Working with Ghosts

The quiet is almost deafening until the creak of a 250-year-old tulip wood floorboard breaks the silence. Standing in the parlor admiring the final product of Christmas decorations that fill the room; the green cedar rope frames each doorway like a hug from the past, but this year it contrasts so vibrantly from the newly painted snow white wide based trim. The glow from the fire on the aged red and orange masonry fills the large room with beauty but no longer provides warmth. The gilded frame with a portrait of the mother and two children hangs above the piano that wants to be played; the tuneless ivory continues its wait. Red wool and linen ribbons are strategically placed to accompany the gold turning of the candle stick. The goose feather tree is fully decorated with handmade ornaments, tinsel glistens, ropes of popcorn made by children hang like a dusting of snow, and the candles wait to be lit by father on Christmas Eve after dinner. Peering into the dining room the table is set for four and Christmas crackers are ready to snap when opened at the table; the soup tureen, two serving dishes, and meat platter remain empty on the sideboard. No one is here but me, no more family, no more children, mothers, or fathers; its just me with the unknown memories that these objects hold. The stories are the Ghosts of what used to be.

I adjust my apron, tighten the buckle on my shoe, and walk down the hallway, through the annex past the walnut cabinet made 150 years ago, and into the kitchen. The glowing embers of the fire are almost ready for cooking, the smell of the menu fills the room, since two chickens were stuffed, seasoned, tied carefully to the spit, and placed on the hearth as soon as the flame engulfed the logs. I check my watch, double check my produce and food supplies for the remaining of the cooking, and all is in order. A highlight for the day will be a Cheshire Pork Pie from 1754: pastry filled with layered pork, apples, white wine and topped with an elaborate lid of carefully carved pastry to show the importance of the dish. It will be cooked for hours in an 18^th century cast iron Dutch oven encapsulated by the burning coals produced from the fire. The Christmas pudding has been made weeks in advance and the smell of the rum that has soaked the pudding lingers. This will not be served to those who are delighted by its appearance; it too will become another ghost in this house.

There is a rustling in the front of the building; petticoats, short gowns, neckerchiefs, bonnets, jackets, top hats, and voices make their way to me. The staff have arrived, and we are ready to start the day. The flag is placed on the front of the house and as the people walk through, we tell them stories of the day’s past. A whirlwind of questions, conversation, astonishment, memories, nostalgia, and enjoyment are exchanged before everyone leaves. The fire is stoked, the flag is retired, dishes are washed, and the door is closed.  Only I and the ghosts, that are eternally compressed into the objects, remain in the house; the baby shoes on the dresser, the christening and wedding gowns in the archives, the photos of loved ones filed away by number, and the tiny tea set were all once loved by someone. In the archive a child’s table and two chairs are stored away along with two photographs of him opening the gift on Christmas morning; the donor has since passed away, but that memory and single joyful moment in time will forever be kept alive.

I can remember sitting in the back of my Grandmother’s little red car, it was late but there was the continuous flash of each streetlight that lit the silhouette of her short curly hair. Then I saw it, the green Christmas tree decoration on the light pole, and then another one, and another. That is how I knew Christmas would be soon. I couldn’t have been more then three or four; I was so young that I didn’t understand the concept of time, but I knew by the trees on the light poles that it would come soon. I can also remember laying in the crib and her singing the words to Silent Night, which played from a stuffed bear when you pressed it’s heart. As each year passed there were fewer and fewer trees on the streetlamps. Last year, I noticed there was one on every other pole; weary with age they have likely fallen into disrepair, but the memory of that one drive with Grandmother popped up and was resilient; this year, there are no trees on the streetlamps and wherever they lie, so will the ghost of this memory.  

Yes, I work with ghosts; these are the many stories that will likely never be spoken again, memories forever enshrined in the many artifacts that are catalogued in our collection. We can tell you who they belonged to, when it was made, how it was used and why it is important, but we can’t always tell you of the emotional experiences that are captured within an object that can not speak. The dolls, archived on the second shelf from the top, can not tell us about the joy when their little girl saw her for the first time or about the moments she comforted her when she cried, but we know they were loved enough to find their way to us. A pair of Lyle wedding stockings are on display in new acquisitions, next to the dress, that was worn in 1933. They were worn on a day filled with hopes and dreams of what would be and finally placed in a drawer for safe keeping; as each day passed so did the depression, a World War, new babies, and finally death.  Everyone has an object, tradition, or a memory that is cherished, and everyone will leave a legacy either good, bad, or indifferent. I was once told that everyone dies twice, once physically, and again when their name is last spoken, which is perhaps why I am a historian and prefer public history. Museums are a community’s nucleus of cultural preservation, to be shared with future generations, create conversation, promote critical thinking and learning in a way that is enjoyable.

