Collection Spotlight: Snow!

One of my favourite things about working as an Archivist is connecting records to create a story about the past. I am currently working on the arrangement and description of a recent donation of 19th Century records and came across some interesting records that detail snow shoveling services in the Town of Napanee in the 1870’s!

While processing the records I consulted the Collections of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Preliminary Inventory (which is also known as the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Early Collection Index) for information about the history of Napanee.

In the Preliminary Inventory I found records related to snow removal services that complement the records I have processed in my current project. By consulting records from both collections I am able to paint a picture into what life was like in the 1870’s in Napanee.

For more information about Town of Napanee records please consult our online database  and online finding aids.

Left – 2018.118.536, Pay Voucher for Shoveling Snow in the Town of Napanee, January 24th, 1877
Right – N-12932, Bridge Street looking west from the Railway Viaduct, Napanee, 1901

Pictured above is a pay voucher or financial record that lists payment to individuals who shoveled snow on Tyendinaga, Sheffield and Camden Roads on January 21st and January 22nd, 1877. Listed are William Hayes, Dorling Hayes, Nelson Sagar, Joseph Whitmarsh, Albert McMichael, John [Embrough], Christopher Peterson, James Emberson and Gordon Stephenson from Robert Easton (Treasurer of the Town of Napanee), George Cliff (Chairman of Streets) and Walter Scott Williams (Mayor of Napanee). One can only imagine how long it would have taken to shovel snow in the 1870’s!

While researching the history of Town of Napanee I found reference to similar records in the Collections of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Preliminary Inventory which is an amazing resource for understanding the 18th and 19th Century history of Napanee and the County of Lennox and Addington.

Item 28032 is an Account Book from the Napanee Municipal Council from the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Early Collection and lists payments for snow shoveling services in the Town of Napanee from 1888 -1896. This account book is a great way to find out more information about people living in Napanee at the end of the 19th Century.

Left – Collections of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Preliminary Inventory which can be found here. 
Right – Account Book from the Napanee Municipal Council from the Collections of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Preliminary Inventory that features snow shoveling services in the Town of Napanee from 1888 – 1896.

Account Book from the Napanee Municipal Council from the Collections of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Preliminary Inventory, 1888 – 1896. These pages provide listings of snow shoveling from January 18th and January 26th, 1888, listing of who shoveled the snow, what plank walk or street they worked on, nature of the work, who the snow was shoveled for and amount given.

Listed in the Preliminary Inventory is a detailed description about the Napanee Municipal Council that created the account book. “By Royal Proclamation dated September 29th, 1854 Napanee was declared an incorporated village. An election took place and the first municipal council convened early in 1855. John Benson became the first reeve; George Davy, Donald Macpherson, Robert Esson and Abraham Fraser were elected as councilors. In December 1864 by an Act of Parliament Napanee became an incorporated town and Benjamin C. Davy was elected as the first mayor” (Collections of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Preliminary Inventory, Page 67 – 68).

Account Book from the Napanee Municipal Council from the Collections of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Preliminary Inventory, 1888 – 1896. These pages cover work on February 15th, February 27th and March 14th, 1888 and detail who completed the work, the nature of the work, owner of the house or property, where the work was completed and amount paid.

An interesting feature about this account book is that it was used over several decades for very different functions. One half of the book was used to record snow shoveling in Napanee from 1888 – 1896 (as pictured above) and the other half of the book was used for copies of Village and Town of Napanee By-Laws from 1855 – 1864 (please see below). This is the first time I have ever come across a record like this that has two separate functions and was used over forty years.  

By – Law No. 42 regarding the sale of meat in the Town of Napanee, passed April 16th, 1860, Account Book, Napanee Municipal Council, Lennox and Addington Historical Society, L&A County Museum and Archives, 1855 – 1864

Left and Right – Village of Napanee Seals, Account Book, Napanee Municipal Council, Lennox and Addington Historical Society, L&A County Museum and Archives, 1855 – 1864. The floral detail in the seal is my favourite part of the account book!

The Collections of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Preliminary Inventory is an amazing resource for understanding early life in the County of Lennox and Addington and has provided the historical context needed to process the recent donation of Town of Napanee records. I enjoyed seeing the same names in receipts, invoices, pay vouchers and correspondence that I am currently processing appear in collections like the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Preliminary Inventory that help provide a window into history.

For more information please contact the Archivist or check out our online database.