Special Notice
This site has recently been expanded to include historical information from the Cobourg History site. All information previously on this site is still here. Some Google searches may now end up here - use the site search box if you don't immediately find what you are looking for.
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For Genealogists
There is quite a bit of Information for genealogists on this site - it is best accessed using the search feature above. The best additional source of info for researchers is at the Cobourg Library where they have a local history room stocked with many historical books and documents. They do have some photos on-line but not much more - you need to visit.
Meetings
Based on the advice from the Town of Cobourg and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, face to face meetings at Victoria Hall have been cancelled until further notice. In order to stay connected and to keep you safe during the pandemic, monthly meetings are taking place by Virtual Zoom webinars. You can join by desktop or a laptop computer, tablet or smart phone!
Cobourg and District Historical Society Meetings are held every month except May, June, July, August and December. Meetings are held in the Citizen's Forum in Victoria Hall on the fourth Tuesday in the Month. Meetings start at 7:30pm but coffee and cookies are available starting at 7:00pm. Meetings are $5 for non-members and free for members of the society and students.
More on our About page.
Cobourg and District Historical Society
Mission
The Cobourg and District Historical Society promotes interest in the history of Cobourg and district and beyond, encourages the preservation of historical, archaeological and architectural heritage through meetings featuring speakers, the publication of presentations and organizing and participating in special events.
Meetings
Monthly meetings are held in the Citizens' Forum, Victoria Hall on the fourth Tuesday from September to May, excluding December. The doors open at 7:00pm and people enjoy this opportunity to socialize before the meeting convenes at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are free for members of the society and students.
Programmes include topics of local interest e.g. The American Summer Colony, Cobourg-Rochester ferries as well as subjects of more general interest e.g. The Barnardo Children or Preserving Your Family Archives. An annual dinner or bus trip is held alternately in May.
For more about the Cobourg and District Historical Society, go here.
Based on the advice from the Town of Cobourg and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, face to face meetings at Victoria Hall have been cancelled until further notice. In order to stay connected and to keep you safe during the pandemic, monthly meetings are taking place by Virtual Zoom webinars. You can join by desktop or a laptop computer, tablet or smart phone!
The Secret Life of William Lyon Mackenzie King
- Details
On October 23, 2018, we will be hosting Professor Christopher Dummitt, Professor of History at Trent University's School for the Study of Canada and also the co-founder of the Canada 150 project. Dr. Dummitt will be talking 
about the secret life of William Lyon Mackenzie King who served as Prime Minister for twenty two years and died as a respected but not particularly charismatic leader. After his death, Mackenzie King's private diaries were made public and the world learned that he was a man who led a double life. He was an eccentric bachelor who communed with the spirit world, his deceased mother and his beloved dog Pat. He also connected with prostitutes believing that he could "save" them. Christopher Dummitt's recently published book, Unbuttoned: The Secret Life of William Lyon Mackenzie King, is about both the story of the man and the story of the diaries themselves. This promises to be an intriguing evening which will raise questions about the public vs. private persona, the role of executors in destroying documents, the role of historians in exposing secrets and, of course, who William Lyon Mackenzie King really was. You can read more about Professor Dummitt and his work at https://www.christopherdummitt.com/.
Join us for Dr. Dummitt's presentation on Tuesday, October 23, at Victoria Hall. Doors open at 7:00 PM for coffee and cookies. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission, including refreshments, is free for members and $5 for non-members. Annual membership is $25 for individuals and $30 for a family.
All are welcome so bring a friend or two!
Major James Morrow Walsh
- Details
On Tuesday, September 25, we will welcome back Brian Porter for another outstanding presentation. Last October Brian and his wife excited our members with a re-creation of a speech by Sir John A. MacDonald. This time Brian will wear an original 1873 Northwest Mounted Police uniform and provide insights into the life and times of Major James Morrow Walsh.
Born in Prescott, Ontario, Major Walsh was one of the original nine officers of the NWMP set up by Sir John A. Macdonald in 1873. He endured the Great March West in 1874 and set up Fort Walsh in the Cypress Hills in 1875. His real claim to fame was meeting and befriending Sioux Chief Sitting Bull in 1877, when thousands of Sioux came to Canada after the defeat of Lt. Col. Custer. Walsh's headquarters became the Wood Mountain post, among Sitting Bull and 5,000 Sioux. During this time, Walsh was famous in the American press as "Sitting Bull's Boss". In reality Walsh was unable to fulfill his orders to convince Sitting Bull to return to the United States. The Canadian government decided that Walsh's friendship with Sitting Bull was an obstacle to the Sioux's return to the United States and in 1880 he was transferred to Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan. Soon after his transfer he took health leave and returned to Ontario. He reluctantly resigned his commission three years later.
Join us for Brian's presentation on Tuesday, September 25, at Victoria Hall. Doors open at 7:00 pm for coffee and cookies before the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Admission, including refreshments, is free for members and $5 for non-members. Annual membership is $25 for individuals and $30 for a family. All are welcome so bring a friend or two!