City of Peterborough

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Scope note(s)

  • Early sketches and drawings of Peterborough are located in the following fonds: 83-1022 copy of an 1828 sketch by Basil Hall made with the Camera Lucida; 95-1004 unknown engraving [Bartlett?] 1882; 95-1017 sketch of Government House by Mary Sanford 1832 (copy); 02-1002 composite panorama of Ashburnham from St. John's Church ca. 1874 (a representation produced in 2001); 89-1065 Peterborough, U.C. on the Otonabee River signed
  • Special Collections maintains an impressive collection of books relating to the City of Peterborough. The "Trent Collection" contains all the obvious published histories such as _Peterborough, Land of Shining Waters; Peterborough Scrapbook...1825-1975_ Poole's _A Sketch of the Early Settlement...of the Town of Peterborough_ ; Jones' and Dyer's _Peterborough the Electric City_ and Guillet's _Valley of the Trent_. These titles represent only the most obvious sources; all of these (and many more) are catalogued on [Omni](https://www.trentu.ca/omni) and are available, for reference use only, in our Reading Room.
  • We also hold many idiosyncratic items in the [pamphlet collection](https://archives.trentu.ca/index.php/pamphlet-collection), in the [map collection](https://www.trentu.ca/library/archives/maps) and in the vertical unpublished [research files](https://www.trentu.ca/library/archives/vertical_research_files). Also pertinent to the study of Peterborough are all the extant [newspapers for the area which are available on microfilm](https://www.trentu.ca/library/archives/newspapers). In addition, various citizens of Peterborough have written historical columns for newspapers. We have the papers here in the archives for some of these authors. Their research files and copies of their columns can be a rich source of information. See, for example, the papers of [Helen Marryat](https://archives.trentu.ca/index.php/69-001), [Richard Choate](https://archives.trentu.ca/index.php/86-027), [Howard Pammett](https://archives.trentu.ca/index.php/77-010) and [Wilson Craw](https://archives.trentu.ca/index.php/86-003).
  • One important source of information on Peterborough often overlooked is the "Dobbin Index." Francis H. Dobbin was a journalist working in Peterborough from 1864 until 1914. During this time he collected news items and also wrote brief descriptive essays. These are catalogued (F 5547 .P4D622) and are available to researchers in our Reading Room. Some of his longer pieces were published posthumously as Our Old Home Town. It too is catalogued (F 5547 .P4D6) and can be accessed in the Reading Room.
  • The subject headings for the "Dobbin Index" of newspaper references, synopses, notes and essays are: 1. Introduction 2. Biographies 3. Churches 4. Education 5. Events 6. Fires 7. Industries 8. Institutions and Societies 9. Military 10. Municipal 11. Politics 12. Railway 13. Trent Canal
  • It was in May of 1819 that the first settlers came to the region in Newcastle District which is now known as Peterborough. One of these settlers was Adam Scott (1796-1838), and he built a saw and grist mill on the west bank of the Otonabee River (at the location were King St. now crosses the river). This location, then known as Scott's Plains, was to become the City of Peterborough. The area had been previously surveyed by Samuel Wilmot in 1818, and at that time, he recommended to the surveyor general that land be set aside for the development of a town at the junction of Smith, Douro, North Monaghan and Otonabee Townships, along the shores of the Otonabee River. In 1825, the recommended townsite was surveyed again by Richard Birdsall and the creation of a town plan was undertaken. From 1819 to 1825, the only inhabitants of Scott's Plains were Adam Scott's family and a few hired men. This changed with the arrival of the Peter Robinson immigrants in 1825 who numbered close to 2,000 people. Many of them settled in the townships surrounding Scott's Plains, which was renamed in 1826, to Peterboro by Sir Peregrine Maitland, in honour of Peter Robinson. By 1827, there were 20 buildings located within the townsite, and in the summer of 1828, another 20 houses were built. Shops, taverns, schools and churches began to sprout within the town boundaries. Timber, and then lumber, dominated the Peterborough industrial base from 1825 to 1875. But this was not the only form of industry. Peterborough also had a tannery, three iron foundries, and several woolen and grain mills. The location of Peterborough along the shores of the Otonabee was extremely important in the development of Peterborough as a manufacturing centre. The river provided not only water power, but a means of transportation for both people and goods. In 1890, Edison Electric, later known as Canadian General Electric, set up a plant in Peterborough, and by 1892, it became the site of the CGE head office for Canadian Operations. In 1900, Quaker Oats also came to Peterborough. Not only did Quaker employ a substantial number of people, they also used locally grown grains in the production of their cereals. The period between 1875 and 1930 was one of rapid industrial growth in Peterborough. As well, the population was constantly increasing. In 1838, the population was between 800 and 900, and by the 1852 census, it had risen to 2,191. In 1871 it had increased to 4,611 and it became necessary for Peterborough to annex land from the surrounding townships. In 1872, 239 acres were annexed from Smith, 50 acres from Douro, and 581 acres from North Monaghan. After the annexation, the population was close to 7,000 inhabitants. Peterborough officially became a city in 1904 and continued to grow and by 1921, the population had increased to 21,000.

