by Sinead Cox | Oct 9, 2024 | For Teachers and Students, Huron Historic Gaol, Uncategorized
The Huron Historic Gaol is a national historic site and Huron County’s first municipal building. Between 1841 and 1972, it not only served as a correctional facility, but as the site of Huron’s first County Council meeting, its first courthouse, and as an inadequate refuge for those facing hardships that included poor health, homelessness, and mental health struggles.
The history of the gaol intersects with subjects ranging from history and social studies to civics and law. There are onsite programs and resources for every learner, from elementary school to post-secondary students. Educators and students can access these locally available resources to prompt in-depth discussions or create essays on capital punishment, government structures, social safety nets, legal history, social justice, and much more.
Videos
Behind the Bars video series of prisoner stories
The Young Canuckstorian Project: Margaret & William Dickson, longtime caretakers of Huron Gaol
From Family, Friends and Love, to Betrayal: The Last Official Public Hanging in Canada
Virtual Tours
Explore the 360 virtual tour of the gaol from the classroom: Huron Historic Gaol – Google Maps
You can also try our Virtual Escape Room! Contact staff for a guided experience, or book one of our virtual field trips!
Ask an Expert
Contact museum [@] huroncounty.ca to book a guided group tour or onsite education program.
Knowledgeable staff are also available for in-person or virtual outreach to speak about multiple topics related to the gaol’s fascinating history! Get in touch with your questions, or you can choose from an existing list of presentations.
Huron Historic Gaol, located at 181 Victoria St. N, Goderich
Contact staff to visit the gaol onsite or virtually!
Clipping from the Huron Signal, 1865-04-06. In the early decades of Huron County’s history, local newspapers regularly published the full Schedules of Convictions listing those accused of crimes as well as accounts of court proceedings.
Search thousands of selected artifacts
online!
From The Huron Expositor, 1869-12-11, pg 6. Access more online from the classroom or from home!
Prisoner Profiles is available from the gift shops at the Huron County Museum or Huron Historic Gaol, or borrow it for FREE from your local library!
by Sinead Cox | May 15, 2024 | Archives, Artefacts, Collection highlights, For Teachers and Students
2023.0028.064. Alice Munro in 1978.
2023.0028.102b. Nobel prize for literature awarded to Alice Munro in 2013.
Clipping from the Exeter Times-Advocate,1978-06-15, pg 1. “The public meeting was organized by a concerned group opposed to the recent campaign to have the novels banned from county high schools. Parents, students, grandmothers and authors debated for almost three hours on the merit of the three novels or the reasons they should be removed from the list of approved high school textbooks.”
Visual Resources
Visit our online catalogue to find museum artifacts that belonged to Alice Munro or relate to her work, now housed in the museum’s collection! Relevant items include clothing, literary prizes from around the globe, archival materials and books.
Want to know more? If you’re interested in further research, or combining a school trip to the museum or gaol with a screening of a film adaptation of Munro’s works in our theatre, reach out to the Huron County Museum! museum [@] huroncounty.ca
2023.0028.105. Man Booker Prize awarded to Alice Munro in 2009.
by Sinead Cox | Nov 17, 2022 | Blog, For Teachers and Students, Huron Historic Gaol
Can You Escape the Huron County Gaol?
Our new interactive and educational escape room “Escape The Huron County Gaol” will let you explore the gaol even when the site isn’t open.
Navigate your way through the Huron HIstoric Gaol using the Google 360 walkthrough on the Huron County Museum Website and learn historical facts about this fascinating national heritage site as you attempt to escape its iconic walls.
This activity is recommended for ages 7+ and younger children may require adult assistance to read the clues and navigate the 360 tour.
This interactive uses the Google 360 walkthrough of the Huron County Historic Gaol. Open the escape room form, and then open the Google 360 on another tab or device. To find the Google 360 walkthrough of the Gaol, scroll to the bottom of the linked page.
If you would like to book a virtual program with staff guiding the escape room and providing extra information and interpretation for your classroom or group, email museum@huroncounty.ca
by Sinead Cox | Oct 11, 2021 | Blog, Collection highlights, Exhibits, For Teachers and Students
If you are a teacher or student looking for local stories from Huron County for your Remembrance Day lessons or assignments, you can access the Huron County Museum’s collection from home and your classroom through our virtual offerings! These resources speak both to Huron County’s military history and to the home front during the First and Second World Wars.
Videos
Our War: Home Front
Our War: Nursing Sisters
Young Canuckstorians: The Maud Stirling Story
Jack McLaren: A Soldier of Song features a presentation and performance from author and musician Jason Wilson, based on the original works of the Dumbells, a Canadian concert party that entertained the troops on the front lines in World War I and featured Jack McLaren (later a resident of Benmiller).
The History of Drag Makeup Tutorial with Lita explains how drag performers improvised wigs, makeup and clothing at the front lines.
A reading of a WWII letter from R.C.A.F Pilot Officer Alan H. Durnin to Mrs. C. Blake of RR 1 Dungannon
On the Front Lines: Word War One virtual exhibit.
Virtual Exhibits
Part of the museum’s collection of photographs by local photographer J. Gordon Henderson have been digitized. During World War II, he travelled to air training schools in Goderich, Port Albert, and Clinton taking pictures of classes and other base activities. Many airmen came to his studio in Goderich to have their portraits taken to send home to family and friends. The Henderson Collection also includes wedding portraits, candid shots, correspondence and interviews with airmen related to WWII air training in Huron County. Access the virtual Henderson collection by clicking here!
