HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-09-28, Page 17v. _. nana-na ana a avara
' 125i...YEAR - 39
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1912
It's our
The Property Committee of Huron. County would like to make ,
a museum of Penology at the site of the former jail. It "is the
only building of its kind in North America and it would be the •
only Museum of Penology in Ontario. What more suitable use
for the jail, especially now when tourists are clamouring for
Although the Huron County
-Proper-t--Gornum-ittee-brought - n
a recommendation to turn the
former Huron County jail, into a
Museum of Penology at last
Friday's meeting, members of
council felt they needed more
time, and ore information to
make suc a, decision. It was
agree that the Property Com-
mitte should come up with
some a ternate proposals in time
for co ncil's next meeting,"
Acc rding to Property Com-
mittee Chairman Ken F.
McMichael, reeve urnberry,
the project would costa it
$25,000.- for alternations to the
jail. Of course, there would be
the regular operating expenses
to ' consider once the ,museum
was functional. .
Plans for the Museum of
Penology were impressive. A
comprehensive report .including
a written brief and a' slide
presentation' showed the former,
jail house converted into a
tourist attraction for the future.
"The Huron County jail' in
Goderich is a building of
pleasing appearance as well as
an unusual example of prison
architecture," the report stated,
"and it would be unfortunate to
tear it down simply to provide
parking space. The building
could serve a useful purpose and
become an asset to the com-
munity as a, "Museum . of
Penology'. With proper
promotion and development, it
could become°nationally and in -
ternationally noteworthy as an
interpretative:•-•'•centre—using -a-
theme such as crime, its punish-
ment and ,prisoner
rehabilitation in Canada."
"It is true that the museum
would concern itself with only
one subject,'' the report • con-
tinued. "However, it is an in-
triguing one to the general
public and could develop in
stature in the presentation of the
subject of penology in a way
that, Ste -Marie .Among the
Hurons is to the 17th century
'French culture in Ontario, or
Fort Henry as a "living fort".
"The Committee has been
promised every assistance from
the provincial government with
regard to supplying materials,"
McMichael stated 'to council.
_well::: there is '''also the.
possibility that display cases
could 'be made at a number of
provincial institutions which,
would again reduce the cost. I{t
is quite likely that this project
could come under .the Winter
Works Program and thus would
save considerable as far as labor
is .concerned.
The present plans call for the
kitchen area of the jail to be
converted into a modern snack
bar and gift or souvenir shop
with access to the outside yard.
Suggestion is to dismantle part
of the outside walls between the
"work yard" and jail yard to
provide access to the parking
space which would be adjacent:
On the first floor would be a
livingroom cell showing
new places to visit and new things to see. Sadistic?. Hardly.
Huron County has a history. Ontario has a history. North
America,has a history. Why should we sweep it under the rug •
when so manypeople would pay dollars to review it? (staff •
photo) se..
Photos
by
on Shaw
orf�r future.
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
prisoners (manikins' dressed in
• priso,&..,.gsxb.) either eating carat.
some recreational activity.
Visitors would view this room
through the bars. '
The jailer's office Would be
decorated in a ponderous Vic-
torian style to emphasize the
,comfort of living, the hobbies
and personality of the jailer as
compared with the stark and
boring lives of the prisoners..
On the second floor, the jail,
hospital, the punishment hall,
the turnkey's room. On the third
'floor, more displays of a general
nature pertaining to penology,
of course.
It is felt that a curator would
have to be secured for the
museum and perhaps one other
person. on a., 'full-time basis.
Guide's would be necessary for
"special events or peak visitor
attendance".
Discussion was heavy on the
matter.
Frank , Cook, deputy reeve of
'Clinton, started it off.
"Personally I say, we already'
have: a museum to look after,"
said Cook. "It would cost a for:
tune to set up 'this display. I
think we should quit spending
money. I can't see us spending a
whole lot` of money on
something like. this."
Cook went on to say that un-
der today's laws, jails are not
being used as much as they once
were.
Don McGregor, deputy -reeve
of Exeter, said the costs for the
project .could be spread
over four or five years.
"It wouldn't change our`:;
budget very much by going .
ahead with this, said';
McGregor.
