Back to the 1860’s: Upper Canada Village

The year: 1866. Upper Canada and Lower Canada hadn't yet been joined to create the beginnings of the country I call home.  Life was just a little bit different than it is now; harder, in so many ways, and yet simpler, too. It’s difficult to really contemplate what life was like back then.  For the settlers, the tradesmen and businessmen, and for the soldiers who were defending the region. But, in one recreated village, in Morrisburg, Ontario, you can. 

Sister site to Fort Henry, Upper Canada Village does a fantastic job of really bringing the time period to life. The village consists of some 50+ period buildings, transplanted from a variety of sites in the region. This is also a living history museum, with working trades. The people here are really working – cutting lumber, milking cattle, planting gardens, caring for horses & livestock, making cheese, and fabric. It’s very interesting.

The water powered sawmill was busily cutting through a large log when we arrived.  It was very neat to watch. 

Piles of sawn wood stacked neatly outside the mill attested to the fact that this mill does actually make lumber. The fellow working in the mill told me that it’s used in the village to repair structures, build fences, and anywhere else it’s needed. 

We arrived on a day where several school groups (junior high/ high school, I’d guess) were also in attendance, and so there were extra activities and demonstrations in the fairground.  

At one of these, Lily was recruited into the army. No one came to collect her, though, so we kept her.

Her skills as a dairy maid may come in handy some day!

She even got to feed the calf the milk she collected.

Sure, the cows were nice, but these guys were cuter.

Outside the church & pastor's house

The Pastor's house was built in simple German lines, which reminded me strongly of my Grandma B.

Inside

Not sure exactly why, since I don’t think her house ever looked like this.  

Morgan & Bob went up the watchtower for great views of the village.

 The kids were both very attentive at school, and each got a merit card; Morgan, for helping clean up the school house, and Lily for her very thoughtful answer as to why the desks are built into the walls (for the light!).

The website suggests three to four hours for a visit, but we were there five, and I wish we would have had just a bit longer, as we rushed through the last street & missed some of the buildings. 

I also wish we would have taken more pictures of the various buildings and activities. On the upside, though, their website has a ton of information about the buildings, what people did for a living, and some of the history. I've been looking at it, since our visit, and have learned so much more.  

As with Fort Henry, if you ever find yourself in the area, I definitely recommend a visit. 

A bit of extra trivia learned during our visit:

Tavern in the background

$3.50 would get you room & board for a week at the Cook’s Tavern & Livery.

At the tin maker’s we learned that if he wanted to go to Ottawa to sell his goods, it would take him three days to get there (a 90 minute trip, nowadays).

At the cheese factory, in their modern (1860’s modern, that is) vats, 900 lbs of milk is turned into a 90 lb wheel of cheddar. Most of this cheese would be sold into the US.