Source note(s)

    Display note(s)

      Hierarchical terms

      City of Peterborough

        Equivalent terms

        City of Peterborough

          Associated terms

          City of Peterborough

            17 Archival description results for City of Peterborough

            17 results directly related Exclude narrower terms
            Shakespeare Club fonds
            95-013 · Fonds · 1953-2015

            This fonds consists of minutes, programs and membership lists of the Shakespeare Club which was a Peterborough women's club.

            Shakespeare Club
            88-025 · Collection · 1846-1860

            This fonds is comprised of typescripts of newspaper articles from the Peterborough Weekly Despatch, the Peterborough Review and the Peterborough Examiner. The articles have been arranged chronologically under a number of subject headings by the donor.

            77-034 · Fonds · 1874-1965

            The fonds of the Peterborough Cricket Club consists of scorebooks of the club (G. Whitaker Company Cricket Club) 1937-1954; 1965, as well as photographs of players and matches. Also included are newspaper clippings and rule books. Amongst the cricketeers is Richard B. Rogers.

            Peterborough Cricket Club
            08-001 · Fonds · 1986-2007

            Fonds consists of administrative and promotional material, meeting minutes, budgetary records, programs, artist contracts, membership lists, and correspondence relating to the Peterborough Concert Association.

            Peterborough Community Concert Association
            99-007 · Fonds · 1971-1996

            This fonds consists of Peterborough Community Concert Association administrative and promotional material, correspondence, meeting agendas and minutes, budget reports, series programs, newspaper clippings, membership lists, newsletters, artist contracts, and other related material.

            Peterborough Community Concert Association
            97-004 · Fonds · 1963-1996

            This fonds consists of photographs, programmes of concerts, as well as financial statements, budgets, etc. There are also newspaper reviews and adds for the concerts, administrative papers, minutes of meetings, lists of board and executive members, contracts, and campaign reports.

            Peterborough Community Concert Association
            79-001 · Fonds · 1945-1974

            The fonds consists of the constitution and by-laws of the Peterborough Community Concert Association. Also included are correspondence, contracts, minutes, programmes, clippings and publicity materials of each concert season spanning a twenty-nine year period.

            Peterborough Community Concert Association
            97-1004 · Item · 22 February 1869

            This item is a by-law which sets forth the provisions for granting certificates to tavern-keepers or other gaming houses selling spirituous liquors, along with the costs of such licenses and the applicable fines for breaches of the law. Notation on the back of this item indicates that this copy of the by-law was submitted as evidence in the case of Cumming vs. Faucher, March 16, 1872.

            Peterborough by-law no.231 broadside
            96-008 · Fonds · 1974

            This fonds consists of transcripts of interviews with Peterborough and area citizens concerning their perceptions of the social, cultural, and political aspects of life in Peterborough from the early 1900s to 1974. There are also three cassette tapes forming one interview with Lorna Cotton-Thomas.

            89-1054 · Item · 1923

            This item is a programme used by the Royal Arthur Lodge for an installation banquet at the Masonic Hall in Peterborough in 1923.

            Masonic Hall
            88-013 · Fonds · 1987-2004

            This addition to the fonds consists of programs and clippings regarding the Peterborough Petes hockey teams, 1987-1988 season plus records from the 1988-1989, 1990-1991 and 1991-1992 seasons which were added.

            Banks, Marlow
            Linden Hall fonds
            89-008 · Fonds · [ca. 1910-1969]

            This fonds consists of one photograph album, dating from around 1910 to the 1960's. There are assorted programmes and flyers, mostly from Middlebury College, Vermont and this includes programmes for the Coronations of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Also included in the fonds is a 1924 newsletter for Franklin Square House (Girls' Home) and the "Second Book of Verse" by Betsey Buttles with some loose greeting cards and poems.

