Virtual Exhibit:
From the Beginning: Looking Back to the Original Location of the VCHS Museum
The Victoria County Historical Society dates to 1957, when a group of citizens began collecting, preserving, and sharing the heritage of Lindsay and the surrounding townships.
Letters Patent were formally issued August 3, 1976, for the organization to:
“Collect, preserve, exhibit and publish material pertaining to the history of the County of Victoria in particular and to Canadian historical records generally; to acquire documents and manuscripts and obtain narratives and records of pioneers; to maintain a gallery of historical portraits and historical museum; to publish and diffuse information relative to the history of the County of Victoria, and in general, to encourage and develop within the County of Victoria the study of its history.”
Charter members included:
Roy Bullock, Lindsay
Edgar Faed, Lindsay
Frank McFadden, Lindsay
Berle Coulter, librarian, Lindsay
Joan Metherall, school teacher, Lindsay
Jamie McQuarrie, barrister and solicitor, Lindsay
John Walden, barrister and solicitor, Lindsay
Brenda O’Keefe, councillor, Lindsay
Melville Omerod, retired physician, Lindsay
Frank Weldon, retired county clerk, Lindsay
Anne Jacobs, Little Britain
Russell Little, farmer, Little Britain
Allison Little, Little Britain
Walter Outram, Ops
The site was acquired and a small building was constructed. A log cabin and barn were added to the property.
Minnie Muir, 1930
The log cabin was handmade in Uphill, a hamlet in Digby township, by Robert Muir in the mid- to late-1800s. Born approximately 1823, Robert Muir came to Canada and married Jane Cameron. They settled in Uphill, where they had several children. They passed the house down to their son, John Muir, born November 3, 1870, married Mary “Minnie” McDill in 1909 (pictured at right). They had two sons, Frederick born in 1910, and Walter, born in 1912. Both Walter and Fred tended the Digby fire lookout tower.
Fred passed away, ending the Muir family line. The house was donated to the museum in 1976 and relocated piece by piece.
The house is currently located at Settler’s Village in Bobcaygeon, moved there in 2002.
The Museum Barn
We don’t have history on the barn. We suspect it came to us from Mrs. Charles Shields (Jean Laidlaw), along with a lot of other donated items. The Shields property was on Indian Point and previously belonged to John Hilliard Carnegie. More information about Carnegie and Shields can be found at the Indian Point Property Association website.
If you know more about this barn and where it ended up, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us.
Discover the Museum
Please enjoy this slideshow presentation of the Victoria County Museum and the featured collections on display at that time: