Genesis of the BDA Presentation
The History Guy was guest speaker at a virtual meeting of the Probus Club of Presqu'ile on February 16, 2022 and the presentation was “Introduction to the Brighton Digital Archives”. The growing profile of the BDA around Brighton has led to requests for more information about the organization, so I felt it was time to do a talk on the subject. The folks at the BDA provided good support and encouragement, along with some useful images. And, yes, the acronym BDA will be used routinely in the material below to represent the Brighton Digital Archives.
Below you will see how the BDA began and what it does. The BDA web site and the various collections of archived material we can find there will be demonstrated and explained. Also included is some local history related to items found there.
The History Guy was guest speaker at a virtual meeting of the Probus Club of Presqu'ile on February 16, 2022 and the presentation was “Introduction to the Brighton Digital Archives”. The growing profile of the BDA around Brighton has led to requests for more information about the organization, so I felt it was time to do a talk on the subject. The folks at the BDA provided good support and encouragement, along with some useful images. And, yes, the acronym BDA will be used routinely in the material below to represent the Brighton Digital Archives.
Below you will see how the BDA began and what it does. The BDA web site and the various collections of archived material we can find there will be demonstrated and explained. Also included is some local history related to items found there.
Beginnings
Let’s start with the formation of the BDA. In March 2015, these four folks came together with an idea and they became the founding members of the BDA. Ralph de Jonge is known as one of the two “R’s” of “RandR”, a popular local musical duo. However, Ralph’s professional life was spent mostly at TVO where he was a supervisor in technical production support services and would run the graphics department. He is the guru who makes the old still photos look beautiful and who produces all the videos.
Catherine Stutt has been an editor of several magazines and provides her expertise in social media, research and community outreach. Dorothy and Fletch are a husband and wife team with lots of experience in non‐profit organizations and media. They did major community outreach for the BDA in its early days, and were heavily involved in Barns of Brighton project.
The membership of the BDA has changed over time, these four folks were the founders.
Let’s start with the formation of the BDA. In March 2015, these four folks came together with an idea and they became the founding members of the BDA. Ralph de Jonge is known as one of the two “R’s” of “RandR”, a popular local musical duo. However, Ralph’s professional life was spent mostly at TVO where he was a supervisor in technical production support services and would run the graphics department. He is the guru who makes the old still photos look beautiful and who produces all the videos.
Catherine Stutt has been an editor of several magazines and provides her expertise in social media, research and community outreach. Dorothy and Fletch are a husband and wife team with lots of experience in non‐profit organizations and media. They did major community outreach for the BDA in its early days, and were heavily involved in Barns of Brighton project.
The membership of the BDA has changed over time, these four folks were the founders.
The Context
Let’s look at the context within which the BDA began. This picture shows a scene inside the Hilton Township Hall in July of 2014. Dot Connolly and Susan Brose are working at the job of cleaning archived documents that have been removed from the old vault, which you can see in the back. Many of these documents had been in the vault for over a century, and were in serious need of cleaning. At the end of the day I drove one of the two carloads of cleaned archival documents to the Northumberland County Archives in Cobourg, where they were placed on the Brighton shelves there.
The year before, the Municipality of Brighton had made a contractual agreement with Northumberland County to obtain archival services. These services include designated physical shelf space for storage of archival documents as well as access to the expertise and experience of the professional archivists who are on staff at the Northumberland County Archives. On this day, we took advantage of both services.
Taking one step back, this came in the context of several years of The History Guy complaining to anyone who would listen about the fact that Brighton had no archives. We had a couple of good museums, but no archives. I co‐chaired a committee of council that looked closely at the possibility of using Hilton Hall as the local archives, but that proved to be to costly because of the poor condition of the floor. I was also on the library board when we were talking about the possibility of including an archive facility in the context of a newly renovated library.
None of those options panned out, so I began to concentrate on digital archiving as a low cost alternative that would be carried out by individuals and groups in a volunteer capacity. The timing was right for this, since, in 2014, we were able to have Hilton Hall designated as Hilton Hall Heritage Centre and Friends of Hilton Hall was formed to support heritage events and activity at the hall. The stage was set.
Let’s look at the context within which the BDA began. This picture shows a scene inside the Hilton Township Hall in July of 2014. Dot Connolly and Susan Brose are working at the job of cleaning archived documents that have been removed from the old vault, which you can see in the back. Many of these documents had been in the vault for over a century, and were in serious need of cleaning. At the end of the day I drove one of the two carloads of cleaned archival documents to the Northumberland County Archives in Cobourg, where they were placed on the Brighton shelves there.
The year before, the Municipality of Brighton had made a contractual agreement with Northumberland County to obtain archival services. These services include designated physical shelf space for storage of archival documents as well as access to the expertise and experience of the professional archivists who are on staff at the Northumberland County Archives. On this day, we took advantage of both services.
Taking one step back, this came in the context of several years of The History Guy complaining to anyone who would listen about the fact that Brighton had no archives. We had a couple of good museums, but no archives. I co‐chaired a committee of council that looked closely at the possibility of using Hilton Hall as the local archives, but that proved to be to costly because of the poor condition of the floor. I was also on the library board when we were talking about the possibility of including an archive facility in the context of a newly renovated library.
None of those options panned out, so I began to concentrate on digital archiving as a low cost alternative that would be carried out by individuals and groups in a volunteer capacity. The timing was right for this, since, in 2014, we were able to have Hilton Hall designated as Hilton Hall Heritage Centre and Friends of Hilton Hall was formed to support heritage events and activity at the hall. The stage was set.
