Summer Reflections from Sara and Sarah

By Sara H. & Sarah P.

This article was originally published in Fall 2022 Historical Happenings, the quarterly newsletter of the Oshawa Historical Society. Subscriptions to Historical Happenings are available for Oshawa Historical Society members. To learn more about membership, see the OHS website: https://oshawahistoricalsociety.org/become-a-member/

Hi! We are Sarah and Sara, two of the students who were at the museum this summer. One of the main projects we worked on was a partial inventory of artefacts stored in the Robinson attic. This was a great introduction to the collection as we were able to really immerse ourselves in the artefacts, learn more about the museum, and the history of Oshawa. When we were first introduced to the attic, it was a bit daunting as neither of us had done an inventory before, and there are a lot of artefacts in our section of the attic. But, being this close to artefacts and having a “behind the scenes”’ look at the collection was a great way for us to become comfortable with the inventory process and learn about collections care and management. We also learned about the deaccession process and made some recommendations for deaccession. From the Canadian Museum Association, “deaccessioning is the formal process of removal of an object from the collection of an institution.”

The inventory and deaccessions gives us more room and more opportunities to expand our collection and represent more of Oshawa’s history.

We started by mapping out the attic and labelling everything according to its row and shelf. We went through each row and labelled them with ‘super professional’ sticky notes that had their row and shelf number. We then organized our Excel spreadsheet in the same sections so that if someone else had to find an artefact it would be easy for them to look through and figure out what section of the attic it lives in. We started going through the rows that were easiest to access, the end rows 1 and 3. These rows contained a lot of farm and yard care equipment, such as rakes, shovels and even an interesting looking baby stroller!

Baby stroller purchased in Oshawa c. 1917 (977.018-500.1)

The middle row was more challenging to access; we had to move shelves around so we could access the objects that lived on each one. It was very EXCITING to see and work with objects made from different types of materials, from wicker baskets and suitcases, to tiny ceramic figurines, and even all sorts of metal tools. Working with this collection has opened our eyes to how large and different museum collections can be. There were many artefacts, especially in the farming sections, that neither of us had seen before, but we were able to understand their importance within the collection. Even though the Oshawa Museum is a smaller community museum, the collection tells such a big and important story about our community. As we immersed ourselves in this environment, we realized that we had our favourite artefacts in the attic that we hope will someday be displayed in future exhibits at Oshawa Museum. We were particularly intrigued by our discovery of a typewriter on the bottom shelf of row 1 as it was in fantastic condition!

Small duck and bird figurines found in the Robinson Attic

The photograph shows the typewriter that immediately captured Sarah P.’s attention, a Remington Noiseless 6 from 1925. Prior to this artefact’s home in our lovely attic in Robinson House, this typewriter was located at Landers Coal, which later became Landers Stark Coal and Company. Like many of the artefacts in the attic, this typewriter inspires a sense of curiosity within us concerning the people who have used this object over the years. Sarah in particular has always wanted to own an old-fashioned typewriter, as she believed it would make her a great writer. Sadly, she must continue her writing pursuits using modern technology!

Remington Noiseless 6 typewriter (004.18.1)

Before we began this project, we usually only considered how museums acquire and exhibit their artefacts. Still, as we end the inventory process, we have been participating in recommending objects for deaccession. At first, we thought it would be difficult to consider which artefacts could be removed from the museum’s collection. However, once we were comfortable with these artefacts, we began to analyze how particular objects may no longer be relevant to the mandate and collection’s policy, or if the condition had deteriorated to the point that it was not fit for display. We also noticed numerous repeats of artefacts that often had us looking at each other, wondering how many spigots were necessary for our museum to possess. Even though we are not the individuals to make the final decision about what is removed from the collection, it was beneficial for us to learn about this critical aspect of working in a museum that is often forgotten by the general public.

Our table of proposed deaccessioned objects

We also have to mention how appreciative we are of having this phenomenal experience of working at the Oshawa Museum. All of our co-workers have honestly been amazing, we have learned so much from each of them and have had a great time with them along the way! We both have gathered so many new skills and experiences that have truly helped us grow in our passion for history and pursuing a career in this field.

Wishing the best of luck to Sara and Sarah with their future studies!

The Night(mare) Tour

A story by Ainsley P.

It was a few days before Halloween and the Oshawa Museum was hosting a Halloween tour. People said that the houses were haunted but the staff knew that is wasn’t actually haunted. But little did they know that on the first few days and the last few days near Halloween that if you tell a spooky lie it comes true.

So, when the tour was over and the staff went to lock up, one of the staff, Sally heard a noise coming from Robinson House. Before locking up she went in to investigate. She then discovered that the story of the museum being haunted may have come true. She rushed over to Guy House to tell the other staff and her boss. They all agreed to not tell the visitors until they knew they could handle it. They all agreed that when they went home that night or if they even went home, they would all come up with some ideas to get rid of the ghosts. But that is when the doors and windows locked.

“Looks like were not going home tonight,” Sophie said.

