BEECHEY: Celebrate Saturday’s ‘Oxford Local History Day’
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If you are a family tree nut doing your genealogy, or just plain enjoy history, you are going to love Oxford Local History Day on Saturday, April 24, courtesy of our Oxford County Library (OCL).
Oxford Local History Day showcases a full day of virtual local history presentations that will bring to light the story of Oxford County. Experience collections, exhibits and featured stories from archives, museums and heritage groups from around the county – and it’s all free.
There will be about 12 presentations on the OCL Facebook page airing between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Alas, a firm schedule was not available until after my deadline. They will be placed on the OCL YouTube channel after the live event – so you can watch at any time at your leisure.
These include Oxford Historical Society: A presentation delving into the services, collections and resources that the Society makes available to researchers and historians; Zorra Heritage Committee: Onsite tour of the Harrington Grist Mill and pond, relating the ongoing preservation of the mill; Oxford Ancestors, a branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society: An in depth tour of the resource centre and collections; Heroes of Zorra: A website tour that recognizes many individuals from the Township of Zorra, who have served our country from the 1860s to the present day; Book Launch and Author Chat: A presentation highlighting the publication of Public Festivals in Ingersoll, 1855-1930; Ingersoll Cheese and Agricultural Museum: A tour of the museum, hosted by curator Scott Gillies; Local History Book Feature: Zurbrigg Bakeries – Ingersoll; The Underground Railroad in Ingersoll: Hosted by Vicki Brenner of the Ingersoll Library, this video details the part that the Oxford Wesleyan Methodist Church and a stagecoach driver played in assisted enslaved peoples to gain freedom in the north; Annandale National Historic Site, Tillsonburg: A tour of the interior of their largest artifact, Annandale House, which is a living monument to a Victorian style of design.
OCL also expects presentations from Oxford County Archives, Drumbo & District Heritage Society, Plattsville & District Heritage Society and Norwich & District Museum.
The Library is offering three free live Zoom presentations for which you must register directly through the Library Events calendar.
Two are workshops to help you with research: Research Farm and House History in Oxford County at 11 a.m. Join this Zoom workshop with an Oxford County Library local history specialist who will guide you through research methods for searching farm history, house history and historical land resources in Oxford County. Learn to navigate the Ontario Land Records database at onland.ca. Register!
Discover Your Oxford Roots workshop is at 3 p.m. to explore the resources that Oxford County Library has developed to assist with your family history research with local genealogy databases, records and search methods. Register!
And the third presentation is by me at 2 p.m., a live Power Point on Dr. Sylvanus Joy – A Tillsonburg Man with Eclectic Interests. Dr. Joy had a fascinating life and family. He was a coroner in famous murder cases, produced award-winning wines and loved himself! Loaded with photos and time for questions. Register!
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