Digital Archiving
Here is where our four founding members stepped up and decided to deal with digital archiving. The first project was called “Shoebox to Screen”. It encouraged people from the community to bring their photos to Hilton Hall where members of the BDA would scan them, provide a digital copy to take home, and keep a digital copy for the BDA. The idea was that a BDA web site would be created to display archived documents for the community.
This service was very popular and lots of images were collected. The group worked hard to host events at Hilton Hall and to provide a web site and proper storage facilities for the growing file collection.
This new group came under the authority of the Heritage Advisory Committee, a committee of council for the Municipality of Brighton. This allowed the BDA to obtain funding for software and web site licenses, as well as equipment to support the work.
Here is where our four founding members stepped up and decided to deal with digital archiving. The first project was called “Shoebox to Screen”. It encouraged people from the community to bring their photos to Hilton Hall where members of the BDA would scan them, provide a digital copy to take home, and keep a digital copy for the BDA. The idea was that a BDA web site would be created to display archived documents for the community.
This service was very popular and lots of images were collected. The group worked hard to host events at Hilton Hall and to provide a web site and proper storage facilities for the growing file collection.
This new group came under the authority of the Heritage Advisory Committee, a committee of council for the Municipality of Brighton. This allowed the BDA to obtain funding for software and web site licenses, as well as equipment to support the work.
The BDA web site is now seven years old and it has grown dramatically. You can see the logo at the top and the actual URL.
The BDA has obtained a license for a product called “Vita Collections”, a web‐based service that provides easy‐to‐use tools for displaying and organizing archival material. The best way to access it is to search for “Brighton Digital Archives” and then make a favorite.
The BDA has obtained a license for a product called “Vita Collections”, a web‐based service that provides easy‐to‐use tools for displaying and organizing archival material. The best way to access it is to search for “Brighton Digital Archives” and then make a favorite.
The BDA web site is not fancy. It is based on the "Vita Collections" system which provides a very cost-effective method of displaying large numbers of images and documents. This is not a web site created by web designers who want to blow your socks off with imagery. It is a functional and efficient platform for displaying lots of good pictures related to local history. In fact, it provides the public with easy access to parts of our heritage that they may not have seen before.
Bottom line - it works very well.
Bottom line - it works very well.
The Latimer Photos
The BDA soon expanded their scope to include major collections of documents that already exist in the community. One of the first projects of this type was the “Latimer Photos” which is a collection of 450 photographs taken in the 1920 and 1930s by Hugh Latimer, who worked at his father’s general store in Orland, on No. 30, north of Brighton. This is a wonderful, unique collection that literally provides snapshots in time through portraits of the people who drove down the road and stopped at the general store in Orland.
The BDA soon expanded their scope to include major collections of documents that already exist in the community. One of the first projects of this type was the “Latimer Photos” which is a collection of 450 photographs taken in the 1920 and 1930s by Hugh Latimer, who worked at his father’s general store in Orland, on No. 30, north of Brighton. This is a wonderful, unique collection that literally provides snapshots in time through portraits of the people who drove down the road and stopped at the general store in Orland.
Later in his life, Hugh Latimer organized the pictures into these two albums and donated them to the Codrington Public Library. More recently, the folks at the BDA scanned the photos from these albums.
We should recognize that Mr. Latimer recording information about the subjects of his portraits and kept the information with the pictures. There were simple indexes with the albums, so we know who the people in the pictures were!
Thank you Mr. Latimer!
We should recognize that Mr. Latimer recording information about the subjects of his portraits and kept the information with the pictures. There were simple indexes with the albums, so we know who the people in the pictures were!
Thank you Mr. Latimer!
Here is one page from the albums, showing the small black and white snapshots held on the page by those little corners that stick on. We can all recall family photo albums like this. After all of the photos were scanned and placed on the BDA web site, links were added to the information for that person on my genealogy web site called www.treesbydan.com. If you click on “Details” you can see that information.
Almost all of the people in the Latimer Photos are in my genealogy database and this should not be a surprise, since these are mostly people who lived in the community.
Below are two examples from my own family. On the right is Lloyd Ames who was my maternal grandfather and on the left is Walter Ames, his father.
Almost all of the people in the Latimer Photos are in my genealogy database and this should not be a surprise, since these are mostly people who lived in the community.
Below are two examples from my own family. On the right is Lloyd Ames who was my maternal grandfather and on the left is Walter Ames, his father.
Below are two of my favorite photos. On the left is Sam Nesbitt, who, as the picture suggests, was your quintessential glad hander. For several decades he was a very active businessman in Brighton and he was also elected member of parliament for the community.
On the right is Aubrey Woof who was a farmer at Mount Olivet, north of Codrington. He was a Great War veteran and an active participant in the local lumber business, as we can see here. He also made investments in saw mills in Brighton and area.
Since we introduced this collection to the community, I have occasionally passed along digital copies of these photos to relatives of those shown in the collection. This is a very unique collection and we are very lucky to have it.
On the right is Aubrey Woof who was a farmer at Mount Olivet, north of Codrington. He was a Great War veteran and an active participant in the local lumber business, as we can see here. He also made investments in saw mills in Brighton and area.
Since we introduced this collection to the community, I have occasionally passed along digital copies of these photos to relatives of those shown in the collection. This is a very unique collection and we are very lucky to have it.
Barns of Brighton & Calendars
A very important project that the BDA undertook was “Barns of Brighton”. A lot of outreach to the community resulted in a very long list of old barns. Many of these barns were photographed by the local photography club to produce stunningly beautiful pictures.
