| No. 1 | September 2007 |
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Prince Edward Island has a rich heritage related to agriculture, and an
important part of that heritage relates to machinery and farm equipment
used in times past.
Beginning in 2002 a small group of interested people, recognizing that the passing of time meant that pieces of equipment and stories of their use were gradually being lost, began to search for ways to prevent further erosion of this part of our history. Equipment that was manufactured in PEI was of particular interest to this group. Under the leadership of Dr. Tom Hall, Dr. Don Glendenning, and Tony Glencross, there were a number of accomplishments toward this goal. A more complete story of these achievements can be found in issue # 67 of the Community Foundation News, published on May 12, 2007. This issue can be found at http://www.cfpei.ca/newsletters/2007/05-12-67.php Over the past year, several informal meetings have been held to provide an opportunity for people with an interest in antique farm equipment to meet and exchange information in a relaxed, informal setting. A number of the people who have attended have collections of various pieces of equipment, gathered and restored with care over the years. The most recent gathering was in North River in April of this year, where over 30 people from all across the Island had an opportunity to hear about a project being carried out by the PEI Association of Community Museums to inventory early farm equipment, with special attention to pieces .Made in PEI.. There was also a brief presentation on a report prepared by the MacNaught History |
Centre and Archives - Made in Prince Edward Island: A Preliminary Review
of Island-made Agricultural Equipment.
One of the conclusions reached by the group that came together in 2002 was that an occasional newsletter directed to private collectors would be welcomed. Discussions over coffee about the potential benefits of such a newsletter led to the decision to implement this publication. There is no fixed publication schedule, but the intention is that it will appear periodically throughout the year, distributed by email, and will be available on the web site of The Community Foundation of Prince Edward Island at http://www.cfpei.ca The support of The Community Foundation to the Agricultural Heritage Project and with this newsletter is gratefully acknowledged. While the emphasis is to be on agricultural equipment ( particularly that manufactured in PEI ), and on groups and individuals who work to preserve the artifacts, other topics relating to the history of rural PEI will appear from time to time. Indeed, the next newsletter, which will appear soon, is about a team of people who are restoring an engine used in a rural mill in the last century. Comments and suggestions for article topics are welcome; please forward them to Charley Coles at charlescoles@eastlink.ca. The Agricultural Heritage Newsletter is an informal newsletter published electrically with the assistance of The Community Foundation of Prince Edward Island and edited by Charley Coles, Don Glendenning, and Tom Hall. Feel free to forward it to a friend. To be added to or removed from the mailing list, or to suggest ideas for future newsletters, please contact charlescoles@eastlink.ca |