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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.

Summary of an interview with Roland Garrett. The interviewer is not identified. Roland discusses his and his wife's (Alice Leetta McAfee Garrett) family history and his memories. They also briefly discuss how the Holland Marsh has changed. See the Related Descriptions below for the audio.

Audio of an interview with Roland Garrett. The interviewer is not identified. Roland discusses his and his wife's (Alice Leetta McAfee Garrett) family history and his memories. They also briefly discuss how the Holland Marsh has changed. See the Related Descriptions below for the summary.

Article of brief history on the first Reeve of Bradford. Scanned from a donation of the Bradford Today supplement to the Bradford Witness.

Article of brief history on the Great Fire of Bradford (1871). Scanned from a donation of the Bradford Today supplement to the Bradford Witness.

Article about early settlement in Bradford and West Gwillimbury. It also touches on the early education systems in this area. Scanned from a donation of the Bradford Today supplement to the Bradford Witness.

A wood and metal plaque. It reads:

"This Local History Room was furnished by the Lions Club of Bradford to Commemorate the visit of Judge Brian Stevenson of Calgary President of the International Association of Lions Clubs on the occasion of their 50th anniversary October 9. 1987."