These images amount to an archival record of our rural landscape, one that is fast disappearing. Even since these pictures have been taken, several barns have been removed.
The first barn we see on the web site was used on the front cover of the BDA’s first calendar, “Barns of Brighton 2018”. This began a tradition of annual calendars produced by the BDA on various themes, which continues today.
The calendars are not for sale. They are printed in limited quantities as a method of raising awareness about the work of the BDA and, more generally, for history and heritage issues in the community.
A very important project that the BDA undertook was “Barns of Brighton”. A lot of outreach to the community resulted in a very long list of old barns. Many of these barns were photographed by the local photography club to produce stunningly beautiful pictures.
These images amount to an archival record of our rural landscape, one that is fast disappearing. Even since these pictures have been taken, several barns have been removed.
The first barn we see on the web site was used on the front cover of the BDA’s first calendar, “Barns of Brighton 2018”. This began a tradition of annual calendars produced by the BDA on various themes, which continues today.
The calendars are not for sale. They are printed in limited quantities as a method of raising awareness about the work of the BDA and, more generally, for history and heritage issues in the community.
The 2019 calendar continued with the theme “Barns of Brighton” and the front cover showed this barn, which has some distinct visual qualities. In fact, this barn is located on County Road 26, north of Spring Valley, and on the west side of the road just north of the 401. This farm was the childhood home of Peter McConnell, who would go on to a long career as an actor and writer involved in theatre and TV in Canada and beyond. Peter came back to Brighton to retire in the 1990s and wrote a very amusing column in the newspaper called “Over My Shoulder”. Peter McConnell can certainly be called one our local celebrities.
The 2020 calendar took the theme “Brighton – Then and Now” which featured before and after pictures of identifiable places in the area. On the front cover we see the Proctor Block which was on the east side of Prince Edward Street, where Main Street ends. Here we can see the 1895 picture on the top and the 2019 picture on the bottom.
Each month of the calendar features a scene from the town of Brighton or the villages of Orland, Smithfield and Codrington.
Each month of the calendar features a scene from the town of Brighton or the villages of Orland, Smithfield and Codrington.
The 2021 BDA calendar featured postcards from the collection of Bud and Jill Guertin, which has been made available to the BDA. Here, on the front cover, we see the Canadian Northern railway station, which was the third railway running through Brighton. The third set of tracks ran north of the other two, along the north side of Richardson Street. This station was east of Prince Edward Street, in the area of what is now the south end of Oliphant Street. The Canadian Northern Railway only operated for 13 years and there very little sign of it today. The only exception is the walking bridge over Butler Creek directly west of Coles Building Centre. That was a railway bridge.
The BDA calendar for 2022 features more of the Guertin postcards. The front cover shows the scene looking north up Prince Edward and Young Streets, with Main Street off to the left. When was this photo taken? Well, there are lots of ugly hydro poles, so sometime in the early 1900s. My guess is that it was very soon after the Standard Bank was built in 1905. We can see it there, looking very new, on the north‐west corner of Main and Young Streets.
On the right is the Proctor Block, which we saw in the previous calendar and, in the extreme right is the Morrow Block. This odd-looking structure was built in 1897 and taken over by James Morrow in 1903. We can see here that the Morrow sign is present, so it is after 1903. However, there are no cars out front, so this would be before it became one of the first Ford dealerships in Ontario around 1912.
So, this picture was likely taken between 1905 and 1910. I’d love to be more specific, but, we sometimes have to use the best information we have, even though it is not perfect.
Below we see much the same scene in 2022, showing Beth Bruder, Chair of the BDA with Brian Ostrander, Mayor of the Municipality of Brighton. This was on the occasion of the release of the 2022 BDA calendar. You could say, this is another “Then and Now .“
On the right is the Proctor Block, which we saw in the previous calendar and, in the extreme right is the Morrow Block. This odd-looking structure was built in 1897 and taken over by James Morrow in 1903. We can see here that the Morrow sign is present, so it is after 1903. However, there are no cars out front, so this would be before it became one of the first Ford dealerships in Ontario around 1912.
So, this picture was likely taken between 1905 and 1910. I’d love to be more specific, but, we sometimes have to use the best information we have, even though it is not perfect.
Below we see much the same scene in 2022, showing Beth Bruder, Chair of the BDA with Brian Ostrander, Mayor of the Municipality of Brighton. This was on the occasion of the release of the 2022 BDA calendar. You could say, this is another “Then and Now .“
Heritage Homes
One of the more traditional projects the BDA undertook was to put our heritage homes on the web site. There is a good collection of heritage homes in Brighton village and around the municipality. On this page, the BDA provides good pictures of the buildings, as well as descriptions and location information. There are often historical notes related to the structure.
The first page shows the distinctive yellow house at 50 Prince Edward Street, on the north-west corner of Prince Edward and Chapel Streets. As the note says, it was originally built in the 1880s, farther south on Prince Edward Street. Expansion of the railways resulted in the house being moved to this location farther north.
One of the more traditional projects the BDA undertook was to put our heritage homes on the web site. There is a good collection of heritage homes in Brighton village and around the municipality. On this page, the BDA provides good pictures of the buildings, as well as descriptions and location information. There are often historical notes related to the structure.
The first page shows the distinctive yellow house at 50 Prince Edward Street, on the north-west corner of Prince Edward and Chapel Streets. As the note says, it was originally built in the 1880s, farther south on Prince Edward Street. Expansion of the railways resulted in the house being moved to this location farther north.
