This fonds consists of research in the 19th and 20th century Canadian historical geography, specifically emigration and settlement from British Isles to Upper Canada, the Trent Canal use during WWII, the environmental and cultural consequences of flooding from the Trent Canal dam in the late 19th century, and research on Bon Echo, Algonquin, and Banff National Parks. Research is also included on European migration and land settlement patterns and processes in Cape Province, South Africa in the early 19th century and in Western Australia in the early 20th century. Included in the research materials are several maps, a small collection of photo negatives, and microfilm reels.

This fonds consists of the personal and business records of the Geale, Hamilton, Peck, Barker and Rogers families. There are letters relating to World War I written by Beresford and Robert Hamilton and Heber and Harry Rogers; letters, diaries, journals of Richard Birdsall Rogers (superintending engineer of the Peterborough Lift Lock); the records of Hon. Robert Hamilton, a factor at the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Fort Edmonton. The fonds also contains stereographs, approximately 1000 photographs, and a C.E. Goad fire insurance plan for the city of Peterborough, 1882. Items of interest include a group of photographs of the Trent Valley area and the building of the canal; Rogers family pictures of the Stoney Lake area and the Juniper Island Regatta; photos of early aircraft and the Curtiss Aviation School; photos of hydraulic lift lock at Peterborough; and one letter from Catharine Parr Traill to Robert Miles Hamilton.

This collection of family papers, correspondence, journals, photographs, newspaper clippings and published works spans the years 1834 to 1966 and measures approximately 3 1/2 linear metres. The papers were deposited in Trent University Archives through the courtesy of members of the Geale and Rogers families in 1983.

The papers are divided into two series:

Series A, the Geale family papers, consists of records pertaining to the descendants of the Hon. Robert Hamilton, a factor of the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Fort Edmonton in northern Manitoba. Robert Hamilton married Annie Seabourne. One of their sons was Robert Miles Hamilton (1864-1939). He married Alice May Barker and resided at "Auburn" in Peterborough, Ontario. Their children were Miles Beresford Hamilton, Robert Barker Hamilton, (Alice) Seabourne Hamilton, and S.R. Hamilton (son). Alice Seabourne Hamilton married Charles Norman Geale. Papers of the Barker family (the Hon. Samuel Barker was Mrs. Robert Miles Hamilton's father) are included in this series as are the papers of the Peck family. Edward Armour Peck was the natural son of Arthur Henry Peck and the adoptive father of Charles Norman Geale. He married Kitty Revell. Both Miles Beresford Hamilton and Robert Barker Hamilton served overseas in the First World War and their correspondence is included in this series.

Series B of this collection consists of the Rogers Papers. Richard Birdsall Rogers was born at Ashburnham in 1857. He lived there until 1916 and then moved to "Beechwood Farm" in Douro Township. He was a land surveyor and was appointed superintendent engineer of the Trent Valley Canal in 1884. Richard married Clara Mina Calcutt of Peterborough in 1881. They had seven children. One daughter, Leah, married Herbert Geale, brother of Charles Norman Geale. Two sons, Heber and Harry served overseas in World War I. Their correspondence is included. R.B. Rogers designed and supervised the building of the hydraulic lift locks at Peterborough and Kirkfield. These papers included several files of plans and specifications for the locks, correspondence and documents accrued during the scandal preceding Rogers' resignation in 1906, the Holgate Report which condemned Rogers and the Keefer investigation which completely vindicated his work as Chief Engineer. We have created a major on-line exhibit focusing on the life and times of Richard Rogers and the Peterborough Lift Lock: http://digitalcollections.trentu.ca/exhibits/birdsall-rogers/zrptboll.htm

