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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-09-08, Page 11Wall to wall history Lois Hodgins of the Mount Carmel area in South Huron, has a room filled with memories and momentoes from bygone eras. Her extensive collection includes everything from small household wares to barber equipment and antique light fixtures. Check out our exceptional inventory of clothing & footwear at prices that are sure to please Striped Coveralls.& Caps Work Pants & Shirts Gloves, Vests, Jackets & more Open six days a week from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. for your convenience RICE'S STORE Con. 12 Hullett Twp. 2 miles east of Rwy. #4 (519) 523-4426 Welcome To liti rtilusHER& 1104411, dt.t, Anniversary ?-) Sept. 8, 9 & 10, 1995 Fair Grounds B13rth, Ontario • Large Steam. 71-action arid Portable Engines • Model Steam Engines • Antique Flea Market• Antique Vehicles • Large Saw Mill • Miniature Saw Mill • Shingle Mill • Baker Fan • Gas Tractors (Exhibits must be pre 1960) • Nightly Corn Roasts • Featured Tractor - Case • Gas Engines • Antique Tractor Pull • Log Sawing Competition • Belt Setting Competition •Bag Thing Competition (Competition Sat. & Sun.) • Blyth Optimists sponsoring Children's Competitions • Cider & Bean Pots • Souvenir Dishes • Crafts • Blacksmith Shop Friday - 8:00 a.m. Senior Citizens & Elementary Student Activity Day $2.00 Admission for Seniors Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday 8:00 a.m. - 6 p.m. Admission $4.00 per person Members must have 1995 memberships Children - 12 & under $1.00 Children - 12 & under accompanied by an adult - FREE FREE CAR PARKING FREE SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE FROM PARKING LOT TO MAIN GATE PEOPLE MOVERS AVAILABLE FOR ON GROUNDS TRANSPORTATION PAGE A-12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1995. Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion 1995 Woman's collection a visit to Grandma's house By Janice Becker Even for someone born in the 60s, a stop by Lois Hodgins' showroom is sure to bring back long-stored memories of visits to Grandma's house, full of treasures and tools unfamiliar to the young eyes of a child raised in the ever-increasing age of technology. Hodgins began her collection of antique and unusual kitchen utensils and other items necessary in day-to-day life from the mid 1800s through the turn of the century, in Canada's centennial year. The celebration of the Centennial made her realize there was a need to preserve some of the everyday items our ancestors used, she says. can tell you when, where and under what circumstances she purchased the items. In some cases, she may even know a little history behind the article. Hodgins has commercial grade egg beaters and muffins tins which came from a bakery, precious items which were once used by her grandmother, light fixtures from a local church and a Lucan hotel, general store decor removed from a business she worked in as a young girl and the calender her mother preserved from the year of her birth. Finding delight in asking visitors to identify the pieces, the selection of offerings includes a strap of leather placed around the hand with a metal hook protruding from the palm (a corn husker), a metal plate in the shape of half a shoe sole with a downward facing hook at the arch and a leather strap and buckle (a boot protector for digging trenches with a spade) and a small cast iron skillet with a notch on either side of the handle and a compartment across from the handle (a 1961 ashtray with match holder attached). Having discovered many of her pieces at flea markets and estate sales, Hodgins says, collecting is not just about gathering things of a certain vintage, but about there not being anymore created. Following this philosophy, the showroom houses several items from the 50s and 60s, from companies which created very unique pieces, but are no longer in existence. Other fascinating objects include a marmalade maker, raisin seeder, cherry pitter, cheese taster, butter churns, berry picking and dinner pails, barber equipment, hair fashions, wooden roller skates, clothes drying racks, paint roller, a honey knife, match holders, some of the first electric steam irons, corn and potato planters, tiny stoves and a very special 75-year-old washing machine, beautifully restored. Amongst the hundreds of articles are a few which have baffled even the very knowledgeable Hodgins; what appears to be a small knife with a notch in one side, a holed pan with a long handle and spring of sorts held in a U-shape by attachments to a Continued on A13 Stitch in time An antique Singer sewing machine sits quietly on the counter, waiting for the next time the wheel will while and the needle will create delicate works Many pieces have already disappeared and some of the ones in her collection are amongst the few remaining. The showroom, situated at the back of Hodgins' home near Mount Cannel, is filled to the ceiling with common articles such as egg beaters, timers, kettles, cooking pans and rolling pins, which have changed very little over the last century and a half. But, hidden amongst the easily recognizable ware are pieces which only the true collector and lover of antiques could identify. One of Hodgins most unusual finds is a meat juicer from the early 1900s. As with most of the pieces in her collection, there is a story to go along with her genuine fascination of the works. She