Backus-Page House Museum facts for kids
Backus-Page House Museum, August 2008
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| Established | 1994 |
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| Location | Wallacetown, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | Historic house museum |
The Backus-Page House Museum is a special place where you can experience history! It's a living history museum located in Wallacetown, Ontario, Canada. This area was once known as the Talbot Settlement. The house itself is built in the Georgian style. It has been carefully restored to look like it did in 1850. A local group called the Tyrconnell Heritage Society takes care of the museum and its surrounding land. They work hard to restore and preserve this important historical site.
Discover the Backus-Page House Museum
The Backus-Page House Museum sits inside the John E. Pearce Provincial Park. The museum is a restored house built in 1850 by Robert Morris. He built many homes in the area. This house is special because it was one of the first brick homes in Dunwich Township.
The house was built for Andrew and Mary Jane Backus. The Backus family was one of the first families to get land from Colonel Thomas Talbot. They settled in this area, which was called Little Tyrconnell. Andrew built his house on land given to him by his grandmother, Mary Storey. She received her original land grant in 1809.
The Backus family did well, and their house showed it. Even though it was well-built, it was not overly fancy. Letters from that time say the house was nicely made but simply furnished. When the Backus family lived there, they called it Lakeview. Back then, the land between the house and Lake Erie was clear. This gave them an amazing view of the lake! Today, the Ministry of Natural Resources has planted new trees there.
The house is a two-story red brick home. About 72,000 bricks were used to build it! These bricks were made from clay dug right behind the house. They were fired (baked) on the farm property. The bricks were used for both the inside and outside walls. The walls were built to last, being four or five bricks thick.
Strong Oak and black ash wood was used for the main frame of the house. Much of the other lumber, like pine, ash, and tulip wood, came from nearby forests. The house was heated by three fireplaces on the main floor. Each fireplace had a black walnut mantel and wood paneling. The fireplaces don't work anymore. However, one still has old cooking hardware. This shows it was used for cooking in the past.
The Backus-Page House was bought by Jonas A. Page in 1925. He then sold it to his son, Morley. The Page family had settled in the area in the early 1800s. Morley and Grace Page lived on the farm for over 50 years. They farmed the land, raising dairy cows, pigs, and beef. They also grew crops and made maple syrup. Over time, the house changed quite a bit from its original 1850s look. Morley and Grace's children, Bill and Iris, did not farm. So, they were the last Pages to live on the farm. They sold it to the Ministry of Natural Resources in 1968. They continued to live there until 1976.
The Ministry of Natural Resources still owns the Backus-Page House today. They have an agreement with the Tyrconnell Heritage Society. This society was started in 1994. Their goal was to restore the house and property to how it looked in the 1850s. In 1998, the society began the restoration. They renamed the house to honor both the Backus and Page families. Their mission is to preserve the estate and teach people about the history of the Talbot Settlement.
The Page Family's Journey
In 1845, Jonas Page, his wife, and their five-year-old son came from Oxfordshire, England. They arrived in a place called Five Stakes, which is now Talbotville, Upper Canada. Jonas wanted to settle in the area. He was told to go see Colonel Thomas Talbot. Talbot had received a large land grant from the British government near Lake Erie. His job was to organize the settlement of the area.
Jonas traveled about 14-mile (23 km) to Talbot's log cabin. He found Talbot in a bad mood. When Talbot heard Jonas was from England, he said he wouldn't sell him any land. Jonas didn't give up. He said he would go above Talbot's head. He waited a few days and tried again. This time, he was given a piece of land for just $2.00 an acre. It was on the shores of Lake Erie, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Port Tyrconnell.
Jonas cleared the land and built a log house. His closest neighbor, Job Curtis, helped him. This help was very important. Talbot was known to take back land from settlers who didn't clear and settle it quickly enough. With a home built, Jonas could go back to Five Stakes (Talbotville). He moved his family by oxen and sled about 20 miles (32 km) through the forest to their new home.
Life as a settler was very hard. Still, people took time to build a strong community. One of the first projects Jonas helped with was building the First Methodist Church in Tyrconnell in 1855. Jonas loved music. When the church was finished, he would lead the singing. He used his own tuning fork to keep everyone in tune.
Jonas and his wife had 11 children. Six of them grew up to be adults.
The Tyrconnell Heritage Society: Preserving History
The Tyrconnell Heritage Society is a local group. It was created to restore and protect the Backus-Page House. They also work to collect and share the rich history of the Talbot Settlement. The society started in 1993 when the future of the Backus-Page property was unclear. In 1994, they officially became part of the Ontario Historical Society. Since then, their volunteer members have worked very hard to achieve their goals.
In 1998, the society signed a 50-year lease agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources. This agreement, along with local money and a generous grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, helped the society. They could then move forward with restoring the 1850s Georgian style house. Besides restoring the house, the society made the grounds around it larger. They also created a picnic area and built a separate building for resources and events behind the house. The Tyrconnell Heritage Society also made three walking trails inside the John E. Pearce Park, where the Backus-Page House is located.
Today, the society continues to work towards making the Backus-Page House a living history museum. Every year, their special education program lets hundreds of children experience what life was like for a Canadian pioneer family. As the museum's collection grows, they can offer more exhibits. The society and the estate grounds also host many different events. These include wedding receptions and company retreats.
As part of their agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Tyrconnell Heritage Society helps maintain the trails and facilities of the John E. Pearce Provincial Park. Society members lead guided hikes. They also support educational groups and researchers who study the area. They have a plan to record the seasonal changes within the park.
They are working to offer education programs all year long. They also want to increase museum activities. A big step forward for the estate will be restoring the rectory barn. The Tyrconnell Heritage Society is dedicated to making sure the Backus-Page House Museum stays an important historical landmark along the northern shore of Lake Erie.
