HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1959-04-30, Page 10Opposed at the Start as "Crazy Idea"
Huron's Museum Visited by 75,000
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PAGE TEN .c'UNTON NEWS-RECORD
THURSDAY, APRIL. $0, 1959
Most of those people who ob-
jected did not have a proper un-
derstanding of the type of museum
which was planned. Certainly,
they never envisaged it would be-
Come what it has today.
At first, Herb Neill lived in old
Central School, which was made
over into a Museum. But it was
unsuitable for living quarters and
Mr. Neill offered to put up $300
towards purchasing a little dwell-
ing beside the museum.
The County Museum committee,
however, thought it would give
color to the set-up to have a
pioneer log house erected beside
the Museum and in which Mr.
Neill could live. One was purchas-
ed for $300 at the village of Blue-
vale. It was torn down methodic-
ally, moved to Goderich, and er-
ected on the site beside the Mus-
eum where it now stands.
More Objections
But when some residents saw
the pile of logs beside the Museum
before the log cabin was put up,
once again objections were raised.
They wanted no such antiquated
structure in their neighbourhood.
A petition was drawn up to pre-
vent the erection of the log cabin.
Since Mr. Neill had not yet ap-
plied for a building permit, the
petition was shelved. When he did
apply for the permit, the petition
was not again brought up.
Thus, in the face of many har-
riers, Mr. Neill, like Abraham Lin-
coln, himself, went on to finally
accomplish his objectives.
• But he had behind him a man
who believed in him and his pro-
ject, The late Harvey Erskine,
county clerk, gave steady inspir-
ation to Mr. Neill to carry on.
Mr. Erskine smoothed the way ov-
er numerous difficulties to en-
able the Museum to come into
being, dedicating his time and tal-
ents to this end. The present•
county clerk, John Berry, has con-
tinued the co-operation of the late
Harvey Erskine and has been a
major factor in the phenomenal
growth of the Museum.
On July 4, 1951, the Museum
was officially opened. Even then,
there was still some opposition for
one Huron County reeve was ov-
erhedrd to say, "The first time
the old duffer (Mr. Neill) is out
'of the Museum, we will back up
a truck to the door, load every-
thing on it and dump it all into
Lake Huron." ,
But the Museum grew and pros-
pered and opposition to it faded
away. The first year saw 2,000
people visiting it. Since that time
the number of visitors by years
has been as follows:
1951— 2,000 1955-10,000
1952— 6,000 1956-11,500
1953-- 8,000 1957-13,000
1954— 9,000 1958-16,000
Thus, more than 75,000 visits to
the Museum have been made since
it was opened,
Where From?
Where do the visitors come
from? Last year, for example,
14,050 people came from various
Ontario points outside the town
of Goderich. From Goderich itself
came 202 people, Then, from
Various parts of the United States
came-779 people, Western Canada
contributed 269 persons and the
Maritimes, 78. From the Province
of Quebec came 104 persons and
from the British. Isles, 27, A total
of 17 persons signed in as being
from Holland, There Were three
from Australia the same number
from South America and five from
Germany. Thep, there was one
from each of New Zealend, Ceylon,
South Africa, Alaska, Yukon, Tur-
key and Belgium.
Mr, Neill was born in Howick
Township and during the 20's ran
a harness and shoe repair shop at
Gorrie. It was there his interest
in a museum started. He built
models for display at the Howiek
Fall Fairs. He eventually had a
collection of 3QQ articles which he
transported to and from the fairs
by means of a cart and trailer.
Came the day when he had collect-
ed so • many antiques that they
were crowding him 'out of his
house and place of business. In
1935, he built a travelling museum
but discontinued this later because
he was going broke financially in
operating it.
In 1946, Mr. Neill approached
Huron County Council with the
proposal that it start a museum.
There followed a cooling off per-
iod. Then, in 1948 Huron County
Council approached Mr. Neill and
bought 600 of his antiques reflect-
ing pinneer days in Huron County,
Next, was the decision as to
where the museum should be built.
Three different ones were consid-
erect. When Mr. Neill saw the
old Central Public School building
at Goderich, he decided that was
IT,
1,000 Articles
Mr. Neill came to Goderich in
the fall of 1950 and brought with
him 1,000 articles, 400 of which he
had acquired since the County pur-
chased his other 600 articles two
years previously.
Came the day to move the ar-
ticles to Goderich and ten men
worked steadily all day loading up
two big transports and trailers
with the antiques. Into the old
Central Public School at Goderich
they went in the fall of 1950, the
school having been vacated that
summer.
All that fall and winter, Mr.
Neill plastered, scrubbed, painted
the walls and set up the exhibits.
His training in youth as a black-
smith came in handy for he used
it to good advantage in inventing
numerous working mechanisms for
exhibits.
Most of the displays in the mus-
eum were built solely by Mr. Neill.
