Showing 32 results

Archival description
Collection · 1813-2000

Records relating to the history of West Elgin. Included are:

  • Church deeds from the area
  • Account books for businesses and municipalities
    -Daily registers for schools in Aldborough Township
    -Land study plans and maps from the area
    -Photographs of local sports teams, families, buildings and events
    -Personal correspondence such as wedding and party invitations
    -Municipality records and repots for towns and villages in the area
West Elgin Genealogical and Historical Society
Stan Speers Collection
Collection · 1896-1984

The collection consists of photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings and memorabilia documenting the personal history of Stan Speers, as well as the history of Port Stanley, Ontario and the surrounding areas. Main areas of interest include the Stork Club, Guy Lombardo, and the London Port Stanley Railway Line.

This collection contains the following series:
-Correspondence series, 1937-1960
-Documents series, 1896-1984
-Historical Records series, 1978
-Photographs series, 1925-1981
-Postcards series, 1912-1977

Speers, Stan
Shirley Ewanick Collection
Collection · [ca. 1990s]

Collection contains material collected, created or maintained by Shirley Ewanick, mostly regarding the history of cemeteries in Elgin County. Also contains research material relating to the history of street names in St. Thomas.

Ewanick, Shirley
Ron Payne Collection
Collection · 1844-2000

Fonds contains records collected by Ron Payne that are significant to Elgin County's history, with an emphasis on West Elgin, including West Lorne and Eagle. Collection contains postcards with images of Elgin County and St. Thomas scenes, as well as messages sent to or from Elgin County residents. A significant portion of the collection is comprised of records created by A. McKillop and Sons Ltd. and includes legal documents, correspondence and administrative records. The Collection is arranged into the following series:
-Photographs series
-Newspapers series
-A. McKillop & Sons Ltd. records series
-Eva Cosens notebook series
-Promotional calendars series
-Letterhead series
-Land records series
-Miscellaneous documents series
-Maps and plans series
-Postcards series

Payne, Ron
Collection · 1832-2005

Fonds contains miscellaneous material collected by Robert and Patricia Moore, with relevance to St. Thomas and Elgin County's history. Includes photographs, newspapers and newspaper clippings, magazines, publications, documents, maps, miscellaneous ephemera and a philatelic collection containing envelopes, postcards and stamps. Collection is arranged into the following series:

  1. Philatelic Collection series
  2. Ephemera series
  3. Scrapbook series
  4. Elgin County history series
  5. St. Thomas history series
  6. Maps series
  7. Newspaper series
  8. Photographs series
  9. Publications series
  10. Railway records series
  11. County records series
Moore, Robert G.
Collection · Digitized 2009 (originally created 1917)

Collection consists of images of a diary kept by Private Robert Alfred Brown of the 91st Battalion during World War One and of the memorial plaque his family received upon his death.

Brown, Robert Alfred
Collection · 1833-2017

This collection is comprised of research notes, award and society information, letters and stamps which comprise early postal markings and history of Elgin County and the surrounding region, 1833-2017

Johnson, Dr. B. Connor
Collection · 1847-1994

Fonds is comprised of photographs of early families that settled on Nova Scotia Line. These families include the Hankinsons, Haggans and Chutes. The fonds also includes general historical records such as memorial cards, correspondence and an early marriage registration, regarding these families.

Hankinson (family)
Murray VanZanten Collection
Collection · 2008-2010

Collection is comprised of research material accumulated or created by Murray VanZanten during the course of his research into early financial institutions in St. Thomas and Elgin County. The records were collected and compiled ca. 2008-2010, and organized according to either general information about all the financial institutions in St. Thomas and Elgin County, or divided into subject files about each individual bank. The individual banks are:
-The Bank of the County of Elgin
-The Star Loan Company
-The Southwestern Farmers' and Mechanics' Savings and Loan Society
-The Southern Loan & Savings Company

VanZanten, Murray
Morley Thomas Collection
Collection · 1926-1938

The collection includes school records created or collected by Morley Thomas, a student at School Section No. 6 (Talbotville School) and the St. Thomas Collegiate Institute. Contains reports, a certificate, and volumes of the student publication titled "The Collegian."

Thomas, Morley
Milton Berry Collection
Collection · 1925-1926

Collection consists of reports, documents, photographs and maps relating to the Talbot Estates, former home of Colonel Thomas Talbot, ca. 1925-1926. Collection is arranged into the following series:
-Documents series, 1925
-Reports series, 1925
-Photographs series, 1925
-Maps series, ca. 1926

Berry, Milton
Maggie Moore Collection
Collection · 1887-1997

Collection consists of photographs, newspapers and other documents collected by Maggie Moore, predominantly relating to Shedden, Ontario.