            Hall, Linden
            Leggott family fonds
            12-006 · Fonds · 1863 - 1980

            Fonds consists of correspondence, legal and financial documents, newspaper clippings, photographs and memorabilia relating to the Leggott family of Lakefield Ontario.

            Leggott family
            Joseph Wearing fonds
            98-011 · Fonds · 1966-1978

            This fonds consists of materials relating to Gilbert and Sullivan productions, the Coventry Singers of Peterborough, and the Town and Gown concerts of Peterborough. Also included are materials related to the Progressive Conservatives, the New Democratic Party, the 1975 election, and Peterborough voting patterns.

            Wearing, Joseph
            Geale-Rogers family fonds
            82-022 · Fonds · 1834-1966

            This fonds consists of the personal and business records of the Geale, Hamilton, Peck, Barker and Rogers families. There are letters relating to World War I written by Beresford and Robert Hamilton and Heber and Harry Rogers; letters, diaries, journals of Richard Birdsall Rogers (superintending engineer of the Peterborough Lift Lock); the records of Hon. Robert Hamilton, a factor at the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Fort Edmonton. The fonds also contains stereographs, approximately 1000 photographs, and a C.E. Goad fire insurance plan for the city of Peterborough, 1882. Items of interest include a group of photographs of the Trent Valley area and the building of the canal; Rogers family pictures of the Stoney Lake area and the Juniper Island Regatta; photos of early aircraft and the Curtiss Aviation School; photos of hydraulic lift lock at Peterborough; and one letter from Catharine Parr Traill to Robert Miles Hamilton.

            This collection of family papers, correspondence, journals, photographs, newspaper clippings and published works spans the years 1834 to 1966 and measures approximately 3 1/2 linear metres. The papers were deposited in Trent University Archives through the courtesy of members of the Geale and Rogers families in 1983.

            The papers are divided into two series:

            Series A, the Geale family papers, consists of records pertaining to the descendants of the Hon. Robert Hamilton, a factor of the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Fort Edmonton in northern Manitoba. Robert Hamilton married Annie Seabourne. One of their sons was Robert Miles Hamilton (1864-1939). He married Alice May Barker and resided at "Auburn" in Peterborough, Ontario. Their children were Miles Beresford Hamilton, Robert Barker Hamilton, (Alice) Seabourne Hamilton, and S.R. Hamilton (son). Alice Seabourne Hamilton married Charles Norman Geale. Papers of the Barker family (the Hon. Samuel Barker was Mrs. Robert Miles Hamilton's father) are included in this series as are the papers of the Peck family. Edward Armour Peck was the natural son of Arthur Henry Peck and the adoptive father of Charles Norman Geale. He married Kitty Revell. Both Miles Beresford Hamilton and Robert Barker Hamilton served overseas in the First World War and their correspondence is included in this series.

            Series B of this collection consists of the Rogers Papers. Richard Birdsall Rogers was born at Ashburnham in 1857. He lived there until 1916 and then moved to "Beechwood Farm" in Douro Township. He was a land surveyor and was appointed superintendent engineer of the Trent Valley Canal in 1884. Richard married Clara Mina Calcutt of Peterborough in 1881. They had seven children. One daughter, Leah, married Herbert Geale, brother of Charles Norman Geale. Two sons, Heber and Harry served overseas in World War I. Their correspondence is included. R.B. Rogers designed and supervised the building of the hydraulic lift locks at Peterborough and Kirkfield. These papers included several files of plans and specifications for the locks, correspondence and documents accrued during the scandal preceding Rogers' resignation in 1906, the Holgate Report which condemned Rogers and the Keefer investigation which completely vindicated his work as Chief Engineer. We have created a major on-line exhibit focusing on the life and times of Richard Rogers and the Peterborough Lift Lock: http://digitalcollections.trentu.ca/exhibits/birdsall-rogers/zrptboll.htm

            Geale-Rogers family
            G. Wilson Craw collection
            86-003 · Collection · 1818-1965

            This collection consists of records collected by G. Wilson Craw such as school histories, Peterborough County; Barnardo's Canadian Homes Almanac 1901; a list of Peterborough Utilities Commissioners 1902-1965; biographies of Peterborough residents; deeds and mortgages; North Monaghan voters list 1883-4; 76 photographs of industries, schools and churches and sporting groups, as well as a history of Springfield, North Monaghan.

            Craw, G. Wilson
            Fair family photograph album
            89-1035 · Item · [between 1880 and 1900]

            This item is a leather-bound photograph album containing photographs and tintypes. Some of the photographs are identified.

            Fair family