Halloween Haunt! October 19 2024 10 am to 3 pm
The Boyd Papers from Barb - Spring 2024
A super busy time!!!
40 years, it is hard to believe that the A. Sheila Boyd Foundation has been in existence since 1984. Looking back to the 1890s when a group of like-minded citizens decided that Bobcaygeon needed a library. At that time libraries were called Mechanics Institute. These were generally aimed at working people. Early days Thomas Need, having brought many books with him from England, loaned out his books (for a small amount of money!) to local settlers. The first Mechanics Institute was located upstairs in the then known Taylor Building on Bolton (Boulton) St. Open only one or two evenings a week and geared to working people. Early names involved in this enterprise are all recognizable today. (This early library was moved to the bottom floor of the Masonic Lodge, or known at that time, as the Orr Building. Sheila Boyd, a very community minded person, was considering the Boyd Lumber Office (empty for many years) as a possible permanent site for the local library. Her close friend, Amy Cosh, the librarian at that time, certainly would have encouraged Sheila to consider the Boyd Building as a library site. Plans were made and because the library could never afford the entire building, Sheila and her brothers suggested the Village of Bobcaygeon move to the center section of the building and the Township of Verulam (and the Hydro Commission) in the former office of Mossom Boyd. This would allow the library to afford to stay in the original two front rooms. The front room of the Boyd Building was the Boyd children’s private school room. Bobcaygeon and Verulam both supported the library. In the 1960s Sheila built on the 3rd room as the non-fiction room and the art room (for showing and teaching art classes). She also built in a small bathroom (the first in the building!).
The library was still supported by a group of volunteers who raised funds, cleaned and supported the library. In 1984 a well-known local business man (John Brown) and another Board member suggested that this volunteer group apply for incorporation status so they could own property. The Board moved on this suggestion and achieved incorporation status in 1984. Sheila Boyd died in 1982 and the Board named this new incorporated group the ‘A. Sheila Boyd Foundation’. As the deed stated, the three groups owned the Boyd Building and if one party left, the building would revert to the remaining parties. In 1998 Bobcaygeon moved to their new building and the Boyd Building was then shared with Verulam Township and the Library. In 2000, you guessed it, Verulam was swept into the City of Kawartha Lakes. Our lawyer suggested the Foundation allow the City to own the former Verulam section and the responsibility of building maintenance would be shared 50/50, as per the original deed. The City then allowed the local Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Transport to occupy the Verulam section.
In 2024 the MTO and Bobcaygeon Chamber moved to the Service Center and the good ‘ole’ Sheila Boyd Foundation now owns the whole shebang. By the end of April or May the keys will be turned over to the Foundation. Who woulda thunk it! I think Sheila would be very pleased.
We have rented out the third room to an art group, who meet twice a month, different local groups renting space for special events, special shows, birthday parties etc. The art room continues to hold our art shows and provide meeting space for special interest groups. I have had displays throughout this space this past winter. Wedding gowns, 23 gowns on display in the front room, second, third and if events took over the upper rooms the ladies had to cool their heels in the Art Room. Carolyn has had on-going book sales, only coming down when the rooms are rented out for other occasions, and these book sales have literally kept the lights on in the building. Carolyn is the only Board member from the early 1980s. Over 40 years of volunteering!
I may be next for longevity and then Larry Weiler (our Archivist) is next. It has been quite a ride. Now moving into Mossom Martin Boyd’s office, finally a bit of space for the three of us. Sue Rasksen (secretary/bookkeeper ) will probably have our office, giving Willy Boyd his office back (The Trent Valley Navigation Co.). Our volunteer reference book person (Viv Leigh) has been using the slant top professor’s desk in the front room.
The far space (MTO space) needs some serious cleanup work, and then do we rent that out to help maintain the whole building? Or use it for archive and collections space? Lots of decisions have to be made. To get from one side of the building to the other we may have to use roller skates!
