all land to the north. In 1838, the District was divided into the Newcastle and Colborne Districts. In 1849, the district system was abolished, and the Newcastle District became known as Northumberland and Durham Counties in 1850, and Colborne District became Peterborough County in 1850. From the land comprising Peterborough County, Victoria County was created in 1852, and Haliburton County was created in 1874. (Taken from: Hillman, Thomas A. "A Statutory Chronology of Ontario: Counties and Municipalities." Gananoque: Langdale Press, 1988.)

The Province of Upper Canada, the predecessor of modern day Ontario, came into existence with the passing of the Constitutional Act by British Parliament in 1791. The passing of the Act divided the old Province of Quebec into Lower Canada in the east and Upper Canada in the west, along the present-day Quebec-Ontario border. The creation of Upper Canada was the result of several different factors. During the Seven Years' War, the French abandoned most of the region of the province of Quebec to the British and after the surrender of Montreal in 1760, the British took over the territory which was later to become Upper Canada. Also, in the 1780's, after the end of the American Revolution, thousands of Loyalist refugees flooded northward, across the border. The Constitutional Act was a direct response by London to the American Revolution and Upper Canada was to develop with tight British control. The first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada was Sir John Graves Simcoe. Simcoe's prime goal was to win the American Loyalist emigrants back into the British camp. Simcoe did not fully succeed in his goal when he retired in 1796, but the War of 1812 helped to further his cause and strengthen Britain's control over Upper Canada. Over time, the people of Upper Canada found the Constitutional Act of 1791 too rigid, and there was much pressure for change. A second wave of settlers came to the region between 1815 and 1820. These settlers were immigrants from the British Isles who came to the Canadas looking for a better life. By 1838 the population of Upper Canada had risen to more than 400 000 inhabitants. In 1838, the Governor General of Canada, the Earl of Durham, drafted his famous Durham report, calling for the re-unification of Upper and Lower Canada and creation of "responsible government". Britain approved the union of Upper and Lower Canada and on February 10, Upper Canada ceased to exist, and in union with Lower Canada, became the Province of Canada. (Taken from : The Canadian Encyclopedia, Volume three. Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1985.)

Hart House was opened in 1919 at the University of Toronto, Ontario. It was a gift to the University by the Massey Foundation. Built by two Canadian architects, Sproatt and Rolph, it had a dining-hall for undergraduates, a faculty club, club rooms for graduate members, a music room, a chapel, a library, a room for debates, a completely equipped little theatre, a sketch room and various offices plus a running track, rooms for boxing, fencing and wrestling, a swimming pool, a billiard room, photographic dark rooms, a rifle range, common-rooms and guest rooms. Hart House was essentially a club for men. (Taken from: Wallace, W. Stewart. A History of the University of Toronto. Toronto: The University of Toronto Press, 1927.)

The early 1940's saw the rapid development of Canadian-American relations brought about by the pressures of World War II. These new relations included military co-operation and economic co-operation exemplified by the Ogdensburg Declaration of August 1940 and the Hyde Park Declaration of April 1941. An area of concern for both Canada and the United States was the region known as the Canadian northwest (north of 60th parallel, west of the 110th meridian). After the Japanese attack on the military base of Pearl Harbour, December 7, 1941, the United States military became increasingly concerned over the safety of Alaska. American military leaders decided that the Canadian northwest was the ideal region on which to build secondary lines of communication to Alaska. This led to the development of the Alaska Highway and the Canol pipeline project to provide transportation into and out of Alaska and petroleum products for the military bases which were quickly cropping up in the area. Both of these projects were under the supervision of the Northwest Service Command of the United States Military and lasted from 1942 to 1945.

The United Counties of Peterborough and Victoria were created in 1850 when a county system replaced the district system. In 1860 Victoria County separated from Peterborough County thus creating two separate counties.

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.)

Underwood & Underwood established itself in 1882 as a stereographic distributing company. The company was founded by two brothers, Elmer and Bert Underwood. They distributed stereographs for Charles Bierstadt, J.F. Jarvis and the Littleton View Company. In 1891 Bert learned how to operate a camera and thus the firm of Underwood & Underwood Publishing entered a new merchandising sphere. By 1897 the company had a number of full-time staff and free lance photographers. In the same year the Underwoods purchased the businesses of Jarvis; Bierstadt; and, William H. Rau. Underwood & Underwood were publishing twenty-five thousand stereographs a day by 1901. The firm still canvassed and sold its own stereographs. Around 1900 Underwood & Underwood introduced boxed sets, with specific themes such as education and religion, and travel sets depicting popular tourist areas of the world. By 1910 Underwood & Underwood had entered the field of news photography. Due to this expansion stereograph production was reduced until the early years of World War I. Altogether Underwood & Underwood produced between 30 000 and 40 000 stereographic titles. In 1920 stereograph production was discontinued and Underwood & Underwood sold its stereographic stock and rights to the Keystone View Company. (Taken from: Darrah, William C. The World of Stereographs. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1977.)

The Trent-Fleming Trail Studies Unit (TSU) was started in 1992 to address a lack of research into trails. TSU was a joint initiative between Sir Sanford Fleming College and Trent University. TSU was directed by Professor John Marsh of Trent University and Dr. Al McPherson of Sir Sanford Fleming College. TSU was in operation from 1992-2022 and held 3400 publications regarding national and international trails in their library. TSU also engaged in research projects, conferences, committees, and public education on trails.

The aims of TSU included:

• Conduct research on trails, trail use, trail management, trail interpretation, trail impact.
• Offer courses relating to the development, planning, management and interpretation of trails.
• Develop interpretation materials and services and services relating to trails
• Assemble documentation on trails, trail studies, trail interpretation, and produce bibliographies relating to trails.

Throughout its tenure, TSU hosted conferences, created local guides on trails, consulted on trail-related projects on a national and international level, led numerous research projects, and supported student research via graduate theses, and undergraduate course work and honours theses.