Now, please indulge the history geek for a moment. This house was the home of Hilda Montgomery, a beloved teacher at Brighton Public School for many years. She was also very active in horticulture in town, often seen tending flower beds all over town. We have wonderful material from a diary she kept when she was a teenager around Brighton and Presqu'ile in 1917.
Extend this a little further and we see that Hilda’s father, Wesley Montgomery, purchased Lot 4 on the west side of Prince Edward Street in 1920, around the same time that he was a member of provincial parliament in Toronto. He was a member of the Union Party which is known best for implementing prohibition. However, Wesley Montgomery is better known for promoting a private members bill that would lead to the creation of Presqu’ile Park in 1922.
Even earlier owners of Lot 4 were members of the Lockwood family, which goes back to Joseph Lockwood who was the first post master of the village of Brighton. In fact, he was the one who recommended the name of Brighton for the new village in 1831, because his family had originated in Brighton, England, a popular sea‐side resort.
Extend this a little further and we see that Hilda’s father, Wesley Montgomery, purchased Lot 4 on the west side of Prince Edward Street in 1920, around the same time that he was a member of provincial parliament in Toronto. He was a member of the Union Party which is known best for implementing prohibition. However, Wesley Montgomery is better known for promoting a private members bill that would lead to the creation of Presqu’ile Park in 1922.
Even earlier owners of Lot 4 were members of the Lockwood family, which goes back to Joseph Lockwood who was the first post master of the village of Brighton. In fact, he was the one who recommended the name of Brighton for the new village in 1831, because his family had originated in Brighton, England, a popular sea‐side resort.
Another example of a heritage home is this old school house. This was the Stone School, on Hansen Road, north and east from Hilton. In fact, Ralph de Jonge, a member of the BDA, went to school here in 1957, when he was a really little guy.
Trinity St. Andrew's United Church Archives
The BDA undertook a very interesting project in 2016 with the board of Trinity St. Andrew’s United Church. The board was concerned about the preservation and security of a large collections of documents in their possession and they sought advice from the BDA on how to proceed. As a result, the documents were scanned by the BDA and a digital version of the collection was provided to the board. This is exactly the type of activity for which the BDA is best suited.
The BDA undertook a very interesting project in 2016 with the board of Trinity St. Andrew’s United Church. The board was concerned about the preservation and security of a large collections of documents in their possession and they sought advice from the BDA on how to proceed. As a result, the documents were scanned by the BDA and a digital version of the collection was provided to the board. This is exactly the type of activity for which the BDA is best suited.
Video Interviews
An activity that started very early at the BDA was the production of video recordings of interviews with local folks. The initial video series was about Memory Junction Museum.
An activity that started very early at the BDA was the production of video recordings of interviews with local folks. The initial video series was about Memory Junction Museum.
This series of five videos provides interviews with Ralph and Eugenia Bangay. They describe in vivid detail their efforts to save the old Grand Trunk railway station and build a railway museum. In fact, they succeeded to an amazing degree! Memory Junction Museum became a destination for railway buffs and tourists from across the province and beyond for more than two decades. These recordings are particularly valuable in light of the fact that Memory Junction Museum is now closed and, sadly, Ralph Bangay has passed away.
The videos also show that the artifacts at Memory Junction were not all about railways. Here is a display of the Fly-Tox spray device. This is similar to many such devices that I used as a teenager on the farm to get rid of flies over the backs of the cows in the barn. It was a very popular and common tool of the times. This and many other products were produced at the Canada Rex Spray Company which was located on the west side of Ontario Street, just north of the railway tracks. You can see the factory in the background of the display. There are lots of unique and interesting things in these videos.
Presqu'ile Videos
There are also the Presqu’ile Videos. These two videos were produced in 1927 as a promotional project by the Ontario government. It became obvious that summer resorts like Presqu’ile were an important part of the provincial economy, so the province felt it was useful to promote Presqu’ile using this relatively new technology. The original tapes were in the possession of Presqu’ile Provincial Park and David Bree, Manager of the park at that time, had the tapes converted to digital format. A copy of the digital format was then passed along to the BDA. Ralph de Jonge of the BDA composed the score which adds a delightful background to these amazing videos.
Here’s a teaser, showing a picnic scene. Remember that these are live recordings in
1927! Check out the cars in the background and, it is apparent that folks donned their
Sunday best to attend a picnic at Presqu’ile.
There are also the Presqu’ile Videos. These two videos were produced in 1927 as a promotional project by the Ontario government. It became obvious that summer resorts like Presqu’ile were an important part of the provincial economy, so the province felt it was useful to promote Presqu’ile using this relatively new technology. The original tapes were in the possession of Presqu’ile Provincial Park and David Bree, Manager of the park at that time, had the tapes converted to digital format. A copy of the digital format was then passed along to the BDA. Ralph de Jonge of the BDA composed the score which adds a delightful background to these amazing videos.
Here’s a teaser, showing a picnic scene. Remember that these are live recordings in
1927! Check out the cars in the background and, it is apparent that folks donned their
Sunday best to attend a picnic at Presqu’ile.
Can’t resist another one. Here is Presqu’ile Hotel at regatta time, with crowds of people on the lawn near the shore. It’s hard for us to imagine how popular this place was in 1927. You really have to look at these videos. They are such fun!
Brighton I Remember
Under videos, we see a section called “Brighton I Remember”. Here you will see interviews with local residents that were recorded by the BDA. It started with my good friend Florence Chatten, here on the right. By the way, Florence is currently 98 and going strong at Season’s Dufferin Center in Trenton.
