The Village Squire, 1981-08, Page 17Daytripping by Dean Robinson
Bruce County Museum lures you into the past
The settlement patterns of the pioneers
of Bruce County were quite different from
those who staked their claims in the
Toronto or Niagara regions of this
province.
Therefore it should follow that a
museum dedicated to preserving the
material culture of those pioneers would
also be different.
And it is.
The Bruce County Museum, in Sout-
hampt on. now houses 60,000 items,
displayed in an interesting and informa-
tive fashion. They lure you into the past
and then illustrate what our forefathers
must have encountered and how they
coped, in their homes and in their fields.
There is a general store. authentically
reconstructed and containing everything
from Golden Spray Loaf Cheese to
Saugeen Birch Beer.
There is a varied collection of heavy
farm equipment, including a horse tread-
mill, a stone lifter (which doubles as a
stump puller), and horse-drawn carriag-
es, sleds and hearses.
And there is a prehistoric gallery with
Indian artifacts from the Nodwell site in
nearby Port Elgin and the Inverhuron site
which was excavated by the Royal
Ontario Museum in the late 1950's.
A museum anywhere in Bruce County
would not be complete without devoting
some space and attention to marine
history, backdropped by Lake Huron and
Georgian Bay and shaped by the sailors
who plied those waters. The BCM has on
display dugout canoes, as well as
implements and tools from the 19th
century when the shipping industry
thrived on the Great Lakes.
Apart from the main buildings are two
of the most interesting structures you'll
find at any museum. The first is a log
house, known officially as the Moffatt
dome. In the mid 50s it was moved from
its original site in Kinloss Township and
for much of the 1956 season members of
the area women's institutes spent a great
deal of time setting the house in order.
That same year it was opened to the
public and since then the women have
served as hostesses for its many visitors.
The other detached buidling is No. 10
Amabel School, a log schoolhouse that
was dismantled at its initial location and
reconstructed on the museum grounds.
Donation of the school was made by the
teachers of Bruce County in 1967 and its
transfer was carried out in conjunction
with Canada's centennial celebrations.
A centrally -located woodburning stove
provides the school's heat (or, at least,
did), and on the front wall beside the
blackboard but also close to the teacher's
desk hangs a well-worn strap. Some
guests might find their visit momentarily
painful in the reflective sense. The school
is one of the museum's most popular
attractions.
The BCM is less than 30 years old but it
has grown dramatically since six ladies
from Women's Institutes in Bruce first
approached their county council and
asked that a museum be established. The
women were ready to back their desire
withdollars and it was that kind of spirit
that brought about a museum bylaw in
1955. That was the first season for their
dream -come -true, and 9,000 visitors pro-
vided all the justification that was
needed. It's now estimated that between
12,000 and 14,000 people tour the
museum on an annual basis.
The original museum and its site have
changed considerably over the years and
they continue to change in an effort to
keep the project as entertaining and as
efficient as possible. A new building was
added, and in 1976 there was another
official opening. The environmental con-
trol system now being installed will
protect the permanent collection for
decades to come.
Several of the exhibits are ever-
changing, so the museum has become a
place to enjoy many times throughout the
year. It has proven to be popular for
thousands of school children, mostly from
Bruce County and mostly from elemen-
tary grades. It has a way of making
geography, local history and even art
come alive.
During this time of the year (from July
1 to Labour Day) the museum is open
from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through
Saturday, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each
Sunday. Winter hours (February 1 to
Victoria Day and Labour Day to Decem-
ber 12) are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday
through Saturday.
Admission prices are S1 for adults, 75
cents for students and seniors, and 50
cents for children under 13. There is no
charge for pre-schoolers and there is a
family price of $2.50. Appointments can
be made for groups of 10 or more persons
at a special group rate.
The museum is located on Victoria
Street. Numerous signs in and around
Southampton provide directions.
Lloyd
Summer
Furniture
to suit every Pool, Patio, etc.
High backs
Umbrella tables
Swivel rockers
Low backs
Loungers
Patio tables
234 Main St.
Seaforth, Ont.
527-0104
VILLAGE SQUIRE/AUGUST 1981 PG. 15