HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1969-06-12, Page 2►fi la► l ft�,l�i S ON,AleS `AR, Tk P SPAY, Jl
Beside the Hut'bn County Museum stands an old log cabin that was the home of former curator, Herb
. Neil. Mr. Neil 'lived in the cabin • while making over the abandoned -school into Huron County
Museum. -- Gerry Cover Photo
Creator of county museum is
well known in many lands
By Miss Eva M. Somerville and bitterly a discipline nothing
One of Huron County's grand short of cruelty, which resulted
old men celebrated his 84th in a withdrawn attitude and a
birthday' at. Huronview, Clinton, complete reticence against any.
,'on June 10, 1969. J. Herbert urge to manifest , an enquiring
Neill - Herbie to his host of mind. This "tense schoolroom
friends - delights to tell of his atmosphere • even hindered
humble beginnings and the absorption of what might ave
bat11es he 'fought against many, been gained even in silence, on
•handicaps. his part.
'There were many boys of the So as the years went by it was
19th century in Canada whose by sheer determination ,and
names have become familiar in perseverance that he succeeded
newspaper headlines. Herb Neill in a remarkable degree to offset
did,,not become a politician 'or the ill effects'of his lack of light,
reach distinction in any physically and academicahy . .
profession; his name has been in It is easily understood why his
few headlines. But it may be occupations would, be those of
true to say that his • came is many . others born to life on a
known in the far corners of the farm. He was born in Howick
globe because visitors to his Township in Huron County
museum have' procured the about 4 rnileg north.of W ro. ter.
fascinatiegiy interesting and His boyhood an 'most : o h s
detailed brochure that he • early adult life was spent in that
prepared- According to the vicinity, and largely in the^village
visitor's register these folk have • of Gorrie. The limited vision and
come from all the Provinces of also rheumatic tendencies
R Canada; from mast"of the States hindered him as a farmer. Other
in the U.S.AA including Alaska occupations were tried
and Hawaii;., the Yukon, South blacksmith, shoemaker, machine
- America, South Africa, the shop mechanic, harness maker.
British Isles, Germany, Belgium, He likes to veil' of his success
and even Turkey. .The records in developing a hitherto
show between 20,000 and . , unknown way of splicing and
30,004 visiting the Museum . stitching torn leather and rubber
• annually . - belts for threshing machines in
Mr. Neill's humility is tinged common use by farmers •in the
with a justifiable degree of pride 1800's and early 1900's.
when he waxes a bit voluble over Alt of his varied occupations
the main `project of his life, the had their 'part in eventually
Huron -County --Pioneer Museum- -- contributing to whet became his
•on •Noii`th Street, Goderich." life work, Curator of one of
Those - and there are many Ontario's outstanding Pioneer
thousands of all ages - who have Museums. It was in the 1934's
visited the Museum. will attest that he became seriously
to his volubility as he acted as interested in collecting such
• guide through that institution items as one sees now in a
during •his Curatorship from number of . pioneer museums.
1950 to 1966. No guide in the Many are the interesting
anecdotes that Mr... Neill can tell
about the securing of his first
1000 or so items that formed
the nucleus of the present
Museum. and then later of what
has been added up to over
11,009.
But it isn't every pioneer
Museum that can include the
' more than 145 working models
sueh -.as Herb Neill designed and
constructed. Outstanding is his
series of working models
showing 18 different ways, of
making , flour or , meal from
pre -Biblical times to the present
- Roman, Chinese. Italian.
Egyptian. East Indian. West
Indian, and modern Canadian.
Working mechanisms show
how time has been told down
through the ages by drops of
water, grains of sand or rays of
the sun. The electrically
operated floral dock on the
Museum lawii is of Neill design
and construction and tells the
time as 'accurately and
interestingly as the famous
' • Floral Clock in Princess Street
Gardens in old Edinburgh. ti
To honour Mr. Neill on his
78th birthday in 1963 he was
made an honourary' member of
the Museums Section • of the
.00
Ontario Historical Society. the
first to be accorded this honour.
The Huron County . Pioneer
' Museum and the name of J. H.
Neill are synonymous in the
estimation of those privileged to
visit it during his Curatorship. It
is hoped that during 1969 a
-"booklet stay-. be available at the
Museum that, in addition to the
brochure already there, another
may tell something of the
experiences of . this humble man,
that eventually led up to the
• institution on North Street that
may well ' be regarded as a
memorial' to one of Huron
County's devoted citizens. In the
meantime the many friends of
Herbie Neill would wish him
.well on his 84th birthday
tr
Palace of Versailles_ had ' his
- "lines" more_ perfect nor would
he be any prouder of what he
had to exhibit.
Just as "great oaks from little
acorns grow," so the unique
Museum in,Goderich which now
houses ''over 11,000 exhibits
'froth a . needle to a railway steam
locomotive, began according to
Mr. Neill's own words with an
old -`tallow idle lantern:" It
might be considered even a bit
of coincidence that it should be.
a light -producing item that was
Herbie Neill's "acorn." Not only
has Mr. Neil procured and
developed through his own
ingenuity the various ways in
which artificial light has been
produced, from a piece: of bark
'to the fluorescent light, but he
has been' the means of throwing
light on a past that might have
remained in the dark for this and
future generations who boast of
all the forms of , twentieth
century enlightenment..
On first meeting the Curator
_ -of- the biluseurn you would"see
bespectacled eyes even shaded
by a peculiar homemade
contraption to reduce' glare on
• his sensitivif eyes. Immediately
you detect a practised economy
and., hittavity, and he would
' proudly tell you, "1 made these
.Out of worn-out aluminum
sauce -pan and a bit of wire, and
painted them red."
Prom early childhood one of
his handicaps was this very
ted ision. Onl Made !, ate
v
Editor.N
s- ote: Since receiving
this article. it has been learned
that Mr. Neil has 'been adiuitted
to Victoria Hospital, Lcmdt m.
Among many of Herb. Neil's accomplishments while he was curator of the .Huron County Museum
was this replica of the•Benmiller flour mill. It is a working model and is on display in the museum. --
London Free Press Photo
CAR. STARTING HINT
if you have to start a ear that
has been idle for a long period,
the Ontario -Safety League
suggests you do it this way. Turn
on the, headlights for about 1Q
seconds; wait another 10
seconds; then try the starter
switch. The theory Is that brief
se
uof the headlights activates
the battery, and gets it in better
shape to respond to the heavy
demand of the starter.
Mr. Neill is shown after being presented with an honorary Jife membership in the Ontario Historical
Society in 1963. With him are Mrs. Gi. n Metcalf, Hamilton, who was then chairman of the museum
section of the society and Andrew W. Taylor, Galt, who was president of the society. -London Free
Press Photo. •
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limi
care had been available fo 'm
and he has not had the benefit
of what might have . provided
him • With better. vision.
Considering this one physical
- hatldicap, a v=isitor to the
Museum is likely to marvel at
the intricate working Models he
constructed. In addition there
was an unhappy and most
upprotitable • seven years in
Public School, Vora but one of
the *eats he describ wti+r� di'y
PORTRAIT.
PAINTED
A portrait of Herb Neill-,,
f rmer curator of the, Huron
County Museum in Goderich,
has been painted by f. W.
McLaren, of henmiller., president
of the (ounty, historical society,
and will hang in the museum
The picture was to have beer_
presented to Mr. Neill officially
last ?Olay at the monthly
meeting of county council, but
.theistinguished recipient was
and in hospital.
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