McKillop's Reeve Allan Camp
'pbell said that he'd prefer to get ;`'
in a bulldozer and "clean the
property up". °
Goderich Township deppty-
reeve Gerry Ginn was afraid
that certain personalities would
be recalled through,the museum
- most notably, of course, Steven,
Truscott.
"I'd hate to see that brought
to life again, commented Ginn.,
"It would be very embarrassing.
There must be other uses for the
jail. I don't think people would,,i,
beinterested in a museum ol~
penology."
"It could possibly- - be
deterrent," said Reeve ' Ed Od-
dliefson of Bayfield. "People
could .see how depraved a
citizen can become." -
Oddliefson said council
shouldreonsider that some of the
cost would be defrayed by ad-
mission charges.
° "It would be the only display
of its kind in Ontario," said
Oddliefson who also suggested
there should be some kind of
financial assistance available
from the province.
We'll get lots of moral
support," interjected John
'Berry, administrator, "but no
money." Authentic display
items have already ' been
promised ' by the Archives of
Ontario.
Reeve Derry Boyle of ,Exeter
said he'd like to see the money
"spread around". Reeve Roy
Pattison of' East Wawanosh said
he could see some value in the
project and wou,h1 like to give it
"more study".
Deputy -Reeve Anson
McKinley of Stanley Township
said that he couldn't support
the recommendation of the com-
mittee because it hadn't looked
into any alternatives.
"Certainly it would be. a
drawing card to our county,"
said McKinley. "But to be wor-
thwhile, it would cost con-
siderable money and I'm not
prepared4o,cornmit,ouar cou;nty .,
to this kind of expenditure now,
There should be more study.
-There is no need to rush into
it."
the town of Goderich split the
costs 50-50.
"""R" nfin -""F1 finery 'a-
Seaforth
Seaforth felt this was a worth-
while suggestion.
"It, is a local problem" said
Flannery, who has worked on .
the Van Egmond project near
Seaforth, "and if the Town of
Goderich wanted to take over, I
believe it would- be very sur -
Prising, the number of people
who are interested in this kind
of thing.
Some members of council
thought a Museum of Penology
would attract only sadists and
persons- with strange likes. •
"I see nothing wrong in
preserving the,, history that has
taken place," commented Reeve
Paul Carroll , of Goderich. "I
0914 ''t` f rid it sadistic. A local
government must -take this kind
of responsibility for preserving
this kind of thing in our own
areas. I think it is a tremendous
idea. Further avenues should
possibly be explored. Perhaps
an outdoor theatre. This past
summer's efforts by the Pen-
dulum Players at the jail proved
it was an excellent surrounding
for theatre."
"This jail is the only one of its
kind in North America," stated
Reeve Harold Lobb, Clinton.
"That's" -why they .(the, people
from the Ministry .of Colleges
and Universities, Historical and
Museums, Branch, Archives of
Ontario) were interested in
seeing it kept as a museum."
"It would definitely cost the
county some money, no matter
what you -do with it," continued
Lobb. "Even if you tear it down.
That property it is on is high
priced property. But if we tear it
down, we're not really looking
to the future. We might save then
county some money, but,) years
from now, people would wonder
why that ---building was torn
down and what kind of a coun-
cil made that decision."
William Elston, Reeve of
Morris, said he'd like to tour
this jail and have pointed out to
him just what was intended for
opinion that
Huron is rgkt for.,
Museum of Penology
Huron County Council needs a shot of > see the money spread around a little
"new ."vision serum". At last week's more. If we've got $25,000 to spend, Boyle "
regular monthly meeting of council,,manV, seems to think; let's spend,it outside. of
members were slow to comprehend the Goderich on something other than ' just,
great potential at its 'ingerti'ps by making one more museum. Roads maybe,. Or
the former Huron County Jail, into a library books. Or health services.
Museum of Penology — and some mem- , And Reeve Bill Elston of Morris Town-
bers displayed a kind of "let's -,hate- ship feels that every municipality has, or
Goderich" attitude which should have has had, something of value which
gone out with the gas lanterns of
yesteryear.
Councillearned that the massive stone
building at the northern entrance to
Goderich overlooking Lake Huron is the
only building of its-ind in North America.
