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

Honey, Where are You?

At the museum, we present hearth/fireside cooking demonstrations. Food culture is a great pathway into the past and is something that we love. Each time we plan a menu there are certain considerations that we must make such as: what type of produce would have been used/available during a particular time of year, which social class we want to present, which era we want to present, and which recipes compliment the three previous decisions.

Historic cooking methods have been a passion of mine for nearly 20 years; consequently, I have racked up hundreds of cookbooks/ housewives and more than one hundred thousand recipes that date between 1720 and 1970, which is in addition to the plethora of online resources the pre/ post-date our materials. Creating a historically accurate menu comes with an ease of accessibility at the museum.

Our cooking-era also determines our courses and service, which are carefully laid out alongside proper etiquette within these documents. Service à la française was popular in the 16^th century to mid-19^th century; all courses were served at once on the table, like a buffet, in an impressive display. Service à la russe gained popularity in beginning in the mid-19^th century and is still used today; this involves courses being brought to the table sequentially and served in eight to fourteen tiny courses.

In preparation for an upcoming education day, I was speaking to someone regarding the use of  herbs and spices in 18^th and 19^th century foods. We often assume that food did not taste good centuries ago, but that is simply untrue. 

Common herbs/spices used in this area were: salt, pepper, peppercorns, thyme, parsley, tarragon, bay leaves, winter savory, marjoram, rosemary, sage, caraway, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mace, mint(s), mustard, coriander, horseradish, ginger, rose, and violet. Settlers may not have had indoor plumbing, but they could cook a delicious meal.

Herbs that were not indigenous to the area were brought when people migrated; this gave way to the discussion regarding honey. Honey has been used for many millennia and is well documented, but that is not the case in North America; honey bees and the concept of combing honey from hives was brought to North America with the migration of colonists in the 17^th century. Native Americans were not familiar with honey, but they had a great amount of experience with Maple Syrup.

Common sweeteners were maple syrup and sugar. After surveying 98 cookbooks published in the 18^th and 19^th centuries we found that honey was widely used in meads, beers and wines followed by a less common use in biscuits, cakes, preserves and vinegar (if mentioned at all); it was not used in main meat dishes. Honey, however, was used medicinally for sore throats, coughs, cleaning, and more. Today we still benefit from healthier side of honey when it’s coupled with modern medicine, but we’re more likely to see it partnered with toast, tea, mustard, a sticky meat recipe, or fried chicken and waffles.    

Excerpts from The Cook’s Own Book published in 1832

Excerpts from Dr. Chase’s Recipes published in 1874

Excerpts from Cookery Reformed published in 1755

SOCIAL MEDIA AND MUSEUMS

In order to move into the 21st century, Museums are being encouraged to broaden their horizons and get into social media.  The big question is, Why should museums join internet sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter?

Social Media makes an institution available to a wider audience over a larger geographic area. Museums are easier to access from home and by a touch of a button, which increases traffic to our sites. According to Forbes Magazine, each post made on a social media network creates an opening for conversation.

When a museum builds a following, they have instant  access and interaction with new, recent, and old visitors. In a nut shell, it is a quick and effective manner of outboard marketing that is popular with younger generations and larger networks; it also helps visitors create a sense of belonging because museums are able to establish visitor relations on a consistent basis.

You can visit our social media sites: Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter; they're just a click away.