| On a dull drizzly morning I got a good start to my day | | | | $38,000 and was lit with kerosene. The job of a |
| with a filling breakfast and an interesting interview with | | | | lighthouse keeper was very strenuous since a heavy |
| the innkeepers of the MacKinnon-Cann in, followed by | | | | tank of kerosene had to be carried up the narrow |
| a tour of the four historic heritage properties that they | | | | winding stairs of the lighthouse every night. The original |
| own. In addition to last night's walking tour of Yarmouth, | | | | Cape Forchu Lighthouse dating back to 1838 was |
| I had now got a good idea of Yarmouth's Victorian | | | | replaced in 1962 at which time the lens was replaced |
| architecture. Now it was time to delve deeper into | | | | and donated to the Yarmouth County Historical |
| history, so I embarked on my visit of the Yarmouth | | | | Society. A Victorian room features a variety of |
| County Museum and Archives. Nadine Gates, the | | | | historical customs and dresses as they would be worn |
| curator, welcomed me and gave me a personal tour | | | | by people about 120 years ago. Types of dress of |
| throughout the facilities. As an overview she explained | | | | first class, second and third class passengers were on |
| that the Yarmouth County Museum is a good | | | | display and speak to a time of great social divisions |
| representation of Yarmouth's past. The town's | | | | and class distinctions. A temporary exhibit features the |
| seafaring history is a major focus of the museum | | | | silhouettes of Victorian fashions. On the lower level of |
| which features the third largest collection of ship | | | | the museum various rooms display an early 1900s |
| portraits in Canada. More than 120 different ship | | | | kitchen, a bedroom, and a nursery / toy room. These |
| portraits illustrate Yarmouth's historic importance in | | | | rooms provide good insight into late Victorian home life. |
| shipbuilding and navigation. The Yarmouth County | | | | The next room features industrial exhibits and |
| Historical Society was founded in 1967, and the | | | | machinery: a transmitter from a radio station, a coffee |
| museum opened in 1969 in a former church building. | | | | grinder and a printing press illustrate the evolution of |
| Beautiful wooden beams across a high vaulted ceiling | | | | mechanical equipment. A brass steam whistle from the |
| demonstrate the former ecclesiastical use of this | | | | Cosmos Cotton Mills is an example of industrial |
| building. The museum has been expanded twice in | | | | equipment that was used to call employees to work. |
| 1999 and 2004. The new wing we were standing in is | | | | A room with various Nova Scotian wildlife scenes is |
| called the Education Wing and hosts a variety of | | | | followed by a forge. The blacksmith used to be one of |
| Historical Society meetings, talks and lectures, music | | | | the most important people in the village and his work |
| recitals and other events and is open to the public. At | | | | environment is featured along with other implements |
| the present time it is hosting a stained glass exhibit that | | | | such as a yoke (the contraption fitted around a |
| features local artists. From the Education Wing we | | | | draught animal's necks where the plough would be |
| entered the main section of the museum which is an | | | | attached). An early Acadian loom is testimony to the |
| impressive space with a very high ceiling. The main | | | | craftsmanship that existed here a few hundred years |
| exhibit area (the former church) still exudes a solemn | | | | ago. A tool room features a foot-powered jig saw. |
| atmosphere. Nadine took me to an area called | | | | Today we can hardly imagine an existence without |
| "Families at Sea". Throughout seafaring history, | | | | electricity. Our ancestors were well-versed in the |
| particularly at the beginning of the previous century, | | | | application of human or animal power to propel various |
| entire families would be living on tall ships, and | | | | types of equipment. Several glass cases display |
| souvenirs from their trips all over the world were | | | | antique glass and china collections while Mi'kmaq |
| displayed here along with photos and letters of the | | | | artifacts and arrowheads provide insight into native |
| various family members whose permanent residence | | | | history and craftsmanship. Back upstairs we had a |
| was a wooden vessel on the ocean. A certain | | | | look at the antique musical instrument collection of the |
| Catherine Ladd, for example, spent the first twelve | | | | Yarmouth County Museum. Nadine demonstrated the |
| years of her life living on a ship, and her artifacts are | | | | Olympia Music Box, a device from 1898 that uses zinc |
| available for viewing. Nadine also gave me a general | | | | disks for each song. A barrel with teeth plucks the |
| explanation of Yarmouth's history. The town was | | | | various notes, propelled by a spring-loaded mechanism. |
| founded in the 1700s as an Acadian settlement whose | | | | The musical instruments section was a real highlight of |
| residents were deported in the mid 1800s as part of | | | | the museum and Nadine mentioned that usually they |
