About Us

Our Mandate

The Beaverton Thorah Eldon Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the history of the community through research, the collection of historical artifacts, and the documentation of both municipal and family histories. Through the Beaver River Museum, the Society also engages in community outreach. The Meeting Place features a large meeting and display area, archives, a curator’s office, collection storage, and a video editing studio. Each year, approximately 1,000 visitors tour the museum buildings between late May till the end of September.

Beginnings

In October 1976, a group of dedicated local citizens came together to explore the creation of a historical society. From that initial meeting, the Beaverton Thorah Eldon Historical Society was officially established. Soon after, the Society founded the Beaver River Museum on the edge of Centennial Park. The Society held its first formal meeting in January 1977.

In June 1981, after four years of planning and preparation, the museum opened its first building—a brick century home built in 1884 by William Brain. This house, furnished with artifacts from the early 1900s, offers visitors a glimpse into the daily life of the Brain family. A year later, in 1982, the museum expanded with the official opening of the log cabin, presided over by the Honourable John Aird, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. Further growth came in 1995 when the historic stone jail, dating back to the 1840s, was relocated to the museum grounds and officially opened on July 1, 1997. These structures were complemented by the addition of the Meeting Place, which includes a large meeting and display hall, archives, a curator’s office, collection storage, and a video-editing studio.

The museum complex stands today as the result of thousands of volunteer hours, generous donations of artifacts and funds, and supportive grants from both federal and provincial governments.

Together, the four unique heritage buildings draw visitors from near and far, enriching the community’s connection to its past. Maintaining and expanding the museum, its collections, and outreach initiatives requires ongoing volunteer effort, fundraising, and community support. Much of the Society’s operating income is generated through events like the annual Antique Show and quilt raffle.

In recent years, valuable grants from the South Lake Community Futures Development Corporation and The Trillium Foundation have enabled significant upgrades to the museum’s buildings and equipment. These improvements include new roofs, painting, foundation repairs, window replacements, protective sunscreen film, as well as the addition of a microfilm reader/printer, computer systems, and scanners—ensuring the preservation of the community’s history for future generations.

Resources

As a source for genealogy research, we answer many e-mail and letter inquiries as well as helping visitors research their family histories. Our archives contain resources pertaining to both family and municipal history that have been researched, collected, organized, and indexed over the years.

We have: