Take a peek inside this 1920's kitchen to discover what life was like for a working class family in Peterborough. The kitchen was the hub of family life and the ideal 1920's kitchen was a cheerful, vibrant room filled with bright colours, floral prints and linoleum floors in geometric patterns. Although electricity was now common in many homes, the working class kitchen was a place of transition. Electric lighting and electric stoves mixed with a traditional ice box for keeping for cold. Blocks of ice were delivered daily and housed in these coolers which were likely insulated with sawdust. Can you spot any familiar items that you remember? How about any items that are making a come back?

Audio Guide | Peterborough Museum & Archives

25 • The 1920's Kitchen

The Peterborough Lift Lock, constructed in 1904, is the highest hydraulic lock in the world with a rise of 19.8 meters. Between modern day Trent University and Little Lake.   the water level drops approximately 20 meters. A conventional lock can only raise or lower a boat 6 to 8 meters at a time, while a lift lock can raise or lower a boat over 20 meters in the same time; The decision was made to build a single and extraordinarily tall lift lock to reduce the number of locks required for a boat to climb or drop from one end of Peterborough to the other. The Lift Lock was built under difficult conditions: bad weather, general inexperience and poor working relations between the contractors and canal staff made this impressive endeavour even more challenging. The workers used the latest technologies of the time; for example, steam shovels and rivet guns, but the working conditions were dangerous and the scaffolding and supports were crude and rickety. Overall it took 8 years to construct the lift lock. Amazingly, only one person died during the construction. Both the business community and the city continue to use the Lift Lock to promote Peterborough. It is a symbol of the town and is one of the area’s largest tourist attractions.

24 • The Lift Lock

The Indigenous peoples have travelled the lakes and rivers of what is now known as the Trent-Severn Waterway since 13,000 B.C.E. In the 1600s, European fur traders used the system, and the settlement of the Kawarthas was closely linked to the developing waterway. Traditionally, Peterborough is known as Nogojiwanong, which translates to Place at the End of the Rapids. While the rapids and waterfalls between the lakes provided waterpower for the early mills, they made travel difficult. The Trent-Severn Waterway was originally constructed so it could effectively transport military from the St. Lawrence River, inland, towards Lake Simcoe. In the late 1820s, demand for a waterway linking the upper lakes with Lake Ontario began as new settlers and farmers were looking for a way to move grain to southern markets. The first wooden lock was built in Bobcaygeon in 1833. By 1887 there were locks, canals, dams and slides at Chisholm Rapids (Hastings), Healy Falls (Campbellford), Crow Rapids (Marmora), Whitla Rapids (Peterborough), Burleigh Falls, Buckhorn, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls and Lindsay. 

23 • Trent Severn Waterway

Peterborough, surrounded by lakes and rivers, was a natural centre for canoe-making. First Nations people developed many efficient methods of transportation suited to Canada’s geography and climate such as the canoe and snowshoes. In years to come, Peterborough would become a world centre for industrial production of these First Nations inventions. Canoe manufacturers and the Peterborough Ski and Toboggan Company (a division of the Peterborough Canoe Company) produced and shipped canoes, toboggans and snowshoes around the world. The Peterborough Canoe Company was started by John Stephenson of Ashburnham and Tom Gordon of Lakefield in the late 1850s. Their canoe design was lightweight and strong, combining the best features of the bark and dugout canoes. This new design put Peterborough on the map as the "Canoe Capital of Canada," and soon, many canoe-making companies emerged.

22 • The Canoe Capital of Canada

Prior to 1884, Peterborough’s downtown streets were lit by gas streetlights. Lamplighters were employed to manually spark the lamps in the evening and douse them in the morning. On May 24th, 1884, Peterborough became the first city in Canada with electric street lighting, earning itself the nickname, The Electric City. The Edison Electric Company came to Peterborough from Sherbrooke Quebec in 1890, for the ample water power, rail lines, cheap taxes and the towns offer of free land. Later called the General Electric Company, it set up its plant on the southern edge of town between Park and Monaghan Streets, where it is still located. Its arrival changed the face of the town and ensured its future as a major industrial centre.

21 • The Electric City

Peterborough's militia was formed in the early 1830s to protect Upper Canada against threats of rebellion. Following its reorganization in the late 1860s and early 1870s, the militia served not only as a military defense, but also as a key factor in the town's social life.   It has been rumoured that British and Canadian militia coats were red to hide blood during battle, but in fact the colour had a more practical function of visibility on a battlefield when black-powder muskets and cannons where used. Khaki (olive green) uniforms were adopted in the early 20th century.

20 • The Militia

Between 1869 and 1992, three generations of the Roy family photographed virtually every aspect of life and work in Peterborough and surrounding areas. As a result, the Peterborough Museum & Archives has over 400,000 glass plate and film negatives donated to us by Jim Balsillie in 2000. It is thanks to the Roy Studio that we have such a comprehensive visual history of Peterborough.