Fonds consists of call-up notification postcards (1874-1880) sent by Lieut.-Col. Alex. McKenzie of Barrie, Ontario, to Lieut. John Sutherland of Bond Head, Ontario regarding the Battalion being raised at Barrie for the Northwest Rebellion. Also included are genealogical records related to the Cummings and MacCallum families, a photocopy of a book written by Harley Cummings entitled Cummings-MacCallum: A Tale of Two Families; notes and other materials related to the teaching career of Cummings; three photographs: Hon. Thos. Mackay's Mills, Distillery etc. and part of New Edinburgh, Rideau Falls, New Edinburgh, from Railway Bridge, and an unidentified photo similar to the previous two; and three maps: 1. Ontario Department of Highways Road Map of the Provisional County of Haliburton, 1952 (original); 2. Plan of Part of York River and its Southern Tributaries, Egan's River, Hudson's Creek & Allen's Creek together with the Head Waters of the E. & W. Branches of Crow River & Buckhorn Branch of Ottanabe [Otonabee] River, Tributaries to the St. Lawrence, surveyed by John A. Snow, Hull, 1855 (in four sheets, copied from microfilm); 3. Plan of Part of York River, commencing at the Floodwood Jam, surveyed by John A. Snow, Hull, 1854 (in three sheets, copied from microfilm).

The fonds consists mostly of Helen Marryat's (nee Helen Fowlds) personal experiences as a nurse in World War I, and her activities as a local historian. There are clippings of her articles in local newspapers, historical maps (drawn by Gerald Marryat) and other materials relating to settlement of Hastings and district such as education and nursing. Also included are the correspondence and photograph collections of her brothers, Donald and Eric (mostly from World War I), and material on Frederick Marryat (1792-1848), navy captain and novelist. In December 2001, Trent University Archives launched an online exhibit which depicts Helen Fowld's experiences in World War I. All her letters and diaries are transcribed and are found at the following site: http://digitalcollections.trentu.ca/exhibits/fowlds/ffowldswelcome.htm

This fonds consists of the personal and collected papers of the Honourable Leslie M. Frost, former Premier of Ontario. It contains correspondence; letter books from World War I through his legal and political career to post-retirement phase of public and private directorships; scrapbooks of Leslie Frost and his wife Gertrude; and historical files on various subjects, including the Frost family, the Carew family, various political figures, and Victoria, Peterborough and Haliburton Counties. The fonds is especially valuable for the study of Conservatism and it includes collected campaign material from 1891 to 1971, material on federal and provincial elections, and original and copied historical material on many individuals and events. Also included in the fonds are photographs, miscellaneous graphic materials, and audio visual materials.

This fonds consists of World War I trench maps and general maps of the war area. Included are maps of Lens Canal, Passchendaele and general maps of France and Belgium. Also included in the fonds is a bound photocopy of Lieut. L.V. Shier's service diary, 1917-1918.

This fonds consists of the family and personal papers of William Hamilton Munro, his brothers Reid and Alan and his sister Effie. The materials in the fonds make reference to World War I; Peterborough County; hydro-electric companies in Canada and the third world; photographs, postcards, maps and plans of the Trent Canal; City of Peterborough; and locations in Bolivia, Europe and North America.

The microfilms are of records of the United States army, Northwest Service Command and 6th Service Command dealing with the Canol Project and the Alaska Highway Project, including reports, general orders, histories, maps and charts, minutes of meetings and conferences, and demobilization plans. These records also contain international agreements between Canada and the United States. The records on the microfilm date from 1940 to 1946.

BIOGRAPHY / HISTORY: The early 1940's saw the rapid development of Canadian-American relations brought about by the pressures of World War II. These new relations included military co-operation and economic co-operation exemplified by the Ogdensburg Declaration of August 1940 and the Hyde Park Declaration of April 1941. An area of concern for both Canada and the United States was the region known as the Canadian northwest (north of 60th parallel, west of the 110th meridian). After the Japanese attack on the military base of Pearl Harbour, December 7, 1941, the United States military became increasingly concerned over the safety of Alaska. American military leaders decided that the Canadian northwest was the ideal region on which to build secondary lines of communication to Alaska. This led to the development of the Alaska Highway and the Canol pipeline project to provide transportation into and out of Alaska and petroleum products for the military bases which were quickly cropping up in the area. Both of these projects were under the supervison of the Northwest Service Command of the United States Military and lasted from 1942 to 1945.

This item is a 1943 map used by military personnel of the Department of Poperinghe, showing territory in France and in Belgium, from Bergues in the northwest to Poperinghe in the southeast.