Elgin County Archives

Elgin County Archives Elgin County Archives acquires & manages corporate records of the County of Elgin & private records of enduring importance to the history of Elgin County.

This photograph shows Ross, Ilene, Ruth, Marion and Donna Cowan, ca. 1945. The Cowan family operated a to***co farm in...
09/01/2026

This photograph shows Ross, Ilene, Ruth, Marion and Donna Cowan, ca. 1945. The Cowan family operated a to***co farm in the Corinth area of Bayham Township. The family began growing to***co in 1937. Image is from the Corinth Women's Institute Tweedsmuir History Volume One.

Hello to our awesome Facebook followers,You all have probably noticed the new feature Facebook has implemented that send...
09/01/2026

Hello to our awesome Facebook followers,

You all have probably noticed the new feature Facebook has implemented that sends you an automated message asking “Please let us know how we can help you” when you try to click on our images. Facebook does this automatically, it is not us. We have tried to turn it off, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to do so without turning off the ability to message us in general.

Please feel free to ignore it unless you do have a question or comment for us. If you click the image twice, it is usually able to bypass the message and enlarge the photo for you. You can also enlarge and view any of our images on our online database: https://www.elgincountyheritagecollections.ca/

We hope Facebook will fix this in the future, but in the meantime, we appreciate your patience and willingness to take the extra step and still engage with our images. We have the best followers!

This image was published in the Rodney Mercury on January 15th, 1981, with the caption "Members of WESS' Computer Club enjoy fooling around with the school's PET computer, programming it and watching it display games, cartoons, studies, etc. Pictured watching the screen and feeding PET instructions are: Kevin Ross, Kert Lohrum, Mike Hulls, Perley Walsh, Brian Swain, teacher Colin Kittmer and Wilfred Gardner."
Part of Harley Lashbrook Collection.

UPDATE: The people in 3 of the 4 images have now been identified. First image is Derek Reed, second is Manfred Schmidt, ...
08/31/2026

UPDATE: The people in 3 of the 4 images have now been identified. First image is Derek Reed, second is Manfred Schmidt, third is still unidentified, fourth is Julianna DeRenzo. Thanks for your assistance!
Our second feature of the day is this group of four images of Timken employees pictured in 1996, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the plant. Images are from the Canadian Timken Limited, St. Thomas fonds. Please let us know if you recognize anyone!

UPDATE: The person in the first image has been identified as Rob Temple, and the person in the third image has been iden...
08/31/2026

UPDATE: The person in the first image has been identified as Rob Temple, and the person in the third image has been identified as Bonnie Beharrell. Thanks for your assistance!
Happy ! Our first feature today shows four photographic negatives produced for the "Voice of the Elgin Farmer" newspaper in August 1985. They were part of an "Enquiring Reporter" feature in the newspaper. The "Enquiring Reporter" feature asked an agriculture-related question to several people for each edition, and published their answers along with a profile photo. Unfortunately, only microfilm of the newspaper from September 1979 to August 18, 1982 has survived, so it isn't possible to check whether these images were published in the newspaper, or the caption associated with them.
Please let us know if you can identify anyone in these images!
Images are from the Voice of the Elgin Farmer fonds.

This photograph shows the West Lorne Day Camp. The photograph was published by the Mercury-Sun on August 28, 1975, wit...
08/28/2026

This photograph shows the West Lorne Day Camp.
The photograph was published by the Mercury-Sun on August 28, 1975, with the following caption:

"West Lorne Day camp children held a car wash at the arena a week ago Saturday under the direction of Councillor Anne Johnston, Kintrye, at right. Participants were: Kevin Reynolds, Kim Driver, Mary-Laurie Roperch, Sonya Payne, Richard Kuska, Tony Oliveria, Chad Harderbrook, Carlos Couto, Francelina Antonio, and Tom Johnston behind the car with the hose. Patrons were please with children's workmanship, and participants were happy on the job, particularly in keeping others wet."

Part of the Harley Lashbrook Collection.

to this photograph of five unidentified women attending the Women's Missionary Society Conference at Alma College on A...
08/28/2026

to this photograph of five unidentified women attending the Women's Missionary Society Conference at Alma College on August 27, 1952.
Part of Stollery Studio fonds.

105 years ago today this photograph depicting the construction of the "new dam" east of Dalewood Drive was taken.Written...
08/27/2026

105 years ago today this photograph depicting the construction of the "new dam" east of Dalewood Drive was taken.
Written on the photograph is " #19: "Kettle Creek Dam: Pouring Section 9: Base of Spillway": August 27, 1921".
Part of Steve Peters Papers.

to these photographs of local girls attending a leadership camp at Tyrconnell taken on August 24, 1949.The photographs...
08/27/2026

to these photographs of local girls attending a leadership camp at Tyrconnell taken on August 24, 1949.

The photographs were published in the St. Thomas Times-Journal on August 27, 1949, with the following captions:

“At Elgin County Camp for Training of Camp Leaders at Tyrconnell.”

(1) “While the camper attended service at nearby St. Peter’s Anglican Church on Sunday morning, their own vesper, service was held in this sylvan “chapel” cleared at the edge of the lake bank overlooking the lake. Gathered here for a few moments of quiet meditation are Carol Lee Knight, Robin Futcher, Beverley Draper, Marilyn Barnum, Doreen Salt, Mary Jane McLandress and Joanne Scarlett, with Mrs. Thurlow as leader.”

(2) “This group busy tidying up their tent includes Carol Lee Knight of St. Thomas, at the clothesline; Mary Jane McLandress, of Wallacetown, and Robin Futcher, of Middlemarch, making up the bed roll.”

Part of the Stollery Studio fonds.

The Shedden Fair was this past weekend, we hope you all had a great time! This week’s feature show some of the 1979 Sh...
08/26/2026

The Shedden Fair was this past weekend, we hope you all had a great time! This week’s feature show some of the 1979 Shedden Fair winners and participants. The photographs were published in the St. Thomas Times-Journal on August 27, 1979, with the following captions:

(1) "Travelling Incognito- Dogs could use a little protection from the sun, too, or so thinks Rusty, a boxer entered in the short-hair competition in the pet show at the Shedden Fair. Either that or he didn't want to be recognized by his fans. With him is owner Diane Horst, 11, of Fingal."

(2) "Homemaking Queen- Marilyn Carroll, president of the ladies division of the Shedden Fair, crowns Nancy McCallum the 1979 Shedden Fair Homemaking Teen Queen. To Nancy's left is last year's winner, JoAnne Chamberlain."

(3) "Just Clowning Around- Three clowns pose for a picture before the judging competitions for, naturally enough, best-dressed clown. They are, from left, Wendy Silcox, 11, of RR 3, Shedden, her eight-year-old brother Jason, and Katie Johnson, 4, of RR 1, Fingal."

(4) "Dairy Cows- Winners of the Shedden 4-H Dairy Calf competitions held Saturday at the Shedden Fair were, from left, Frank Maynard (championship holstein), Leigh Vicary (championship jersey), and Nancy Kerkvliet (championship showman)."
Part of the St. Thomas Times-Journal fonds.

This photograph shows Bill Turvey changing the location of the flags on Canadian National Railways Locomotive No. 5700...
08/25/2026

This photograph shows Bill Turvey changing the location of the flags on Canadian National Railways Locomotive No. 5700. The engine was being decorated in preparation for Railway Heritage Day on August 25, 1991, at the CASO station in St. Thomas, Ontario.
Part of the Ken Verrell Collection.

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Saint Thomas, ON
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