We attended the second meeting of the Lambton County Historical Society on April 23 at the Olde Post Office in Petrolia. The meeting was hosted by Tim Brown. During the first half of the evening, the group discussed Society business. Discussion continued on changes to the constitution put forward by various board members at the last meeting. In the end, some changes were accepted while others were tabled for a later meeting. The meeting was not quite as raucous as last time, although the debate was once again heated at times. It was a welcome reprieve when the focus turned to the history of the area. Betty Lou Snetselaar shared the story of one of her prized antiques: two oil lamps from the Fairbanks house that she purchased from a dealer following a fire at the house. She explained that the lamps were used to light either side of the house’s main staircase and she painted a beautiful picture for all in attendance of ladies in times past stopping to study the detailed designs on the lamps as they made their way up the stairs in their fine gowns. Ron also spoke briefly about our efforts at the Sarnia Historical Society and invited any interested parties to contact us about taking part.
Following the Society’s business, Tim gave a very personal talk about his family’s history in the area. He explained that the Brown family had originally come from Glasgow, Scotland and had settled in Sarnia Township in 1854. The family then moved to Moore Township in the 1870s and Tim shared many stories about farming life in the area throughout the decades. A particularly shocking story involved Tim’s great-great-uncle Sam, who was abducted when he was only one year old and found ten years later living in a nearby Native village. Tim spoke of his family’s deep connection to the land and how many of the earlier farming practices continue to this day. We look forward to many more such interesting talks on the history of Lambton County and the people who have lived here.
