By Brian Welsh
Heritage Port Stanley
(December 2019) Heritage Port Stanley has finally reached the online information technology era with the arrival of the new online Heritage Port Stanley website. The website is based on a collection of historical files and documents stored in a closet in the basement of the Port Stanley Festival Theatre building on Bridge Street in Port Stanley.
The website was designed by members of Heritage Port Stanley, or more formally, the Port Stanley Historical Society. The group has been in existence for about 20 years, starting in the 1990s as the Port Stanley LACAC. We cooperate with and have delegates on Heritage Central Elgin, the municipal heritage committee. The organization meets once a month, usually on the fourth Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and usually in the Port Stanley Festival Theatre’s rehearsal hall. As well as some discussion about affairs in Port, we try at each meeting to have a short formal presentation dealing with some aspect of the history of our little village.
On each of the website pages, you’ll find a page index down the left-hand side. Click on one of
the boxes to go to the page described by the text. Two elements of the website which viewers are likely to find particularly interesting are a series of photographs showing images of Port Stanley through the ages – Pictures of Port Stanley – and a search engine which can be used to research the historical records from the Society’s collection Heritage Port Archives. So far, the photo collection contains some 20 pictures, with more to be scanned and added by a student hired during the summer break.
The search engine allows a researcher to find information from the records collection by category, subject and description. By selecting category, a researcher can select documents from sets that include artifacts, books, newspaper clippings, documents, maps, newspapers, postcards and sketches. Most of the items have been donated by members or friends of the society.
It’s easy, have fun, click away. See all the neat stuff we’ve gathered. Want more? Intrigued? Curious? Come and join us for lively discussions, programs to enhance the areas historical footprint, interact with fellow history enthusiasts. You’ll be welcomed.
The website is just the beginning!