The project continued on with interviews of Marjory Morgan, John Stevens, Art
Heeney, Melba Pound, Mark Scanlon, Rose Ellery, Kay Craig, Carole Ring, Mary
Tadman, Joe McMullen, Dan Thompson, Peter Stewart and Owen Gibb.
Those are just the ones that are on the web site right now. I hear that there are
several more in the works and planned for the future. This is an ongoing project.
Under videos, we see a section called “Brighton I Remember”. Here you will see interviews with local residents that were recorded by the BDA. It started with my good friend Florence Chatten, here on the right. By the way, Florence is currently 98 and going strong at Season’s Dufferin Center in Trenton.
The project continued on with interviews of Marjory Morgan, John Stevens, Art
Heeney, Melba Pound, Mark Scanlon, Rose Ellery, Kay Craig, Carole Ring, Mary
Tadman, Joe McMullen, Dan Thompson, Peter Stewart and Owen Gibb.
Those are just the ones that are on the web site right now. I hear that there are
several more in the works and planned for the future. This is an ongoing project.
Dan the History Guy
The last section under videos is “Dan The History Guy” and that is me. There are two video series here that feature The History Guy and were produced by the BDA.
First, is “Rural Roots”, a 4‐part series that tells the history of farming in our area in the context of all the changes from early settler times to modern digital farming.
Second is “Dance Hall Daze”, a 5‐part series that tells the story of the dance hall era, focusing mostly on the Presqu’ile Pavilion and the Opera House in the old Brighton town hall.
The last section under videos is “Dan The History Guy” and that is me. There are two video series here that feature The History Guy and were produced by the BDA.
First, is “Rural Roots”, a 4‐part series that tells the history of farming in our area in the context of all the changes from early settler times to modern digital farming.
Second is “Dance Hall Daze”, a 5‐part series that tells the story of the dance hall era, focusing mostly on the Presqu’ile Pavilion and the Opera House in the old Brighton town hall.
These video series combine the deep‐dive research habits and presentation skills of the History Guy and the wizardry of Ralph de Jonge, the member of the BDA who was the producer.
Videos are a great way to make history consumable to a broader range of people, and I am delighted to have worked with the BDA in this way. Hopefully, there will be more in the future.
Videos are a great way to make history consumable to a broader range of people, and I am delighted to have worked with the BDA in this way. Hopefully, there will be more in the future.
Presqu'ile Postcards
Back on the main page of the BDA web site, we see another collection about Presqu’ile, called “Presqu’ile Postcards”. This group of cards was provided to the BDA by David Bree, manager of Presqu’ile Provincial Park.
One of the projects currently underway at BDA is the processing of hundreds of postcards from the private collection of Bud and Jill Guertin. We can look forward to seeing a large number of these postcards on the BDA web site in the future.
Below is an example of a postcard. The lovely image on the front of the postcard is often in color, but we are also provided with the back of the postcard which shows the postmark, the destination and whatever note the sender is passing along. These postcards provide brief but real glimpses into life around Presqu’ile at a time when it was the go‐to resort for a lot of folks.
Back on the main page of the BDA web site, we see another collection about Presqu’ile, called “Presqu’ile Postcards”. This group of cards was provided to the BDA by David Bree, manager of Presqu’ile Provincial Park.
One of the projects currently underway at BDA is the processing of hundreds of postcards from the private collection of Bud and Jill Guertin. We can look forward to seeing a large number of these postcards on the BDA web site in the future.
Below is an example of a postcard. The lovely image on the front of the postcard is often in color, but we are also provided with the back of the postcard which shows the postmark, the destination and whatever note the sender is passing along. These postcards provide brief but real glimpses into life around Presqu’ile at a time when it was the go‐to resort for a lot of folks.
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Brighton Masonic Lodge
Another very important collection of local history to be found on the BDA web site is “Brighton Masonic Lodge”. Membership in the lodge had declined to the point that the building had to be sold. In planning for this, the lodge asked me how to deal with the contents of their vault which contained many boxes full of documents, pictures and artifacts. This archive covered more than two centuries of masonic lodges in Brighton and area. In response, the BDA was brought in to help along with professional archivists from the Northumberland County Archives in Cobourg. Local residents were encouraged to collect any portraits or artifacts they might like to preserve related to their own family history and some items would find their way to the Northumberland County Archives. In fact, I managed to retrieve a very nice portrait of my grandfather, Lloyd Ames.
The work of the BDA in this project was two‐fold. First, they would take good quality photos of all the portraits that were on the walls. Second, they would scan photographs and documents in the archives. In the end, the collection amounted to several hundred images. This work continues at the BDA as we speak, and we can anticipate more images of Lodge members posted on the web site over time. This project is a wonderful example of true collaboration between organizations and individuals in a stressful time of change, with a very positive result for the community.
Another very important collection of local history to be found on the BDA web site is “Brighton Masonic Lodge”. Membership in the lodge had declined to the point that the building had to be sold. In planning for this, the lodge asked me how to deal with the contents of their vault which contained many boxes full of documents, pictures and artifacts. This archive covered more than two centuries of masonic lodges in Brighton and area. In response, the BDA was brought in to help along with professional archivists from the Northumberland County Archives in Cobourg. Local residents were encouraged to collect any portraits or artifacts they might like to preserve related to their own family history and some items would find their way to the Northumberland County Archives. In fact, I managed to retrieve a very nice portrait of my grandfather, Lloyd Ames.