You can also browse more photographs via our Flickr page!
See archival documents from the Huron County Museum’s collection in our Military Gallery virtual exhibits:
On the Front Lines: Word War One
The Home Front: World War One
Prominent artist and Benmiller resident J. W. (Jack) McLaren fought with the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry in WWI, and entertained troops at Ypres Salient, Vimy Ridge and many other locations on the Western Front with the PPCLI Comedy Company and the 3rd Division Dumbells Comedy Troupe. Find out more about Jack and entertaining at the front through the virtual version of our 2020 Reflections exhibit, which was presented in partnership with the Huron Historical Society.
Clipping from Huron County’s digitized newspapers. This ad appeared in the Clinton News-Record in 1942 and 1943.
Articles & Short Posts
A Closer Look: The M4A2E8 Sherman Tank
The Huron Jail & the Second World War Part 2: A STRANGE MUTINY ON THE GREAT LAKES
The Huron Jail & the Second World War Part I: THE ‘DEFENCE OF CANADA’ IN HURON COUNTY
Newspaper Man Enlists: Huron County and the First World War in Black & White
Collection Highlights from Remembrance Day 2014
The Mystery of the 4th Toe on the Left Foot
Local Girl Leaves for the Front
Love is in the Air
Dogs of Air Training (Part 2)
Dogs of Air Training (Part 1)
Education Programs
The Huron County Museum’s ‘Huron County and the World Wars’ program is recommended for grades 5-10, and is offered as both an in-person and virtual field trip. There is also public outreach available by request with our Huron County home front reminiscence kits. Click here to find out more about our Education Programs.
Email museum@huroncounty.ca to inquire about booking an in-person or virtual program.
Research Resources
Click to search more than a century of history via Huron County’s digitized newspapers: free, online and keyword searchable. The newspapers provide a wealth of information on local soldiers and nursing sisters, including casualty reports and letters from the front. You’ll also find detailed information about life and work on the home front, including wartime advertising.
Or Click here to search a selection of the museum’s archives and artifacts via our online collection. Relevant artifacts include uniforms, photographs, medals and memorabilia from British Commonwealth Air Training bases in Huron.
Book List Check out this reading list related to local WW1 and WW2 history, available through the Huron County Library.
Nursing Sister Maud Stirling’s uniform in the Huron County Museum’s searchable online collection.
by Amy Zoethout | Oct 26, 2020 | Archives, Blog, For Teachers and Students, Investigating Huron County History, Uncategorized
This military badge is from the Canadian Medical Corps worn on a Nursing Sister uniform by Maud Stirling, a First World War Nursing Sister. This artefact is one of more than 3,000 artefacts currently available on the Huron County Museum’s online collection.
by student Museum Assistant Jacob Smith
As a final year history student, I have grown accustomed to spending several hours preparing and writing essays. This is an important skill that takes years of practice. If you are developing an essay that is based on local history, the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol has several resources that can aid you in your studies.
The first research tool is the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol’s online collection, which can be found here. This is a database where the public can view over 5,000 artifacts and archival materials in the Museum’s collection. This tool provides background information on the artifacts, such as its provenance, dimensions, and past owners, and allows viewers to examine objects that are not currently on display. Examples of objects currently available in the collection include textiles, tools, personal items, furniture, photographs, documents, and much more.
Another excellent research tool is the Huron County Museum’s Digitized Newspapers. Here, researchers can glance at newspapers dating from the mid-1800s to the late-2010s. This database is free, easy to use, and accessible from the comfort of your own home! The digitized newspapers provide a vast wealth of information, ranging from local news and gossip, fashion, and global affairs.
The Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol also has an extensive archives collection. Here, researchers can locate coroner’s inquests, assessment rolls, court records, voter’s lists, and many more. By booking an appointment with the Archivist, researchers have access to a vast collection of resources, and a knowledgeable staff member to assist you.
This World War I propaganda poster was found through the Huron County Museum’s digitized newspaper database (Source: The Exeter Advocate, 1918-8-22, Page 2).
A bonus resource! Ancestry.ca is a helpful tool that allows people to research, share information, and connect with others. Sources such as military death, and census records, images, and family trees. This source requires a paid subscription, but often has free trials that allows researchers to access its extensive content. Researchers can also access Ancestry Library Edition free from home until Dec. 31, 2020 with a Huron County Library card.
While writers may feel overwhelmed at the thought of composing a research essay, there are helpful resources close to home or even accessible without leaving home. With the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol’s resources, writers have the exposure to a wealth of extensive resources, which are readily available from your personal computer. Keep these resources in mind when you are composing your research essay.
by Sinead Cox | May 16, 2020 | Collection highlights, Exhibits, For Teachers and Students, Huron Historic Gaol, Uncategorized
Looking for a way to remotely visit the Huron County Museum or the Historic Gaol with your family or class? Here are some activities you can try using our virtual resources! Have questions about what you see and how it was used? Email museum@huroncounty.ca to talk to an expert!
HURON COUNTY MAIN STREET at the Huron County Museum
Click to visit our virtual exhibits, including Huron County Main Street! Can you find everything? Pick a favourite object that isn’t on the list, and ask others to find it!
360 TOUR at the Huron Historic Gaol
Go to the Huron Historic Gaol’s page and scroll to the bottom to find our 360 degree tour! Use the arrows and Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 buttons to explore in all directions. Keep clicking to go inside the rooms, including a cell block. Found everything on the list? Play I spy with my little eye!
