WELLINGTON COUNTY – Wellington County’s Archives is dedicated to appraising, selecting, acquiring and conserving the archival records relating to the history of Wellington County, including its people, places and organizations.
To highlight the important work of the Archives and invite residents to take part, several events will take place across Wellington County this month.
Behind-the-scenes guided tours
Throughout April, the Wellington County Archives is offering behind-the-scenes guided tours of the processing room and storage vault.
Ask an Archivist
Researching your house? Need some help with your family history? Want to learn about donating archival records? Bring your questions and chat one-on-one with an archivist through the Ask an Archivist program, available at:
– Erin Library, April 20 from 10:30am to 2:30pm; and
– Marden Library, April 22 from 12pm to 4pm.
Visitors to the Archives are always welcome during business hours: weekdays from 9:30am to 4:30pm, and Saturdays from 11:30am to 4:00pm.
Archives staff are available to answer questions related to family history research using ancestry.ca, family photograph preservation or how to research the history of your house.
There is no appointment necessary. Online video calls can also be arranged.
Historical records
The historical records housed in the Archives’ environmentally controlled storage area can take many forms, including:
– textual, such as diaries, local history books, assessment rolls, and voters lists;
– graphic, such as photographs and slides;
– audio-visual, such as films, videos and audio cassette tapes;
– architectural drawings, maps or plans; and
– microforms of newspapers.
There are also many digital resources available from the Archives, including:
– Online Collections Catalogue describing our archival and artifact donations;
– Women’s Institute local Tweedsmuir Histories;
– Historical Society essays and journals;
– local history articles and newspapers;
-Wellington County Remembers: Commemorating Our Fallen;
– Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge Resident Database;
– the newest digital resource: Moments in Time: Out of the Vault and onto the Map; and
– a memory map and driving tour of local historical sites.
“Archival records are invaluable to many user groups, including family historians, individuals working on building histories, students, lawyers, surveyors, and engineers, to name a few,” said archivist Karen Wagner.
“Wellington County Archives preserves our rich documentary history, ensuring it is available for the future. Donations allow us to expand the collection – please contact us to discuss records in your home or business.”
The Wellington County Museum and Archives is on Wellington Road 18 between Fergus and Elora.