19 • The Roy Studio

By 1860, Peterborough had changed from an isolated logging town to a service centre for the local agricultural and lumber industries. At one point, there were even 4 railways going through Peterborough to assist in the transport of these goods. Buildings in Peterborough changed as life became more settled. Houses changed from simple log or frame houses to larger, more complex designs. The various state-of-the-art bridges built at Hunter Street provided an important link between the two growing communities of Peterborough and Ashburnham which would later become amalgamated as East City. The Hunter Street Bridge across the Otonabee River was, at the time of its completion, the longest span of un-reinforced concrete in Canada. By 1884, four railways served the town of Peterborough, allowing the town to grow significantly. A house was constructed for the town’s first physician Dr. John Hutchison, close to the new station built at Bethune and Aylmer Streets, for convenience in receiving supplies and patients alike. In fact, much of the life of the town surrounded the main railway lines which crisscross the downtown area to this day. With the end of the lumber era in Peterborough, and the increased development of highways, the use of transport and passenger trains significantly declined.

18 • Lumber, Architecture and the Railway

As a result of social, economic, and political developments in the Victorian Era, local First Nations communities began to adapt to widespread changes that affected their traditional ways of life. A new form of income came in the way of being guides for hunting camps.

17 • The Victorian Era

In the Victorian Era, theatres and music halls were central to town life, providing much needed space for meetings and debate as well as concerts and plays. Peterborough's strong tradition of live entertainment continues today. The scale model of the Bradburn Opera House was created by Dr. Barkley McKone in the mid 1990’s. He had a passion for recreating historic buildings in Peterborough. Designed by John Belcher, the Opera House was originally located next to Market Hall, but was torn down in 1973 to make way for Peterborough Square. If not for the founder of the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee Martha Kidd, wrapping herself around Market Hall, it would have faced the same level of destruction.

16 • The Bradburn Opera Hall

Siblings Susanna, Catharine and Samuel Strickland emigrated to the Peterborough area at different times and were among the first English settlers in Upper Canada's backwoods. They are known primarily for their writing about their experience living here. Catharine had a strong love of nature and spent much of her time exploring Canada’s wilderness, studying the plants and animals. In 1891 she created an herbarium. This botany album consists of mounted ferns, grasses, moss and flower specimens. It is extraordinarily rare to find an intact album by Catherine Parr Traill of this size (a full 51 pages). This album is housed in our Archival collection and in 1999 the herbarium was designated as Canadian Cultural Property of outstanding significance and national importance.

15 • Authors in the Wilderness

In 1827, in recognition of Peter Robinson and his efforts to bring settlers to the area, Scott’s Plains was given a new name. At the suggestion of early settler Frances Stewart, the area was renamed Peterborough and on January 1, 1850, Peterborough was officially incorporated as a town. At this time, Peterborough changed quickly from backwoods to boomtown. This increasing growth brought opportunities and challenges for the diverse populations of new immigrants and First Nations.

14 • The Naming of Peterborough

The First Nation's traditional way of life depended on their ability to move freely across the land, as the four seasons often dictated their hunting, fishing and gathering patterns. However, Europeans saw this as "uncivilized". They pressured the First Nations to settle in one area and adopt European housing, farming techniques and religion. With immigrants clearing the forest and damming the waterways, the First Nations had little choice but to move to reserves.

13 • Resettlement

Unlike other settlers who came to Canada, the Robinson settlers received government assistance. This included land, one year's provisions, tools, seed potatoes, and corn to begin their new life here. In this exhibit you can see examples of the variety of tools and supplies that the new settlers would have been equipped with. Their first task would have been to begin clearing the land and construct a simple dwelling such as this log cabin. An early settlers cabin would have been larger than this display by only one meter in length and width. In such a small space, multifunctionality was important! This settle bench was a space saver. It converted from a bed at night time to a bench during the day. A bed of this size would have accommodated 2-3 people. Over the cooking fire is a three legged cast iron pan, which would have served as an all purpose stove top. In a small space with very few windows and an open cook fire, the temperature would have been uncomfortably warm!

12 • Arriving in Canada

At the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815, the economy in Ireland collapsed, and the country was pushed into a recession. Poverty, famine, and high unemployment became commonplace. The British Government decided to send these impoverished Irish farmers to the under populated Newcastle District (today's Peterborough) to give them a new start. Peter Robinson had a knowledge of the backwoods and many political connections. He was quickly hired as the man to recruit new immigrants and settle the land. Attention, Attention: If you are under 45 years of age, are sound of body, hardworking and able, come to the New World, where there is land and food in abundance and a future that is your for the taking! If you were under 45 years of age, healthy and able to work, you could apply to emigrate. While over 50,000 applied to come, only 2300 people were selected. They were looking forward to a brighter future in Canada, but it wouldn’t be easy. The voyage ahead of them would be 30-40 days before they would see the coast of Newfoundland. Then it would be an additional month of travelling down the St. Lawrence, across the north shore of Lake Ontario, and north to Peterborough. The berths were small and cramped and smelled of cleaning vinegar and the lime juice that was used to help calm stomachs. While you were encouraged to get fresh air daily on the decks of the ship, and many contracted small pox despite being immunized.

11 • The Robinson Emigration

Listen along as we walk you through the history of Peterborough Area and the people who have lived here.

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Audio Guide | Peterborough Museum & Archives

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