The work of the BDA in this project was two‐fold. First, they would take good quality photos of all the portraits that were on the walls. Second, they would scan photographs and documents in the archives. In the end, the collection amounted to several hundred images. This work continues at the BDA as we speak, and we can anticipate more images of Lodge members posted on the web site over time. This project is a wonderful example of true collaboration between organizations and individuals in a stressful time of change, with a very positive result for the community.
Here are only three examples of the portraits that were on the wall. Dr. Fife was a doctor who practiced in Brighton for many decades. John Eyre was a lawyer who practiced in Brighton from the 1860s to the early 1900s. Isaac Oscar Proctor was a brother of John Edward Proctor and these two brothers were extremely active merchants and businessmen in Brighton. They were so prosperous that they were able to build the large house on the hill we now call Proctor House Museum. There are lots more where these came from.
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Besides all the portraits, two important documents were identified in the Masonic Lodge archives. There were digitized, and can been seen in their entirety on the BDA web site.
The document on the left was written by Edgar W. Pickford in 1922 and the one on the right was produced by the lodge in 1997. Both of these documents are chock full of fascinating details of the activities of the lodge over the years, including information about many of the men who were members.
Documents like this are like gold in the history and genealogy work that I do every day.
The document on the left was written by Edgar W. Pickford in 1922 and the one on the right was produced by the lodge in 1997. Both of these documents are chock full of fascinating details of the activities of the lodge over the years, including information about many of the men who were members.
Documents like this are like gold in the history and genealogy work that I do every day.
Among the information we find in the history accounts is this image of Col. Richard Bullock who was the founder of the lodge around 1820 in Carrying Place. Richard Bullock had been an officer in the British army, stationed in Upper Canada in 1800. He playing a major role in many of the battles of the War of 1812 and his reward was large grants of land in the English Settlement area where he was very much a celebrity until his death in 1824.
The lodge in Carrying Place went dormant after some time, but was revived again in the 1850s. It was at this time that it was relocated to the village of Brighton.
Descendants of Richard Bullock would be members of the lodge well into the 1900s.
The lodge in Carrying Place went dormant after some time, but was revived again in the 1850s. It was at this time that it was relocated to the village of Brighton.
Descendants of Richard Bullock would be members of the lodge well into the 1900s.
One of the most interesting pictures from the Masonic Lodge collection is under the “Group Photos” section. Here we see a lodge meeting on May 25, 1899 where there are many local men, as well as visitors from other lodges around the area. The associated information on the BDA web site provides the names and lodges of the people shown in this picture. It is interesting to note that this meeting was held upstairs in the Nesbitt Block on the south side of Main Street, where the lodge would meet for several decades.
Then, in 1954, a new Masonic Temple was built in Brighton at 153 Main Street.
Actually, my grandfather, Lloyd Ames, was the main architect during the construction of this structure. Many years later, he took great pride in the fact that not a shingle was misplaced during the tornado that ripped down Main Street in 1973 and destroyed the town hall.
Besides serving as a meeting place for the lodge, the Masonic Temple was a primary event venue in Brighton. It was a well‐serviced location for wedding receptions and all kinds of events. However, membership in the lodge declined over time, and in 2018, the Masonic Lodge in Brighton sold the building and merged with the Warkworth lodge. The Masonic Lodge and the Masonic Temple left a profound legacy in this community. It acted as a very active social club and community service organization that did a lot of good over many years.
If you drive by there today, you can see that the building looks very different. It has been renovated to function as a multi‐unit residence for seniors. My grandfather would probably not be happy about this turn of events, but, time goes on and things change.
At least the building has been re‐purposed in a positive way.
Besides serving as a meeting place for the lodge, the Masonic Temple was a primary event venue in Brighton. It was a well‐serviced location for wedding receptions and all kinds of events. However, membership in the lodge declined over time, and in 2018, the Masonic Lodge in Brighton sold the building and merged with the Warkworth lodge. The Masonic Lodge and the Masonic Temple left a profound legacy in this community. It acted as a very active social club and community service organization that did a lot of good over many years.
If you drive by there today, you can see that the building looks very different. It has been renovated to function as a multi‐unit residence for seniors. My grandfather would probably not be happy about this turn of events, but, time goes on and things change.
At least the building has been re‐purposed in a positive way.
Susan Brose Collection
One of the items on the main page of the BDA web site is the “Brose Collection”. Susan Brose is a resident of Gosport and is very active in collecting and publishing information about local history. She managed the Mount Hope Cemetery for the Municipality for a time and has provided booklets about the schools, churches and cemeteries in the area.
Susan’s largest project was the production of her book “The History of Brighton Businesses, 1816 to 2009” which was published in 2010. This is a massive collection of information about the businesses of Brighton and how they developed over time. I use this book for research all the time and find it invaluable.
Some of Susan’s large collection of pictures are available here on the BDA web site.
Susan is currently working on a project to collect information about the cottages and cottagers on Presqu’ile Point, which I can’t wait to see.
One of the items on the main page of the BDA web site is the “Brose Collection”. Susan Brose is a resident of Gosport and is very active in collecting and publishing information about local history. She managed the Mount Hope Cemetery for the Municipality for a time and has provided booklets about the schools, churches and cemeteries in the area.
Susan’s largest project was the production of her book “The History of Brighton Businesses, 1816 to 2009” which was published in 2010. This is a massive collection of information about the businesses of Brighton and how they developed over time. I use this book for research all the time and find it invaluable.
Some of Susan’s large collection of pictures are available here on the BDA web site.
