Robert Young finds Pelham’s history fascinating and said he is encouraged by a growing interest newcomers to the area have in the municipality’s past.
“Pelham is growing and more people from outside Niagara are coming to live here who have no idea about the town’s history and we seem to be getting more interest lately,”
Young, who is the president of the Pelham Historical Society (PHS), said it’s people that help shape the fabric of a community. The past is wrapped up in memories, told through storytelling, and sharing traditions. The PHS was established in 1975 to encourage and raise awareness of Pelham’s historical heritage. Since its founding, the society has collected artifacts and documents for preservation.
Late last year, Young said the PHS launched a revamped website that is more user-friendly, and makes it easier to find out more about where to access the town’s history. The site links to resources such as the Pelham Historical Calendar, which contains research and personal memories about the town collected and published from 1977 to 2001. There are also links to land records, cemetery information, memorial plaque details, as well as material from the Pelham High School yearbook between 1933 and 1950, which can now be accessed online.
The PHS has limited volunteers, so Young said making it easier for people to access information they are looking for just makes sense.
“What we hoped to do is try to get people access to any historical information they might be looking for and investigate it for themselves.”
An archive is maintained by the Society at the Lincoln Pelham Public Library’s Maple Acre branch. Young said a display case with changing photographs, documents and other historical items is also on display at the library’s Fonthill branch.
Currently, the PHS is offering its second print run of a book entitled, The Land at the Crest of the Hill: Clues to Niagara History from Upper Fonthill. Written by Graham Segger, the book explores the relationship between the people who have lived in the central Niagara community of Upper Fonthill and the land they have occupied.
“There’s not many copies left but more may be printed depending on the demand. It’s great because 80 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the book have been donated to Nature Conservancy of Canada - Lathrop Nature Preserve (NCC),” Young said, adding that an eBook version is available on the PHS website for $20.
The NCC is a non-profit private land conservation organization that aims to protect important natural areas and the species they sustain.
“We’d like to thank all the local retailers in Pelham who carried the book,” Young said.
The Society has planned a series of historical presentations to be held on Saturdays at Kirk-On-The-Hill Presbyterian Church from 2:30 until 4 p.m.
Topics coming through November include PHS members sharing their special interest projects; The Early 1792 Fierce Hurricane, a hurricane, or more likely tornado that blew through Pelham; The History of the Welland Canal; Temperance and Taverns in Pelham Township; Early Black History in Lincoln and Welland; and The Faces of Pelham Before and After the Second World War.
The PHS has also planned an in-person visit on June 1 to the fully restored Beaverdams Methodist Church, which opened in 1832 in Thorold.
“Everyone is welcome to attend these events. They can become a member of the society and the annual dues are $5,” Young said.
For more information about the Pelham Historical Society visit www.pelhamhistoricalsociety.ca