Moore, Maggie
Ken Verrell Collection
Collection · [ca. 1851-2010]

Collection contains several thousand items, including correspondence, photographs, personnel records, financial records, subscription books, lease agreements, maps, plans and drawings from a number of railway companies that operated in Elgin County. This includes the Michigan Central Railroad, the London & Port Stanley Railway, the Pere Marquette Railway Company, the Grand Trunk Railway, the Wabash Railroad Company, Canada Southern, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company, the Canadian National Railways, the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the Consolidated Rail Company (Conrail), as well as many of their subsidiary companies. There is a strong emphasis on the Michigan Central Railroad and the London and Port Stanley Railway.

The collection provides insight into the day-to-day interactions between local businesses, residents and the railway companies that were operating in Elgin County and increases our understanding of the county’s economic development over time. The collection documents changes in the county’s built environment as a result of the development of railway in the area, and illustrates the evolution of railway technology from early steam engines to electrified and high-speed rail.

The collection also includes personal records belonging to Ken Verrell, reflecting his role in various local organizations and his interest in railway history.

The collection is arranged into the following series:
-Photographs series
-Postcards series
-Michigan Central Railroad Records series
-Canada Southern Railway Records series
-Pere Marquette Railway Records series
-Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Records series
-London and Port Stanley Railway Records series
-Grand Trunk Railway Records series
-Wabash Railroad Records series
-Canadian Pacific Railway Records series
-Canadian National Railways Records series
-Conrail Records series
-Miscellaneous Railways Records series
-General Railway History series
-St. Thomas Railway History series
-Labour Unions Records series
-Elgin Photographic Heritage Society Records series
-Elgin County History series
-St. Thomas History series
-Personal Records and Memberships series
-Miscellaneous Records series
-Newspaper Clippings series
-Audio-Visual series

Verrell, Ken
Collection · 1951-2008

The Collection primarily contains historical notes made by Glenn Alward from scrapbooks his father created comprised of newspaper clippings documenting the community history of Port Burwell. Alward's father was Harry O. Alward, former Reeve of Port Burwell. The Collection also contains an assortment of newspaper clippings regarding events in Port Burwell, and Harry Alward's contribution to the community.

Alward, Glenn
Haight Family Collection
Collection · 1871-1955

Collection includes photographs of the Haight and Zavitz families from Elgin County and Lobo Township in Middlesex County. The photographs primarily show close relatives of Eva Marguerite Haight, who went by Marguerite, and later married Russell Zavitz. Includes photographs of her children and grandchildren, mainly taken at Sunnyside in Lobo Township, and Cedar Villa or Locust Grove in Elgin County. Item-level description is available.

Haight (family)
Graves Family Records
Collection · 1926-1946

Records include photographs of the Graves and Babcock families of Mount Salem, and a funeral card for Lloyd Graves (1824-1928). Item-level description is available.

Graves (family)
George Gray Collection
Collection · 1878-2005

Records relating to George Gray's life and career in St. Thomas. Fonds includes the following series:
-St. Thomas Collegiate Institute
-Parkside Collegiate Institute

Gray, George
Collection · 1928-2015

Fonds contains records created or collected by the Fritz family relating to Alma College. Includes personal records belonging to Betty Smith, a student from 1941-1945, and Mary Louise Fritz, a student from 1954-1955. Also includes a photograph album and photographic negatives compiled by Bernice Fritz (nee Eilber), who was a student from 1928-1930. Fonds also contains miscellaneous documents and ephemera relating to Alma College, ca. 1932-2015.

Fritz (family)
Evelyn Moore Collection
Collection · [ca. 1850-1989]

Collection contains material collected or created by Evelyn Moore and her husband Frank C. Moore, with records mostly relating to Belmont, Ontario. There is an emphasis on records from the Yarmouth and Belmont Agricultural Society records, which were likely acquired by Frank C. Moore during his tenure as the society's President. Fonds is arranged into the following series:

  1. Photographs
  2. Yarmouth and Belmont Agricultural Society records
  3. Manuscripts
  4. Belmont Telephone Co-Operative Association Limited records
  5. Knox Presbyterian Church records
  6. Miscellaneous historical records
Moore, Evelyn
Elizabeth Raven Collection
Collection · 1931-2008

Collection contains material collected or maintained by Elizabeth Raven, former teacher and Chairman of the Board for Alma College. Material related to Alma College includes ephemera, newspapers and newspaper clippings regarding the fire, newspaper clippings and memorial booklets for Dr. Flora Sifton, a session calendar, Alma College Alumnae bulletins, volumes of Almafilians, and meeting minutes of the Alma Alumnae Auxiliary. Collection also includes a scrapbook that highlights the activities of the Tonti Chapter of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (I.O.D.E), in which Elizabeth Raven was a member and served as First Vice-Regent.

Raven, Elizabeth