They are arranged in chronologic-
al order so as to tell a story of de-
velopment over the years.
Today there are approximately
5,000 articles in the many displays
throughout the,, Museum, Among
them are such 'things as: 15 ways
of making flour; history of salt;
history of time; history of thresh-
ing from flail to modern; history
of lumber; -5 eras of school Iife;
Fire engines; steam engines;
gas engines; rock lifters; .thresh-
ing machines; large collection of
farm implements; road building
machinery;
Trades; shoe, harness, black-
smith, cooper; weaving; carding;
spinning; cider mills and apple
butter; butter making, history of
light; birds and animals;
Ladies' wear, dishes, jewellery;
foreign money; Eskimo articles;
life work of wood carving by Geo-
rge June; musical instruments;
marine life; bicycles; storing ice;
buggies, cutters, sleighs; old-fash-
ioned funeral hearses.
There is a beautiful old writing
desk made up of 13,000 inlaid
pieces, valued at more than $500
and built over a century ago.
There is also a special orchestral
regina which plays music all day
long. But there are so many
many items they can not all be
mentioned here.
Last summer no less than 1,600
school children from various parts
of Western Ontario visited the
Museum.
The Central Public School build-
ing was leased from the 'Goderich
Public School Board for the nom-
inal sum of one dollar a year and
this set-up will remain as long as
the building is used as a museum.
HuronPresbytery
YPU Rally Held
In Wingham Church.
A very successful Spring Rally
of the Huron Presbytery Young
Peoples was held on Tuesday even-
ing, April 21 in Wingham United
Church, Approximately 200 sat
down to_a delicious supper served
in the church, The president Ron-
ald Steepe was in charge,
The following slate of officers
of the Presbytery for 1959-60 were
inducted: past president, Ronald
Steepe, Clinton; president, William
Coultas, Brussels; treasurer, Don-
ald Hemingway, Brussels; vice-
president, Lloyd Holland, Clinton;
publications, Mavis Steepe, Clint-
on; secretary, June Manning, Lon-
desboro;
Missions and World Outreach,
Wilmer Errington, Dungannon;
Stewardship and Training, Bruce
Delbridge, Woodham; Citizenship
and Community Service, George
Ribey, Goderich; Faith and Evan-
gelism, Stan Johns, Clinton; Rec-
reation and Culture, Marg Mach-
an, Wingham; assistant, Murray
Hoover, Brussels.
During the evening a hymnary
in memory of Rev. D. J. MacRae
(past Youth Counsellor for Huron
Presbytery Y.P.U.) was presented
by Past President Ronald Steepe
to Rev, Husser, minister of the
Wingham Church to be used in
that pulpit.
0
VARNA
(By Carol Taylot)
Varna Canadian Girls in Train-
ing met on April 22 at the home
of Miss Barbara Taylor. The
theme was "Our Church", and
Miss Taylor read a story. Mrs.
G. Hill gave a few comments on
business procedure.
The CGIT will hold a Mothers'
Day meeting, and invite all moth-
ers, with Miss Clara Clarke to be
guest speaker. The oven savers
received were distributed for sale.
Edith Dawson and Carol Hill
are in charge of recreation for
the next meeting.
Huron Film Council
At Workshop Meeting
About 15 persons interested in
the Huron County Film Council
attended a workshop in the Wing-
ham United Church last week.
Conclusion reached by the group
was that "films properly used are
more effective than speakers or
reading."
LJ • IJ • .1.1A-11.
ri
Clinton councillors To.,
Attend Mayors -
And ReeyeB Meeting
Mayor Burton Stanley, Reeve
William J, Miller, Deputy Reeve
Melvin Crich and Clerk. John
ermoro will attend a meeting in
St. Catharines on May 6, 7 and 13
of the Mayors And Reeves Assoc-
iation, This is an .annual event.
Council has approved .$25 expen-
ses for each one, plus annual dues
of $20 for membership.
Who is there to deny that the
Huron County Museum has been
a worthwhile project? Can 75,000
people be wrong?
Huron County Museum is re-
garded as one of the most out-
standing pioneer museums of its
kind in a town of this size in all
of Canada.
And the moving spirit behind it?
Herb Neill, its devoted curator!
Yet Herb Neill and Huron Coun-
ty Council faced opposition and
ridicule, from some sides, when
they first planned the Museum at
(Reprinted From The Goderich Signal-Star)
Many worthwhile projects meet with opposition at their
inception, chiefly due to misunderstanding.
Take the Huron County Museum, for example, which has
had more than 75,000 people visit it since its opening July 4, 1951,
Goderich.
Among numerous people who ob-
jected to having the Museum start
here was one man who told Mr.
Neill he was "crazy to start such
a project here" and that the only
place it would be successful would
be at London,
One Huron County councillor,
after learning of proposed plans
for the Museum, went back to his
township council and assured them
he was doing "everything possible
to prevent the Museum idea from
going through."
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