Category: Historic Stories
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The History of Fort Frontenac
When we think of the military and colonial history of Kingston, most people think of Fort Henry, Royal Military College, and British settlements (the city is named after King George III after all!) But an underestimated historical site in Kingston is Fort Frontenac. Fort Frontenac is a historical and archeological site that was the first…
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L’histoire du Fort Frontenac
Quand nous pensons de l’histoire militaire et coloniale du Kingston, la plupart des gens pensent du fort Henry, Collège militaire royal du Canada, et les colonies britanniques (la ville est nommée pour roi George III après tout!) Mais un sous-estimé site de l’histoire du Kingston c’est le fort Frontenac. Fort Frontenac est un site historique…
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A Historic Place in Odessa, The Reopening of the Babcock Mill
The Historic Babcock Mill, built in 1856 and located on the banks of Millhaven Creek in Odessa, was officially reopened to the public by Loyalist Township on July 6th, 2023. For many, the wait for this day has been long. The historic place has been closed to the public for the last 30 years! As…
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What is the LodgePole Arts Alliance?
Written by: Eva Macdonald A story of cultural pride coupled with the infectious drive of its creators. A story of local roots and international aspirations. It is my pleasure to introduce LodgePole Arts Alliance. Grounded in tradition and rooted in East Woodland artistic expression, LodgePole Arts Alliance is an exciting initiative emerging from Wolfe Island.…
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The Rosamond Woolen Company and the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
Written by: Emma Wyse If you are looking for an experience which perfectly marries history and the present, art with technology, and a stunning indoor space with outdoor activities, look no further than the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM). In operation since 1990, the museum is located in Almonte, about 1.45 hours from Kingston, and…
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Class Act: Frontenac County Schools Museum
Written by: Kate MacEwen When drafting your summer bucket list, visiting a classroom is not likely at the forefront of your mind. However, last month, I did just that after discovering the Frontenac County Schools Museum. This quaint non-profit offers a wealth of history with its thousands of artifacts certainly worth a trip out to…
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Fires and Fortitude: Stories of Historical Kingston Entrepreneurs
Written by: Linnea Uunila Kingston is well-known for its military and penitentiary histories, but there’s another important aspect of Kingston that is often overlooked: its businesses. One man that left his mark on the city was William Johnson. William was a black entrepreneur who moved to Kingston from Ohio around 1826. Despite racism and discrimination,…
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Two Bays, Two Stories: From Deadman’s Bay to Navy Bay
On each side of Fort Henry lies a bay: Deadman’s Bay to the east and Navy Bay to the west. These two bays have stories to tell, about 100 years apart. One is a story of tragedy, the other of ingenuity. Both are about hard work and determination. With the spring weather now here, you…
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Horses, Hucksters, and Hogs
Written By: Helen Cutts, Kingston Association of Museums Visitor in Residence I love looking at vintage photographs in Kingston and area museums, especially scenes with horse-drawn wagons and carriages. While the scenes look peaceful, anyone who knows horses knows the potential for chaos to be unleashed. In the 1850s when Kingston’s streets were filled with…
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Molly Brant: An Exceptional Woman
The ability to have influence in two distinct cultures is a rare gift. It is a skill prized by diplomats today, but would it have been appreciated 250 years ago if the person engaged in negotiation and diplomacy was an Indigenous woman? I happily discovered that, in the case of Molly Brant, the answer is…
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Let the Farmerettes Pitch In
As a city slicker, I can’t carry on much of a conversation about farming, but after a recent visit to the South Frontenac Museum, I now know what a farmerette is. I’ve also learned something about educational toys, wartime nurses and Sunday dinners. These seemingly diverse topics all make sense once you know that the…
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John Counter: the Man, Not the Boulevard
As I followed the John Counter Boulevard project, I saw truck after truck deliver a massive amount of rock to serve as the foundation for the bridge over the railway tracks. Recently, my interest turned to the name, John Counter. Who was this man? What would he have thought about this major infrastructure project? A…
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The Penitentiary and the Prince
Had there been Twitter in the summer of 1860, tweets in Kingston would have been about the upcoming visit of Queen Victoria’s son, the 18-year-old Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII. Kingston was one of several planned stops on the Prince’s tour of Canada and the United States. He and his entourage…
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Following the Timber
“Following the timber” isn’t a phrase you hear nowadays. But in the 19th century, this was a way of life for many people who worked in the logging industry. As lumber companies aggressively cut timber, whole forestry regions were depleted, triggering the company to move westward in search of new forests. Those dependent on the…
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Pvt. Thomas Neill and Hill 70
Published by Iris Russak Thomas Neill had joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force along with his brother James in March 1916, when he enlisted with the 111th South Waterloo Battalion. They had completed basic training at Camp Borden, Ontario and sailed together to England for further training. Thomas had remained in England in various training camps…
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Cloyne Pioneer Museum: Logging Industry & Tourism in Ontario
Situated among the abundant lakes of Addington Highlands, the town of Cloyne, Ontario evokes the nostalgia of its logging past. The donation-run Cloyne Pioneer Museum and Archives serves as a time machine for those interested in taking a look at the history of the logging industry in Ontario. It is a pretty drive up Highway…