Susan is currently working on a project to collect information about the cottages and cottagers on Presqu’ile Point, which I can’t wait to see.
The Morrow Car Shed
Another item on the main page of the BDA web site is called “Random Photos”. Below, on the left, is one of the most interesting photos you will see in the list. First, this photo demonstrates the wizardry of Ralph De Jonge of the BDA. He took a very old and very foggy photograph and worked his magic to make it pop for us. That is just routine for the BDA.
Another item on the main page of the BDA web site is called “Random Photos”. Below, on the left, is one of the most interesting photos you will see in the list. First, this photo demonstrates the wizardry of Ralph De Jonge of the BDA. He took a very old and very foggy photograph and worked his magic to make it pop for us. That is just routine for the BDA.
The building on the left is the Grant Trunk Railway station in Brighton and we are looking at an event that happened in 1912. A crowd has gathered and folks are excited because they are witnessing the first delivery of Ford automobiles to the Morrow Car Shed. On the far right of this image, we just make out that some people are climbing up on a railway box car. In those early years, automobiles were rolled onto standard box cars for protection. The box cars were rolled onto the siding that ran between the station and the new shed that had been built by the Morrows, just north of the station, specifically for this purpose..
As we can see on this more recent image of the Morrow Car Shed, on the right, a large door was opened on the south side of the shed and the Ford cars were rolled from the box car into the shed where they would be stored until dealers in the area came to get them. There was another door on the east side of the shed which allowed the cars to be removed and rolled down a convenient ramp. This facility was used in this way for about a decade, until the railways began to build purpose‐built car carriers and more railway stations along the way could handle cars. After that, the Morrow Car Shed was used for storage.
Of course, during the time of Memory Junction Museum, Ralph Bangay filled the old car shed with an amazing collection of items. It was great fun to wander around the shed with Ralph, listening as he told the story of each item. And, to be sure, he recalled acquiring each item and could tell you the history of the place it came from.
As we can see on this more recent image of the Morrow Car Shed, on the right, a large door was opened on the south side of the shed and the Ford cars were rolled from the box car into the shed where they would be stored until dealers in the area came to get them. There was another door on the east side of the shed which allowed the cars to be removed and rolled down a convenient ramp. This facility was used in this way for about a decade, until the railways began to build purpose‐built car carriers and more railway stations along the way could handle cars. After that, the Morrow Car Shed was used for storage.
Of course, during the time of Memory Junction Museum, Ralph Bangay filled the old car shed with an amazing collection of items. It was great fun to wander around the shed with Ralph, listening as he told the story of each item. And, to be sure, he recalled acquiring each item and could tell you the history of the place it came from.
The Bangay Collection
We have seen that the BDA did good work with Ralph and Eugenia Bangay in producing the videos about Memory Junction Museum. However, there was another type of activity related to Memory Junction that has been more under the radar. Members of the BDA worked with Ralph and Eugenia to scan pictures and documents that were part of the large collections held both at the train station and in the Bangay home. This work became even more critical when Memory Junction Museum was closed and it became evident that it might be sold. Sadly, Ralph Bangay passed away in 2018.
The Bangay family took responsibility for the collections and, in 2021, a large bundle of documents from the Bangay Collection were handed over to the BDA. I am told that there is some amazing content here, some items from the middle of the 1800s, and many things most of us have never seen. Scanning and transcription is ongoing at the BDA, and we can anticipate revelations in the future.
We have seen that the BDA did good work with Ralph and Eugenia Bangay in producing the videos about Memory Junction Museum. However, there was another type of activity related to Memory Junction that has been more under the radar. Members of the BDA worked with Ralph and Eugenia to scan pictures and documents that were part of the large collections held both at the train station and in the Bangay home. This work became even more critical when Memory Junction Museum was closed and it became evident that it might be sold. Sadly, Ralph Bangay passed away in 2018.
The Bangay family took responsibility for the collections and, in 2021, a large bundle of documents from the Bangay Collection were handed over to the BDA. I am told that there is some amazing content here, some items from the middle of the 1800s, and many things most of us have never seen. Scanning and transcription is ongoing at the BDA, and we can anticipate revelations in the future.
As an example, one day in 2021, Catherine Stutt of the BDA, who is working with the Bangay Collection, sent me this image, wondering if I could help to identify this bridge and determine the location being shown in the picture. I had never seen this image but could guess that Proctor Bridge was to the north of Proctor House, crossing Butler Creek just to the west of Number 30 Highway. There was a large saw mill in that area in the 1920s that is often mentioned in histories for that period. It was called the Dauncey Mill.
Then, a while later, Catherine sent me this image, showing the Dauncey Mill with several men out front. It is always wonderful to find a picture with labels identifying the people in the picture – because it is so rare! This was the mill that was just upstream from the Proctor Bridge, as seen in the previous picture. This saw mill operated for about a decade, before the depression put an end to the business. It was a major employer in the area and took part in the building boom of the 1920s.
These two pictures demonstrate the potential for images, like those of the Bangay Collection, to enhance our understanding of the history of Brighton and area. I can’t wait to see what else is revealed from the Bangay Collection. Stay tuned.
These two pictures demonstrate the potential for images, like those of the Bangay Collection, to enhance our understanding of the history of Brighton and area. I can’t wait to see what else is revealed from the Bangay Collection. Stay tuned.
In February 2013, we held our first History Open House in Brighton. In fact, it was so popular that it became an annual event. Here is my favourite picture of the crowd and the degree of engagement we had around the many displays.