But then Lily had an idea. If they could just find the ghosts they could tell them to unlock the doors and leave. But they all knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. They would need to come up with some ideas to be able to see or make sure to know where they are so they didn’t escape. They came up with many good ideas but Kasey’s was the best.

Kasey had the idea to get a bunch of paint or some kind of colourful liquid so when you hear them or feel them you can splash some paint on them, and to capture them you put them in a cage because these ghosts can only travel through pure wall.

That’s it!

That is the plan were going with.

Then they all hear the ghosts! They all start running. Then Lily calls, “I CAUGHT ONE. I REALLY CAUGHT ONE!”

Then Kasey caught one, then Sally caught one! Then by that time it was daylight. The ghosts agreed to open the doors and windows for tours to go on, but all staff had to be out of the building by 5 o’clock pm or else they are locked in for the night.      

Reflections on a Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2022

September 30 marked the second annual Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day “honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.”

To mark this solemn day, the Oshawa Museum opened our doors to our exhibit, A Carrying Place: Oshawa’s Indigenous Story. This exhibit, which opened in 2017, connects our community with their past, embraces the present Indigenous community, and builds towards a spirit of reconciliation and partnership.

Inside the exhibit, A Carrying Place

We welcomed guests throughout the day, the majority of whom made a point to visit the exhibit because of the day and what it represents. We engaged with visitors with meaningful, and oftentimes the hard and heartbreaking, conversations about reconciliation and about stories told through the exhibition, such as the lives of the ancestral Wendat, the history of the Scugog Carrying Place Trail, and the present Indigenous community.

We were also proud to support a city partnership initiative with the Orange Ribbon Memorials. Bawaajigewan Aboriginal Community Circle and the City installed five locations around Oshawa “where residents are encouraged to bring and tie orange ribbons as a sign of respect to the lost Indigenous children and their families, and to support healing in Indigenous Communities across Canada.” The south location is in Lakeview Park, and we had orange ribbons available in the exhibit as well as in Guy House where guests could take a ribbon and place it at the Lakeview Park memorial, or any memorial they chose. Again, it was wonderful to see many in the community stop by, take a ribbon, and place it at the memorial.

Lakeview Park Orange Ribbon Memorial, October 2022

The history of Residential Schools is long and shameful, and sadly, many Canadians were unaware of this system of cultural genocide as it wasn’t talked about. The last school closed in the 1990s – this is not a ‘long ago past.’ Conversations about Residential Schools and about Canada’s treatment of Indigenous people are hard, and they should be. Hard conversations need to happen, and we hope our museum spaces can be safe places to engage in these hard truths.

Thank you to everyone who made the Oshawa Museum part of the Day of Truth and Reconciliation, their day for recognizing our painful past and seeking knowledge so to work towards a better future of true and authentic reconciliation.

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https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html

https://www.oshawa.ca/en/news/marking-national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation.aspx

Anniversary Years for Two Oshawa Polish Landmarks

By Lisa Terech, Community Engagement

This year, 2022, marks anniversary years for two of Oshawa’s landmarks of importance to the Polish community. Branch 21 of the Polish Alliance of Canada is celebrating 100 years, while St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church is commemorating its 70th anniversary.

Oshawa’s Polish community grew throughout the early years of the 20th century. In August 1922, 19 Polish residents met at the home of Stanisław Leśniak to discuss establishing a Polish organization in the community; this came to realization in September of that year when the Polish Society of Fraternal Help was established. The first president was Józef Mazurkiewicz.  The group changed their name to the Polish Society in Oshawa in 1924. 

In 1925, the organization decided to build a Polish hall, and construction began shortly afterwards at 219 Olive Avenue.  All members donated $10 towards construction, and an interest-free loan from members was also approved. Fundraising initiatives looked outside the Polish community as well with a door to door collection.  The hall was completed in 1928, and this year, 2022, saw improvements to the façade of the hall.

Polish Alliance Hall on Olive Avenue

A number of community groups began operating out of the hall, including a library, choir, Polish language school, and amateur theatre group. As well, a Polish Veterans group started their base operations from the hall. During the Second World War, the group supported Poland and organized fundraising towards a relief fund. Members of the United Polish Relief fund visited each Polish family in Oshawa, held dances, and organized banquets, raising over $1800 towards the cause.

In April of 1944, the Polish Society of Oshawa decided to join the National Polish Alliance of Canada; they merged with another Branch in Oshawa, Branch 16, and together became Branch 21 of the National Polish Alliance of Canada. Wincenty Kołodziej was the first president of Branch 21.

Polish Alliance of Canada, Branch 21 Hall, 2022; photo taken by OM Staff

Branch 21 has actively participated in Oshawa’s annual Fiesta Week for decades with dancing and traditional food being served. They operate as the “Poznań Pavilion.”

