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THE HERALD Wednesday 1MJ Page II Haltons proud past in growing museum AWAITING before the Judge in this setting could take awhile but many men stood before judges occupying that chair before It became part of the permanent collection of the region museum The ingenuity and in novations which hove com blued to provide heritage have formed an in and Informative display for the over via tors that have toured the Regional Museum thus far this summer In the items of the It con easily be seen that was the innovator of the area thanks to its varied background of traces and professions The museum is on the acre site of the Alexander homestead which is now under control of the Region Conservation Authority Adam Alexander a stonemason by trade began employment in Canada on Hamilton Dun Castle while he cleared the land of his new Milton Heights home which he named Glen Eden Four generations of the Alexanders settled on the original property each finding the area prosperous and Ideas for Its development plentiful The rich fertile fields of the farm made It possible for the family to produce a variety of grains fruits vegetables and livestock with sufficient timber and limestone to be used on the farm The real inventor of the family Adam Alexander III added a blacksmith shop to the form In 1B80 and harnessed water power to run much of the equipment used in the production of many form necessities HISTORY ON WHEELS is depicted in the carriage house of the Regional Museum The carriage house was built as a Centennial project of the county of During the planning stages before full implementation of the power system which was fed from a reservoir atop the escarpment the Inventor was in close contact with another great Inventor Thomas Alva Edison Together they devised a dynamo that provided electric power to the Alexander homestead some IS years before hydro was available to the rest of rural Halton The last remaining Alexander Adam IV now resides in the senior citizens home in Milton after turning bis complete farm over to the county for use as museum pork While the Milton area grew as did the rest of Halton some of the Innovations such as the Alexanders power wheel would not have been possible without the help of the people of Georgetown Speight and Brady of Georgetown actually built the water wheel for use In the generating dynamo and were Involved In the design of the water system that drove the large wheel that powered several of the farm machines including a washing machine In the house on the farm The main building of the regional was the barn used by the family In their years of forming the area The displays of early life Include a typical bedroom of the pioneers a stone fireplace and plates and serving utensils of the era The Victorian room which occupies pert of the mam building depicts the Barber family silling room with the actual pieces donated by the family from the time they resided In Main Street s Hall Also in the room is a unique lattice work carving done for the Barber family by a blind man The piece depicts a theme and Is on dlsploy with the Kennedy family Bible Georgetown founder The people of those times loved and appreciated music explained assistant curator James This is evident in the number of musical Instruments the museum has There arc nine pianos and organs on display In Ihe museum with one very special piano volued at over This special piano represents one of nine that were sold in Acton We don know whether or not they were built or assembled in Acton but we hove proof that they were sold there The most expensive single Hem in the museum collection Is a ISIS McLaughlin worth between and depending on how much you antique cars The vehicle is on loon from the collection of Rum Cole of Hornby and was used on the CBC series The White of Jain a THE BARBER SITTING ROOM with furniture donated by the Barber family is featured In the Victorian Room of the museum The vehicle occupies a prominent place In the carriage house which was the Centennial project of the county The modem building houses buggies butter chums ploughs a working blacksmith shop and display cases of stuffed birds The upstairs section of the barn that was once the storage area for the bounty of crops harvested each year by Alexanders is now a further display area where visitors can see a typical courtroom around the turn of the century Robes provided by Judge Kenneth of Georgetown are seen along with the actual Judge throne Jurors chairs and the prisoner dock from the old Milton court house which served all of Halton The circular saw blade on the second floor of the main building has ben provided by the of Stewart town from the original mill of the The Ironsides also rural Georgetown residents have shared with the people who visit museum their butter working table skates and a set of wooden water pipes bored from solid wood over four inches thick A velocipede a type of wooden bicycle is also featured in the carriage and was provided by W lson also of Georgetown A total of families from the Immediate area have made donations loans or made available for purchase Items that help to give a glimpse of pioneer Visitors from as for away as South Africa Australia and Europe have toured the regional museum Antique buffs find ihe treasurers in valuable while silversmiths antique car lovers sewing clubs and art guilds each find something that has proven that was not behind the times in any period of its development A nominal fee of cents admission lor cents for a guided tour will give everyone a chance to sec Ihe part of that formed stepping stone to the in county have today HUGE FIREPLACE is actually a reconstruction of one typical of the era Behind the stonework arc modern cement blocks leading to modem chimney in the Alexander barn The stones for ihe face of the fireplace come from the early grist mills of the area to moke ihe fireplace authentic AN ANTIQUE BEAUTY this piano dates to the Victorian era It would grace homo of the wealthier Haltonlan Brass candle holders or platforms to hold oil lamps would provide light for tir pioneer pianists lit ATI N These stoves are also from the area and were used to heat the stores bedrooms and living rooms of the early families of NO PARTS TO OUT This was one of the modem conveniences of Its time The motor not only cleaned the clothes but with a few added accessories cooked the meals made the beds and washed the dishes Wife power was com but is well appreciated