Council° also learned that if the jail
becomes a Museum of Penology, it would
be the only one in Ontario.
The initial cost, council discovered,
should be or should have been preser-
ved. Let's not start that business, Elston
warns. It could cost us $10,000 or $15,000
per year just to preserve a little more of -
our past. And everybody has a past._
It was 'interesting to 'note that while
Huron County Councillors were bantering
.back . and forth ,about whether or not a
Museum Of Penology was.a sound invest-
ment for Huron, The Weekend Magazine
would be about $25;000. Of course, there was already on its way td the people of
would be annual expenditures for main- Canada. And in that magazine was an ar-
ning:--the-rnuseum--bat jtxrwas oiled ti -ole abouttfie-famitms-Hurom-C--etartty-dai-1 -A\
that sorne of these would be offset by at Goderich where the last public "
Charging admission.to the place. Not an hanging was staged over 100 years ago
unlikely supposition at all. in 1869.
The • arguments were hot against it. It is particularly revealing to imagine -
Deputy -reeve of Goderich, Township, that while thousands and thousands of
Gerry, Ginn, . feared that well - known persons read about the fascinating' jail
criminals of the area would, be immor- house at Goderich"— and probably even
talized in the museum. Ginn's greatest thought about seeing that place on their
concern was for Steven Truscott of for- next vacation this county's legisators
mer CFB Clinton who awaited the deatha ,were hemming and hawing over $25,000,
sentence in the Huron County Jail for with some members willing to level the
eight ninths for the murder of Lynn Har- stones and the, mortar• for 30 pieces of
per ... before his death sentence was silver or a few cents more.
commuted to life imprisonment. • Just last week, this newspaper carried
McKillop Reeve Allan Campbell, who t' mention of a story' about the local jail
constantly complains about the high cost which appeared in a British magazine.
df living in Huron County, would tear the tAlso last week, some near-sighted Huron
jail down and sell the valuable property County council members were unable to
upon which it sits. see any potential for the ancient structure
Deputy -reeve Frank Cook of Clinton, though it sits under their noses.
Where's the vision, gentlemen?
Where's the far-sighted, hard-hitting kind
of county councjl which built Huron to its
today's lawmakers .are taking a more place of honor today? Will you cut away
lenient attitude than ever before with ours r. special corner in North American
lawbreakers: Where's, the sense in that? history for the sake of a few dollars? Or
asks Cook. - to prevent Goderich from having some
Exeter Reeve Derry Boyle would like to additional tourists each year?
Hugh Flynn, reeve of Hullett,
suggested that the county and
it.
the town which wants an investigation of
justice in Huron, wouldn't make a
museum of penology anywhere when
What is your
Let us know soon
"I don't .mind the initial cost
of $25,000," said Elston. "It is
the-sto;090 a1$1-5;000- it -wilt.
cost to ke-dp it up every year.
Every municipality has
something , it should preserve
perhaps. What about all those
one=room country schools we
closed down?"
•
Public Service
Survey
° I am in favor of a ?Meant of
Penology in Huron
Yes.....
No• II•• it
ri from SnugHarbor ways heard to Men-
tionthis Isn't the t�ovirnor s Nlansi ea one tourist
tion title part, summer. It is the former Huron County, jail which Is well over 100 years old and
is one of, the aura's MOM ° htstoridai buildin _ s. The struoture Is noW owned byHuron County
and somemembers of Huron „dimity Council would get In the bulldozer, rooout the stone*
and the mortar and sell the high-priced property upon whk h this building site. istaft photo)
AIV
(lipand send
to ,Signal -Star
Within these walls, son* of' the country's moat fametfil prh awa'ite titer. Nott the I►east
Of them is Stuesfl truscott who ha* become •itlitlOtat 1100170'b0e+lwueer of the'contra**
whlojt hung over his trial and still doss in some quartets, And there was l dwaret ,tisrdino
from: poderich- who wa\'!T' held hers°50 year* 000 or more► t011otWOO 0.11110rder in this `town. tt
was
alio t 1 l 'public,h>Nn 1 +�� ad
he boation of the list I�plf n n n, Nl+shoitrtr IlittrllrMgy JIG went to tits
gallews within then• walls on Decomber 7, ice. (Stiff photo)