OK, I was wrong. Blogger's recent dropping of the information ball made me cynical. But some things ARE forever. 'Archives are Forever'. That's the motto of the folks who work at our Community Archives at the Hastings Heritage Centre. When these dedicated volunteers put on special events they don their elegant black and white tees sporting this logo, and make our local history real to children and adults alike. The volunteers at the Heritage Centre, "the Archives Angels" maintain the collection, and help researchers who drop in; they are a most dedicated and informed group of folks. And our new archivist Sharon, and our volunteer webmaster Nick are taking us to a whole new level of accessibility to the wondrous collection.
A few weeks ago I made my first (of many) visit to the Prince Edward County Archives, at the public library in lovely Wellington. My brother who works for the library system (tech coordinator) had told me the archivist was a sweetheart - was he right! Krista graciously abandoned her plans for the morning and assisted me with a journey through my family story.
With her help I saw my family farm lot on Tremaine's 1863 map, got a copy of the original 1860 Land Registry transaction when the Lot 50 Bayside came into the family, found my great-great-great-great grandfather's name on a list maintained in the Dominion Archives, of United Empire Loyalists who settled in Marysburgh township.
Thanks Krista. I'll be back.
Oh, how lucky you are! To be so close to your family's roots is a wonderful opportunity. Maybe I'll be as fortunate in July when I visit the Surrey Family History Centre.
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