Would you like to venture into the past and explore the County’s history?

Flashback February is an annual opportunity to engage with Prince Edward County’s complex and fascinating past through talks, performances and more.  This year Flashback February will take place February 18 to 25, and organizers have assembled a wide array of activities – there is sure to be something to appeal to everyone!

Krista Richardson of the County of Prince Edward Public Library and Archives will give a presentation with Sandra Latchford about the Cholera Pandemic of 1832.  On June 30, 2022, as Sandra Latchford was walking by a row of headstones that had been moved to Glenwood over 70 years ago, she was drawn to one in particular – that of Ann Carnahan, a caregiver who died on June 30, 1832 of Cholera.

This led Sandra of the Historical Society, and Krista Richardson of the PEC Archives, to research the Cholera pandemic of 1832, and its impact on Prince Edward County and Upper and Lower Canada. Krista’s research process has involved paging through countless back issues of the Picton Gazette on Microfilm. “One sure-fire way to track what is happening in the community at any time is by reading the newspapers of the day. It helps me get a sense of when the pandemic started, how it was being discussed at the time, and the types of advice that were being given to keep yourself and your family safe.”

This presentation will be held on Zoom, and you can register online. If you need help getting registered, or need to use a library device to participate, contact the library’s tech help team at (613) 476-5962.

This is just one of the many events happening for Flashback February. Find the complete schedule at https://www.visitthecounty.com/flashback-february. If there is a particular area of the County’s history you would like to learn more about, make an appointment with the Archives.

“Whether you are interested in checking out photos of one of the County’s villages, are curious about the history of your home, or are curious what life was like in the County in a particular year, the Archives can help,” says Krista Richardson, Archivist.

Researchers use documents including municipal records, land abstracts, wills, scrapbooks, photographs and more all housed in the Archives.  When you make your appointment, Archives staff will ask you about your areas of interest and what you’re trying to find. Then, before you arrive, they will pull materials that are likely to have that information.

“This is to save time for the researcher and to allow you to spend time with the materials that are most likely to help you,” says Krista.

To book your appointment, call (613) 399-2023.

-Liz Zylstra