Unfortunately, I am late with this newsletter, but we have been working hard getting these new rooms ready. We have also accepted a very large ‘walking spinning wheel’, a small spinning wheel and a wool winder, an 1886 Singer Sewing machine and out of the blue we were asked to accept a large cabinet (1889) from the Curling Club with all of the trophies from the 1880s up to 2000. I would hate to see this collection of memorabilia just thrown out. Settler’s Village have also loaned John Belcher’s slanted desk to us. It would be lovely to have a copy of his early architectural drawings. Forgot, a couple of early 1900’s photographs of Gardiner Cust Boyd rowing for his school at Oxford and the rowing oars used here on Pigeon Lake. The oars will be mounted above the photo. So, these also are now in Mossom Boyd’s original office. Our office will now be moved into the MTO space. The next move for our office will be out in the parking lot. A fair bit of work has to be done before we actually move the desks in. Walls have to be repaired and painted. Floors cleaned and revitalized. The City will remove all of the electrical stuff (used by the MTO). Sue assures me that we can afford the whole building. We are planning many fund-raising activities throughout the summer and into the late fall.
Again, for the second year in a row we have not received funds for a student. This is most unfortunate. Carolyn, Sue and I are trying to figure out the hours we can operate. Carolyn’s book sales are every day (as long as the space has not been rented out) but we are realizing the books actually keep us afloat. The number of special events (teas) etc. are icing on the cake.
This past weekend a special birthday for a very special lady was held. Barb Craven’s 90th. The rooms looked beautiful. These special events help us and showcase the building. The comments are always very positive. Mostly ‘I had no idea this building was sooooo beautiful in here’. Good enough eh!
All the wedding ladies rest in the art gallery while a special show is using the upper rooms.
Honestly, we have been very busy getting the new sections up to snuff and holding book sales and special events in the old library rooms. The MTO space is being refurbished, painted etc. By the time we walk from the old library space to the new office and show room the cookies or muffins we have with our morning tea are well deserved. We will walk off the extra pounds.
Sylvia Green and Joyce Bryon have created a really neat brochure to commemorate our 40th. Thanks to our sponsor/members for their support.
I am going to sign off these notes now, opening day this Saturday and Monday, Wendy and Joyce B. are holding a ‘Happy 40th’ complete with cake, thanking Sheila for her initial donation. Thanks to all those early Board members up to the present Board for their work and dedication to keep this building throughout her many guises, standing.
Wendy Hall has been writing a monthly newsletter keeping everyone up to date on the mischief we are up to between the two Papers.
Hope to see you this summer, come by and ‘see us now!’
May 2024 - Barb McFadzen
From Barb - Fall 2023 Boyd Papers
This has certainly been a tumultuous year. We are not through yet.
The City and ourselves have not yet arrived at an agreement about the building. I meet with a representative next week, so before this is sent out to you I may have some news about the future of the building and the collection. The Board feels we can go it alone without the City and we would not have to answer to the City. We would carry on with our activities, fund-raising to maintain ourselves. The Chamber/MTO would then pay us rent for their space. I on the other hand would like the City to be a fall-back in the event of the Board breaking up. I would like assurance that the collection would remain in the building and the museum would carry on.
We have not had a great deal of organizations or people coming in to rent out the original library space. Perhaps the Christmas season coming up will see some interest in the rooms for corporate or private events.
In August we held a very successful ‘high tea’ selling out 50 tables. Lynn Nichols catered the event and we have been asked when the next ‘tea’ will occur. That will be in early December when we will decorate the rooms for a Victorian Christmas. We are looking to purchase tables as our book sale tables are not really suitable for teas.
Our chairs are not quite suitable, but Settlers Village was switching up their chairs so we were given 50 chairs (all the same) and we will be putting covers over the backs (making them very spiffy), so next will be purchasing tables.
