2024 Barns of Sandwich South
Carolyn Gerard, a local artist and bar enthusiast, has sketched many barns in the area. She also interviewed the families to get the history of these barns. A presentation was given at our Heritage Centre to show off her sketches. Nearly 100 people showed up to listen to her stories. She published a book with her sketches and research.
A book signing was held following the presentation. She sold all of the books she brought. Refreshments were servered courtesy of the Historical Society. Many people stayed for an hour after the event to socialize. It was a very enjoyable and successful community event.
Here is a link to the presentation. YouTube
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2024 Weston Park Reunion
A reunion was held for Weston Park players and coaches was on June 9th, 2024 at Weston Park. Nearly 200 people showed to pay tribute to Bob Weston and the entire Weston family. It was a long overdue thank-you for the decades of volunteer work they gave for the community.
Weston park was much more than a ball field. People showed up to play baseball but often more people showed up to watch and socialize. It was the place where many life-long friendships were forged.
This hugely successful event brought several people in from out of town to show their appreciation for the work of the Weston Family
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2024 The Bucth Jobin Memorial Euchre Tournament
Our Euchre Tournament was held in honour of Butch Jobin, who sadly passed away in 2023. Butch was married to Judy, who serves on the board of our Historical Society. Butch loved playing cards with family and friends and participated in our tournament last year.
This was a fun filled afternoon that brought together dozens of members of the community. Sandwiches and refreshments were provided by our amazing group of volunteers.
Thank you to all who attended and provided support for the Sandwich South Historical Society.
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2023 History Tour & Scavenger Hunt - Beyond Sandwich South
The 2023 Historical Tour & Scavenger Hunt took place on Saturday May 6th. The weather was perfect and the participation level tremendous.
Teams gathered at the Sandwich South Heritage Centre and followed clues that led them to the Aviation Museum, the Tecumseh Heritage Centre, Lakewood Park, Maidstone Museum, and the ECHRS Museum in Essex. Historical facts were presented at many points of interest throughout the tour. Participants were greeted with activities or challenges at each stop.
A gathering was held at the Legion in Essex to share stories and hand out prizes after the event. It was an incredibly successful event with participants truly enjoying the trip down memory lane.
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Louisa Payne Memorial
Louisa Payne was born into slavery in Georgia in 1839. Her family fled to Canada and took residence on a 25 acre farm on the 9th concession. She remained on the farm until her death in 1938.
She was buried at the Fairbairn cemetery in an unmarked grave. A memorial plaque was purchased by Ted Ure and Michael O’Keefe in her memory. A dedication service was held on Emancipation Day in 2002 to honour Louisa.
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Jack Monaghan Memorial
Jack “Speedy” Monaghan was one of the top drivers at Checker Flag for over 20 years beginning when the track opened in 1961. He won several track championships and also raced at many other tracks in Ontario and the U.S.
Jack worked for many years alongside his wife Nan in their family business Hallmark Memorial Co.
He passed away September 15, 2021 and a memorial for him was held one year later at the Sandwich South Heritage Centre.
Links
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2022 Tecumseh 100 Celebration
The Town of Tecumseh celebrated it’s 100th anniversary in 2022. Our Heritage Centre had an open house and hosted the agricultural component of the festivities. Tents were set up from various organizations including 4H, ECFA, Nature Fresh, and the Steam and Gas Engine museum. There was a presentation done by members of a First Nations group which included a descendant from the leader Tecumseh himself.
It was a well attended event that kept our volunteers busy all afternoon listening to and sharing stories with our community members. The offering of free ice cream was a huge success.
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2021 Historical Tour & Scavenger Hunt
The 2021 Historical Tour & Scavenger Hunt took place on Saturday September 18th. The weather was perfect and the participation level tremendous.
Teams gathered at four different starting points and followed clues to travel around the former township. Historical facts were presented at many points of interest throughout the tour.
A gathering was held at the Ciociaro club to share stores and hand out prizes after the event. It was an incredibly successful event with participants truly enjoying the trip down memory lane.
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