Photo supplied.
The Millbrook and Cavan Historical Society’s Peter Ramsay has installed a brand new display of vintage Barbie dolls in the Society’s cabinet at the Millbrook branch of the library. Don’t miss seeing this extraordinary collection!
September is a big month for the Millbrook and Cavan Historical Society as it launches a fresh new website, millbrookcavanhs.org, and adds new events and features to its programming.
In collaboration with the Cavan Monaghan Library, monthly workshops to teach the basics of navigating the genealogy program Ancestry (Library Edition) will be offered every third Thursday of the month, starting September 20, 1:00-2:00 p.m., at the Millbrook Branch in the Old Millbrook School. This is a free program. Your family tree doesn’t have to be a local one – all are welcome!
Again in collaboration with the library, starting September 20, a series of postcards featuring local scenes and images will be available, free-of-charge, from both branches of the library and at Historical Society events, for residents to use to write down memories and short stories about local events, observations or happenings. The goal is to collect up a mosaic of memories that are unique to this area and “tell our story”. Once the postcards are filled in and returned to the library, they’ll be displayed and then added to the Historical Society collection as a record of rich, rural reminiscences.
The Historical Society’s monthly gatherings this fall will also have a distinctly local focus. The fall season will begin with participation at the Millbrook Farmers’ Market on Sunday, September 23. On display will be a variety of tools and gadgets that made the chores in the autumn a little easier, with demonstrations of how the work got done. There will also be information on the services and resources the Historical Society offers. This is membership sign-up time: annual family memberships are $25.00; single memberships are $15.00.
The village of Millbrook is remarkable for its well-preserved heritage homes and properties, and has an interesting history. On Saturday, September 29, come and enjoy a guided walking tour that will feature some of the architectural gems in the village and outline some of the area’s rich history. The tour will begin at the Old Millbrook School at 2:00 pm, and will last two hours. Comfortable walking shoes are highly recommended, and walkers are cautioned that there are some hills to climb. This walking tour is free for members and by free-will donation for non-members. Rain date: Sunday, September 30, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Newcomers to the area will see no evidence of the former Millbrook Correctional Centre that once loomed over the village of Millbrook. It was a provincial maximum security facility but was a positive presence in a lot of ways, and the Historical Society will host an evening, Friday, October 26, 7:00-9:00 p.m., at the Millbrook Legion Hall, to hear stories from some of the people who worked at the facility, and from some who benefitted from the services the inmates contributed to the area. All memories welcome! This event is for everyone, with free admission for Historical Society members and by free-will donation for non-members. There will be tea and coffee available with light refreshments, and a cash bar.
In November the Historical Society will mark the centenary of the signing of the Armistice, to end “the war to end all wars.” Two very special events are planned. Look for details in the October issue of the Millbrook Times, on Facebook and on the new website, millbrookcavanhs.org
By Celia Hunter