St. Hedwig’s Roman Catholic Church was built in a number of stages. There had been talk in Oshawa’s Polish community of establishing a Polish church since the late 1920s; by the 1950s, the work began. Before the establishment of St. Hedwig’s, Catholics in the community worshipped at St. Gregory’s or Holy Cross (which was built between 1940-1945). In 1952, the first mass for the Polish parish was celebrated, taking place at the Polish Hall at 168 Banting Avenue, and immediately after the mass, St. Hedwig of Silesia was chosen as the patron of the parish. That same year, a plot of land was purchased at Olive Avenue and Central Park Blvd., and fundraising began. The cornerstone was blessed in 1954, which was when the first mass was celebrated in the ‘lower church’ (basement).

St. Hedwig’s, 2021; taken by OM Staff

Construction of the upper church began in 1960, and the church was blessed by Archbishop Philip Pocock on June 25, 1961. He remarked in his homily, “The new church is now blessed and set aside for divine purposes. This means that you the parish have given it to God. Today He has accepted it. You have put your offerings, sacrifices and prayers into it. I offer my congratulations to the Pastor and parishoners for a job well done, in building this beautiful temple to Almighty God.”  There were approximately 700 people in attendance for this dedication mass.

In the 1970s, Pope John Paul II visited the church; at the time, he was a cardinal and not yet the Pope.

The church offers services seven days a week in Polish and an English mass on Sunday.

Since the early years of the 20th century, Oshawa became a place of settlement for Eastern European settlers. The longevity of several community hubs, including the Polish Alliance and St. Hedwig’s church, is a legacy of the hard work and dedication of the early settlers and of those who continue with them to this day.

To learn more about Oshawa’s Eastern European communities, particularly the stories of the Displaces Persons who arrived after the Second World War, visit the OM and see our exhibit, Leaving Home, Finding Home in Oshawa: Displaced Persons and Stories of Immigration.

You Asked, We Answered: Summer 2022

While on tour, our Visitor Hosts are often asked questions that they may not be able to answer in that moment. However, we take note of the questions and try to find the answers afterwards. Here are a few questions we’ve been asked this summer and their answers.

What is the roof of Henry House made of?

The roof at Henry House is made from cedar shingles. It was last replaced in 2013, and the lifespan of these shingles is at least 25 years (according to my Google skills). Here is a side by side comparison from 2011 and then November 2013, not long after it was replaced.

Henry House, 2011

Henry House, 2013

Beams of drive shed – where are they from?

The Drive Shed! The Drive Shed was a 50^th anniversary project for the Oshawa Historical Society. The idea for an additional exhibition area was launched in 2007 during the 50^th anniversary celebrations of the Oshawa Historical Society.  The  Board of Directors wished to commemorate this milestone with a permanent, tangible addition to the museum complex and the City’s lakefront property. The Drive Shed is a timber frame structure, built by students from Fleming College, Haliburton Campus. The opening for the Drive Shed was celebrated in September 2009.

Drive Shed, Winter 2013

What was style of the sash in the community room?

In A Carrying Place: Oshawa’s Indigenous Story, there is a sash, on loan from the Oshawa-Durham Métis Council.

Métis sash, and other items on display from the Oshawa Durham Métis Council

The origins of the sash reflect the diversity of the Métis experience. The finger-weaving technique used to make the sash was firmly established in Eastern Woodland Indigenous Peoples Traditions. The technique created tumplines, garters and other useful household articles and items of clothing. Plant fibers were used prior to the introduction of wool. Wool and the sash, as an article of clothing, were introduced to the Eastern Woodland peoples by Europeans. The Six Nations Confederacy, Potowatami and other First Nations of the area blended the two traditions into the finger-woven sash.

The French settlers of Québec created the Assomption variation of the woven sash. The sash was a popular trade item manufactured in a cottage industry in the village of L’Assomption, Québec. The Québécois and the Métis of Western Canada were their biggest customers. Sashes were also made by local Métis artisans. Sashes of Indigenous or Métis manufacture tended to be of a softer and loose weave, frequently incorporating beads in the design.

The sash was used by the Métis as a practical item of clothing. It was decorative, warm and could be used to replace a rope to tumpline if none were available. The sash has been the most persistent element of traditional Métis dress, worn long after the capote and the Red River coat were replaced by European styles. The Métis share the sash with two other groups who also claim it as a symbol of nationhood and cultural distinction. It was worn by Eastern Woodland Indigenous Peoples as a sign of office in the 19th century. It was worn by French Canadians during the Lower Canada Rebellion in 1837. It is still considered to be an important part of traditional dress for both of these groups.

Inside A Carrying Place: Oshawa’s Indigenous Story; this display features items from the Oshawa Durham Métis Council

Are the three families still around today?

Yes! Every year, we get people coming into the museum and saying that they are descended from either the Henry, Robinson, or Guy families. Because Guy House was a triplex for many years before becoming the Museum’s admin building, we will also have visitors tell us that they, or someone they know, lived in Guy House in the past.

Henry descendants presenting Isabelle Hume with the Henry Family Bible, c. 1990 (AX994.62.1)

Thanks for visiting!