 As we begin our process to close for the 2019 season, we would like to thank everyone who has supported our efforts to maintain the Park House Museum. We look forward to the 2020 season, a new decade, new experiences, new opportunities, and encourage you to take a step back in time by visiting us.  We are in the initial stages of developing our 2021 immigration exhibit; throughout the coming year we will be reaching out to community members to learn about their or their family’s immigration experience. We are hoping to create a narrative for future generations, collect the stories of our people and shed light on some of the ghosts of our past.  

A Summer Work Experience - from a Teenager's Perspective

In June 2019, I was hired for the Summer Student Employment Program [funded by the Canada Summer Jobs Grant] at the Park House Museum in Amherstburg. To be totally honest, I was a little intimidated about working at the Park House; I was the only teenager and youngest member of the staff, I had little to no experience with the historical information that was part of the everyday job and this was my very first “real” job - outside of babysitting. Now as my summer employment experience is coming to an end, I can honestly say that it has been an incredible learning experience.  My knowledge of the museum and the history that surrounds it has certainly increased. I now know the stories that surround the many different homeowners and the details of how the house was moved and reconstructed here in Amherstburg. I am familiar with the various period appropriate artifacts from the 1800s that fill the house and am also familiar with a ghost or two that is believed to still haunt the house today. While working at the Park House Museum this summer, not only have I been given the opportunity to learn all this historical information, but I have also had the chance to share this information with others from around the world. I have met many different people from multiple cultures, who all have a common interest in the history of Amherstburg.  I have also been able to provide service in both official languages due to my french education background. Working at the Park House Museum this summer has also provided me with hands on experience as to how things had to be done in the late 1800s. I have been able to view and understand how simple meals were prepared, how clothes were constructed and have even had the opportunity to work in the pensioners cottage where I have learned the craft of tinsmithing and how to operate an original printing press. I now realize how extremely important it is to understand our history, its effects on our current lifestyle, and all of the hard work that goes into restoring and maintaining a museum containing this valuable information. On a more personal note I have become much more independent and have discovered how important it is to build strong connections within your own community.  I strongly believe that more teenagers, like myself, need to start getting involved in our heritage and start finding ways to preserve our history. With more kids interested in historical places like the Park House Museum, we will have the ability to live in a more appreciative society, with people who truly understand why our history is important in shaping our future. written by Kenzie W.

Spilling the Tea on Earl Grey

             Earl Grey, the British Colonial Secretary, revived the pensioner’s scheme in Amherstburg in 1851. This was because the British Army no longer wanted to pay regular soldiers to be stationed at or maintain Fort Malden. The Fort was losing its importance as peace with the United States was becoming more and more obvious. Instead of paying the expensive rates for regular soldiers, the British Army instead had pensioners, veterans with many years of service, maintain the Fort for a certain amount of time during the year, and form a militia during times of war.

            These pensioners were given a small cottage, 18 feet by 22 feet, on a roughly 2.5 plot of land, the cost of which (£30, just under $7000 CAD today) was deducted from their pensions. The cottages were built along what is now Alma Street, Fort Street, St. Arnaud Street, William Street, and Richmond Street. There were around 80 of these cottages built the pensioners brought their families with them to Amherstburg, living in the tiny cabins. The pensioners and their families made up roughly 10% of the population. They changed the demographic of Amherstburg, with the majority of pensioners and their families being Irish Catholic. Most of them men began working side jobs in addition to fulfilling their duties at the Fort, making extra money on the side. Much of these jobs included small time farming and manual labour.
          Two of the cottages still exist in the public sphere. One is located at Fort Malden, where it is set up in the same style as it would have been in the 1850’s. There is one room a living area with stove and one bedroom. The other cottage is located here at the Park House Museum. It is set up as an artisan shop, with a tinsmithing workshop on one side, and a printing press on the other. Both the tinshop and printing press produce works throughout the day. In addition to the publically available cottages, there are many houses on the roads mentioned earlier that still have part of or the entire original cabin attached to them. A walk or drive down the road is all you need to find the history or the pensioner’s scheme in Amherstburg.

written by C.J. Sinnott