Harriett Todd – Orillia’s Forgotten Hero
By David Town, Historian and Guest ContributorHarriett Todd, image provided by David TownFew people have had a greater influence on Orillia than Harriett Todd. Most of us only recognize her name because a school has been named after her in Orillia, but 100 years ago...
Great Grandparents Immigration to Canada
By Janet Houston, OMAH History CommitteeAlfred and Jane HuckerWhat could tempt a middle-aged couple to emigrate from England to a distant part of the Empire in 1912? Fifty years of age is not now considered old as it was thought then. Nonetheless, this adventurous...
Titus Ware’s Impressions of Orillia in 1844
Mona Cottage, the Residence of James Scott, Esq. 1844 - Orillia Township, OntarioBy Fred Blair, OMAH Family researcher and guest contributerIn July of 1844, Titus Hibbert Ware, originally from the City of Worcester, England, left England at the age of 33 to assess...
The Hallen Family’s Arrival in Orillia
By Fred Blair, OMAH Family researcher and guest contributerEleanora’s Diary, November 4, 1833 “In the morning, before we went out of the steam vessel, George put his fish [line] in as he saw a good number of fish. He caught nine very soon, but he had not time to...
All About the O’Brien Family, Founders of Shanty Bay
By Trish Crowe-Grande, OMAH History Committee ChairLucius Richard O’Brien portrait undated M.O. Hammond Collection: National Gallery of Canada ArchivesEdward and Mary O’Brien At the age of fourteen, Edward George O’Brien entered the naval service as a mid-shipman, but...
Mayor William Sword Frost
By History Committee members Bruce McRae and Mary Ann Grant Recently, our own City of Orillia was featured on the popular game show Jeopardy. What could we have done to garner such attention?CLUE: IN 1912 ORILLIA, ONTARIO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TOWNS TO TRY THIS CHANGE....
A Tribute to Jean Sarjeant
by Mary Ann Grant, OMAH History CommitteeCredit - Special to the Orillia Packet and Times - Kate Grigg Jan 12, 2017 “Dad's Diary includes tales worth telling"The Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH) believes that it is important to acknowledge its supporters,...
The History of Strawberry Island, Lake Simcoe
By Fred Kallin, OMAH History Committee memberAnatari, Pa-Push-Quan, Gwillam’s Island, Lundy’s Island, Creighton Island, Anderson Island, Starvation Island: these are all previous names for a small 25-acre island in Lake Simcoe we now know as Strawberry Island. Few...
The Barons of Dallas
By Fred Blair, OMAH History Committee member and Family Historian In 1835, James Dallas and his family sailed from Scotland to New York City, travelled up the Erie Canal, and made their way to Orillia. In September he purchased 100 acres between Mississaga Street and...
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