The BDA began to be a vendor at the History Open House in February 2016. The theme that year as “Riding the Rails”, which meant railway history. Here is Ralph de Jonge and Dorothy Fletcher of the BDA, in front of their booth, talking to then mayor Mark Walas.
Not far away, Ralph Bangay was holding court with some friends. Everyone knew that you were in for the long haul if you got Ralph talking about Memory Junction or railway history. He had a vast memory of events around Brighton over the years. In fact, I learned a lot from Ralph and am grateful for his contribution.
Then, in September 2016, BDA participated in Applefest for the first time. We had adjoining booths to show our history stuff to the large crowds that thronged Main Street on that beautiful sunny day. It was all part of spreading the word and getting the community more engaged in its own history.
History Open House 2017 had the theme “Brighton 150” which celebrated the 150th anniversary of confederation which was the main topic across the country that year. The BDA had a display which included a technical station where Ralph could record
people talking about their family history. This proved to be very popular and would grow in future years.
people talking about their family history. This proved to be very popular and would grow in future years.
The BDA had a very unique display at the 2019 History Open House. They set up a theatre in one corner of the hall to show their videos. People who had browsed around the displays could sit for a spell and watch BDA videos. This group is watching Rural Roots. As we can see, this was a popular attraction for the folks at History Open House.
Brighton Digital Archives Advisory Committe
A big change happened early in 2020 when Brighton Digital Archives became the “Brighton Digital Archives Advisory Committee” of the Municipality of Brighton. This represents a major improvement in the status of the group. It provides the potential for better support in terms of funding as well as more certainty for the longer term. The move by Brighton council to bring BDA more directly under the structure of the municipality speaks to the excellent work done by the group. In only a few years, the members of this organization have demonstrated their dedication to the process of preserving our heritage and presenting it to the public.
A big change happened early in 2020 when Brighton Digital Archives became the “Brighton Digital Archives Advisory Committee” of the Municipality of Brighton. This represents a major improvement in the status of the group. It provides the potential for better support in terms of funding as well as more certainty for the longer term. The move by Brighton council to bring BDA more directly under the structure of the municipality speaks to the excellent work done by the group. In only a few years, the members of this organization have demonstrated their dedication to the process of preserving our heritage and presenting it to the public.
A very important part of this change was the appointment of Beth Bruder as the Chair of the Brighton Digital Archives Advisory Committee. The presence of Beth as chair is a major coup for this group. Beth had a long career in the publishing industry, recently retired from the position of General Manager with Dundurn Press in Toronto, a publisher that focused on Canadian history. Beth and her family had a cottage at Presqu’ile for many years and now Beth and her husband Ken live along the bay shore at Presqu’ile. In retirement, Beth is intent on using her experience and skills for the good of the community in a volunteer capacity and the BDA is a perfect place to do just that.
The BDA Today
The members of the BDA have changed over time. Here is a picture of the current group in 2021 as they accepted a big cheque from the Brian Todd Memorial Community Fund for “videography equipment”. These funds have been put to good use to enhance the ability of the BDA to produce videos more efficiently. Thanks very much to the Brian Todd Fund for this generous contribution.
The members of the BDA have changed over time. Here is a picture of the current group in 2021 as they accepted a big cheque from the Brian Todd Memorial Community Fund for “videography equipment”. These funds have been put to good use to enhance the ability of the BDA to produce videos more efficiently. Thanks very much to the Brian Todd Fund for this generous contribution.
In this picture, Ralph de Jonge is on the far left. To Ralph’s left are Hyacinthe Eykelhof and Jo Shannon. These two are sisters who began to work with the BDA in 2017. They spearhead the Brighton I Remember series and continue to provide important work in research, document transcription and a wide range of activities. Second from the right is Catherine Stutt and on the far right is Swen Shannon who is one of several drone pilots and acts as Ralph’s second on video shoots.
I quote Catherine Stutt in saying that this team “runs like clockwork” and continues to “make the magic happen”.
Oh, yes, the Chair of the BDA is Beth Bruder, there in the lower left corner.
This is the BDA today.
I quote Catherine Stutt in saying that this team “runs like clockwork” and continues to “make the magic happen”.
Oh, yes, the Chair of the BDA is Beth Bruder, there in the lower left corner.
This is the BDA today.
Here is the group in action at the same event. We see Ralph and Catherine and Hyacinthe, Swen and Jo, all doing their thing. The outcome was a real good picture of the board members of the Brian Todd Memorial Community Fund.
If you are not familiar with the Brian Todd Memorial Community Fund, please go to their web site and see what kind of great work they have been doing around the area in the last few years.
If you are not familiar with the Brian Todd Memorial Community Fund, please go to their web site and see what kind of great work they have been doing around the area in the last few years.
The work has continued through the pandemic. Here is Ralph de Jonge, on the right, with Swen Shannon at a BDA video shoot, with masks on. This is from a post on Facebook regarding Ralph’s birthday in August 2021.
Mandate
While the organization has changed, the message has not. The BDA always encourages people to pass along any documents and pictures that may have some historical value. Items will be scanned and returned to the owner, along with a digital copy. BDA also seeks permission from the owner to display items on the web site or in promotional efforts.
Here, in part, is the mandate of the BDA:
While the organization has changed, the message has not. The BDA always encourages people to pass along any documents and pictures that may have some historical value. Items will be scanned and returned to the owner, along with a digital copy. BDA also seeks permission from the owner to display items on the web site or in promotional efforts.
Here, in part, is the mandate of the BDA:
Every single day the members of the BDA are working to make this happen.