Scugog Shores Historical Museum

Tootled off to lovely, picturesque Port Perry for a look at the Scugog Shores Historical Museum, which collects artifacts - and maintains an extensive archive - of early pioneers who settled the area, and the Native Canadians in whose midst they lived.


Before refrigeration, it was just about impossible for one family to handle the amount of meat obtained from a single slaughtered animal.

For this reason, our excellent and enthusiastic guide (we were the only visitors, so we had his undivided attention) informed us, the "Beef Ring" was formed.

The family who owned the bovine being sacrificed would receive the choicest cuts, and the rest would be divided up among the rest of the villagers. Slaughters were rotated through the families, and everyone always had meat.

He also told us the descendants of most of the families represented in the Beef Ring still live in the area.

In the Blacksmithery, our guide demonstrated the mechanical bellows. A local Blacksmith, equipped with a Blacksmithing Wyfe, come to the museum regularly, and they do their metal melting thing for the delight of visitors.


Observe a Spork, they made.


A lovely, spare chapel was full of light and peaceful..






Favourite thing in the chapel - the "Happy Thought" stove.


The original graveyard has been discombobulated, but they tried to save most of the stones. The folks on the stones are accounted for in the Archives.


The leather workers made saddles, harnesses and shoes....




At the Woodwrights', as everywhere else, the simplicity and ingenuity of the tools were just fascinating.

The sheer brilliance of the problem-solving going on is very dendrite-stimulating.

When civilization collapses, no one will know how to recreate a wireless network, or even, dare I suggest it, a light bulb....(is that harsh? can you make a light bulb? I feel a project coming on!) but folks who have contemplated the mechanical wonders in places like this will be in great demand.




Nowhere was Sheer Mechanical Ingenuity more apparent than in the Print Shop. Again, our wonderful guide gave us a very in-depth Grand Tour.




The furnished home at the museum represents a wealthy villager, and is stuffed full of gorgeous antique toys...




This is the bedroom beside the front door, given over to the infirm, the dying, or the heavily pregnant...




Baby Man disliked the decorative taxidermy - a strange melange of birds and hedgehogs...




Of course these pioneers lived amongst, and traded with, the Native Canadians in the area...


This reconstruction of a WigWam was done in an entirely authentic manner, using local materials...the kids were fascinated with the furs lining the seating area, identifying them - black bear, moose, rabbit, deer.....


The Native Canadian area showcased a Sacred Plant garden, outside the pioneer house, there was a Medicinal & Cookery Herb garden...lovely!




A large tree stump had been carved into a Native Canadian "Whistling Tree." We were astounded to realize we actually know the artist!

A great trip, well worth a visit.

HW