| the Grand Expulsion. Some Acadian settlers tried to | | | | demonstrate three of the instruments to visitors. A |
| escape deportation and hid in the forest with the | | | | Concert Roller Organ from 1902 is an example of |
| Mi'kmaq native tribe. United Empire Loyalists were then | | | | some of the mechanical instruments that were used |
| assigned the land, and their economy focused on | | | | long ago. This device, patented in 1887, is operated by |
| ship-building. This was the Golden Age of Sail, the Age | | | | cranking the external handle. The internal bellows, tuned |
| of the Tall Ships. Today's economy is based on fishing, | | | | reeds, valves and a roller produce organ-like tones. |
| and in particular lobster fishing. Interestingly, Nadine | | | | The Square Grand Piano dates back to 1874 and a |
| pointed out that years ago lobsters were only eaten | | | | Player Organ from 1890 is also on display. My |
| by poor people and often they were used as cheap | | | | favourite instrument was the Pianola Player Piano, |
| fertilizer in local gardens. How tastes change.... One | | | | manufactured in 1902: the rectangular box is |
| area of the museum also features nameplates of | | | | pedal-operated, and a set of tiny hammers at the back |
| ships. The most prominent and well-known one is the | | | | strikes the keys of a Guild "Square Grand" piano made |
| nameplate of the "Samson". This ship was the closest | | | | in Boston in 1874. The Player Piano could simply be |
| ship to the sinking Titanic during the cold April days of | | | | pushed up to any piano, and even a person who had |
| 1912, and she heard the mayday calls of the sinking | | | | never played the piano before could make beautiful |
| ocean liner. But because the Samson had been illegally | | | | music. All they had to do was to push the foot pedals |
| fishing in the waters off Eastern Canada, the crew | | | | up and down. Nadine played the 1920s tune "The |
| chose not to answer the distress call and left the area. | | | | Entertainer", the music itself is recorded on perforated |
| We will never know how many more people could | | | | paper rolls which actually looked rather fragile to me. |
| have been saved if the Samson had responded to this | | | | The foot pedals operate a bellows system that |
| distress call. She was later renamed the "New York | | | | operates the little hammers that play the tune on the |
| City", a name that is still visible on the other side of the | | | | piano behind it. What an ingenious invention.... A small |
| nameplate. The Yarmouth County Museum is located | | | | display area is dedicated to the Yarmouth militia, |
| right in the heart of Yarmouth's Collins Street Heritage | | | | attesting to Yarmouth's history as a military training |
| District. In addition to being a heritage property itself, the | | | | ground during World War II. All throughout this wing of |
| museum is surrounded by dozens of large homes | | | | the museum numerous ships portraits depict |
| owned formerly by wealthy sea captains and | | | | impressive tall ships of years gone by. The ship |
| merchants. The Pelton-Fuller House next door was | | | | owners would commission these paintings because |
| built as a summer home between 1890 and 1895 as a | | | | once these ships were built and commissioned, they |
| mansion for Alfred Fuller, a wealthy merchant, and | | | | hardly ever came back to town, and in many cases |
| was donated by one of his descendants in 1995 | | | | the owners would never see the ships again. We |
| together with all its contents. Today it is part of the | | | | ended our tour in the new section where there is a |
| museum complex and an example of Victorian living. | | | | collection of stage coaches, bicycles and other |
| The Yarmouth County Museum has another off-site | | | | vehicles. One of the highlights in this area is the 1921 |
| satellite location: the Killam Brothers Shipping Office is | | | | electric car of a certain Minnie L. Lovitt, who was the |
| Canada's oldest shipping office. In 1788 John Killam built | | | | first female driver in Yarmouth. She must have turned |
| his first schooner and started a family business that | | | | a lot of heads at the time. My guided tour had come to |
| would span 203 years and five generations of the | | | | an end and I thanked Nadine for sharing her |
| Killam family. The property was also donated to the | | | | knowledge with me and got ready for my trip along |
| Yarmouth County Historical Society, and the 19th | | | | the famous Lighthouse Trail where I would experience |
| century setting gives visitors an idea of a commercial | | | | a significant incident that helped me gain important |
| office of the 1900s. One of the highlights of the | | | | insight into the local mentality. |
| Yarmouth County Museum is the lens of the Cape | | | | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web portal for |
| Forchu Lighthouse which dates back to 1908. The lens | | | | unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. |
| weighs approximately 3300 pounds and has 360 | | | | Check out our brand new FREE ebooks about travel. |
| prisms. It was built in Paris, France, at a cost of | | | | |