(Photo: Part of the Goulbourn Township Historical Society’s “Pioneer Potraits” exhibit, from the GTHS archives.)
The Goulbourn Historical Society’s heritage celebration event is at the Stittsville Library this Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
It’s going to be multi-faceted this year. We’ll be having costumed local characters that the whole family can meet and talk with. There’ll be the famous Duke of Richmond of course, after whom the village of Richmond is named, there’ll be Jacqueline whose husband Jock drowned in the Jock River and who is bringing up five children on her own, there’ll be Samuel Mann who owned a wonderful two-story department store in Stittsville in the early 1900’s where the first telephone was installed in the village, a village lady who could tell you stories and Maria Hill, innkeeper in Richmond who looked after the Duke of Richmond when he died from a fox bite and who disguised herself as a man so she could follow her husband into the war of 1812.
There will be a display of all the entries in the 2015 Historical Society Photo Contest, including the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, as well as the exhibit called “Pioneer Portraits” on the Artspace wall at the library.
People are also invited to bring any pre-1920 family photos they might have of relatives who lived in Goulbourn (Stittsville, Munster, Richmond, Ashton and surrounding farmlands). There will be scanning equipment available so these photos can be added in digital format and with permission, to the Goulbourn Historical Society Photo Archives.
There will also be treats and coffee, tea and small drinks for kids available. This is a community event and the Goulbourn Historical Society would like to invite every one to come and sample a little local history.