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"A Silent Auction, a supper of Penne and Spicy meatballs, with salad and garlic bread, and funnel cakes for dessert - and a hilarious look at Bradford's history, presented by the Bradford District High School Drama Club... The Gwillim Group put together a fundraiser that was filling and fun, last weekend at the high school." ...

Barbara Verney, Zelma Fuller and George Jackson thanking Lieutenant Governor Onley and presenting him with a copy of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Associations book "Governor Simcoe Slept Here; The Legacy of West Gwillimbury" at the official unveiling of the Elizabeth Gwillim Simcoe Statue.

History Group is Established

An historical society for the Scotch Settlement was established last week at Fred C. Cook Senior Public School.

Mrs. Eleanor Reid, of Lefroy, a descendant of one of the Scotch settlers, was named the president of the group, and Dave Sheppard, was named secretary.

The group will gather historical data pertaining to the history of the settlers, from their tragic exile from Scotland to their settlement on the lands in this area.

The most important priority for the group now is to collect all of the information concerning the Scotch Settlement that they can.

Mr. Sheppard said it was crucial that the information was gathered soon, because much of it is in the minds of elderly people in the community, and if they fail to pass it on, it could be lost forever.

Mrs. Reid said she was "really quite pleased with the turnout last week and the interest and enthusiasm shown."

She said the Scotch Settlement was one of Ontario's most important historical sites, and the story of the hardships of the settlers is not only historically interesting, but also romantic.

Many descendants of the settlers still live in the area, and former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker also traces his family back to the Scotch settlers.

The historical society is appealing to anyone who has information, photos or other memorabilia, to contact Mrs. Reid at Box 148, Lefroy.

The next meeting of the society will be held in the Scotch Settlement church June 10.

Gwillim Group Committee members with Lieutenant Governor Onley, his wife Ruth Ann and Peter Van Loan. Back Row (l-r): Darlene Braybrook, Tom Fuller, Jennifer Gordon, Mary and Don Gardiner, Vera Stoddart and Peter Line. Middle Row (l-r): Natalie Dykie, Christine Houlieff, Brenda Winter, Zelma Fuller, Bill Marks, Joan Gibson, Mikki Nanowski and Judith Moses. Front: Lieutenant Governor Onley, Ruth Ann Onley and Peter Van Loan.

Margaret Luella AKA Ella Adair feeding time - range feed. Known as Brooder House at first then later called chicken coop. This was Ella's source of income.

"Construction crews working on Holland Street West uncovered a bit of history last week. According to several workers at the road reconstruction site, several large timber-like beams were unearthed from about six feet below the present surface of the road. It is likely that the beams date from the 1800s, and were either part of, or laid just after the demolition of, the first covered road in the county...."

The annual Meeting of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association will be held in the Compton Room of the Bradford Public Library on Saturday, December 8th, 1:30 p.m. The BWG Local History Association was formed 17 years ago, in the spring of 1990, and has retrieved and documented many of the details of the history of this area, supported the Local History Room in the Library, and recently, published the 2-volume book, "Governor Simcoe Slept Here." The Association is now taking on new responsibility as the umbrella organization for other history-related groups in the community - The Gwillim Group, which has brought the statue of Elizabeth Gwillim Simcoe to Bradford; the Scotch Settlement Historical Association; and the WEGWHIST Group. The arrangement will provide an affiliation with the Ontario Historical Association that will open the door for sponsorship and fundraising in support of the Town's historical features. The Association has been involved in book writing, editing and sales for the past 4 years; now that Governor Simcoe Slept Here has been completed, the focus is returning to researching and recording local history, and there are opportunities for residents to get involved. Are you interested in history? Do you have time to research on line, index and file, or set up and explore your own special local history project? Come to the meeting to discuss the opportunities.

"Led by the combined Colour Parties of the Bradford, Sutton and Newmarket Legions, and the Bradford Pipes & Drums, Bradford residents turned out to participate in or to watch the Sesquicentennial Parade on August 19, celebrating the town's 150th Birthday." ...

"Bradford celebrates its 150th Anniversary in 2007.
While some suggest that the celebration doesn't concern the Township area, the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association has a different take on the matter. The Association points out that the relationship between Bradford and the Township of West Gwillimbury has always been strong, predating incorporation..."