In early August we hosted an art and artisan show on the grounds. This was a fund-raiser for us and there were about 20 vendors outside and inside the building. Perhaps there are so many art shows throughout the summer months and just weeks after the show at Settlers (most of the same artists), we were not overwhelmed with people or buyers. Also, in August we held our usual Antiques and Collectibles show. This was well attended and is the usual best fund- raiser we hold. A few of the vendors thought that this was probably their last show. (We are all getting older). However, we have contacted most of the dealers a couple of months later and some have revised their answer. So, we are planning on holding this event for at least another year. Perhaps a one day, this would be cheaper for the vendors
And Sunday is usually a slow day for the vendors.
A very special art show was in this summer Anne Gordon (b. Bobcaygeon and now living in Texas). Related to the Gordon boat works, Anne is a ceramic artist and she has replicated all of her father and grandfather’s tools used in the manufacture of their famous canoes and boats. These ‘tools’ were so realistic that I was constantly reminding people to ‘not touch’ as they assumed these were the real deal. Anne connected with many ‘old’ Bobcaygeon friends and relations. She also gave a short talk for our August high tea. Anne left her book for us at the museum explaining the show and the history of this local company.
We had two Karl Illini painting donated to us this past summer. Both paintings showed the Boyd house, a favourite of Karl’s, one donated by Mr. and Mrs. Bing Wang and the second painting, again of the Boyd house but with a Rolls Royce parked in the back yard. This was donated by Jack Bingleman.
Mr. & Mrs Wang with Carolyn Jack Bingleman’s donation
We were also given two velvet Victorian chairs which blend nicely with our museum pieces and would have been in either of the Boyd homes. Meta Boyd’s platform rocker was also donated.
Another notable donation was Sheila Boyd’s side saddle. This was sadly neglected for many years. My sister-in-law, an avid horsewoman and saddler for many years happened to be visiting when the saddle was donated. She repaired the interior of the saddle with unbleached cotton and fiberfill, cleaned and nourished the leather and repaired one small tear. She said this was a good saddle and that Sheila rode often. This will be on display next year. We also received an 1887 Singer treadle sewing machine and a 1920 gramophone. Now I have to figure where to put these items and tie them into the existing story.
Along with the saddle we received a number of Sheila’s paintings – all unframed.
Larry received some photo albums along with the paintings that had belonged to Bridgie Boyd McIntosh.
Carolyn has taken advantage of our extra rooms and has set up daily book sales. These daily sales have proven so popular that they have paid our way over the summer. People have now realized that we (the Boyd) are the used book sale people (not the library). The Kawartha Voyageur cruise ship comes to the museum in the evenings when they dock in Bobcaygeon overnight, and they also love to pick up some good books at very reasonable prices. Once the summer visitors have left the sales dropped but still prove worthwhile for the locals. The books will go away while we hold our Gallery of Gifts in November then our Christmas Tea and Victorian Christmas. Carolyn and I are usually in the building until one ish each day and Sue Rasksen is there from 11:30 ish to around 3. So, the book sales are daily from 10 to 3. They are life-savers, this also allows the art room to be open from 10 to 3 and because the library is no longer there, the art room had limited hours. Now it is available almost everyday from 10 to 3.
Sylvia Green organized our Fall Fair booth this year and we did very well. Serving soups and chilli (even though it was 30 degrees on Saturday) the chilli sold out. Popcorn machine ran all day long on Saturday. Lots of water and pop was needed.
So, for fun Wendy Hall, wanted to hold our version of the Haunted Village. This was an Impact 32 idea. All businesses downtown were invited to hold some type of Halloween special. We had pie pumpkins and stickers (no cutting into pumpkins) special displays (scary eh!) and coffee for parents. The front hall was turned into a fortune tellers domain. This was very popular. A line up of kids was a constant for Sue. She even got some of the parents, but didn’t quite know what to do with them!
Are we having fun yet? Soon – will talk to the City Tuesday and then will send out these notes. Fingers crossed!
The GOOD NEWS we are safe – We will carry on as we are with some financial help from the City and if the Foundation ends the CITY will assume ownership of the building and the museum and collection will stay as is. I slept last night.
Till the spring – have a good winter you will see my 20 wedding gowns ready for our Victorian Christmas.
- Barb McFadzen
