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• Opened in fall 1967, the building is named after Samuel de Champlain, explorer who descended the Otonabee River in this area in 1615.
• To be used for records about the building, not the administrative unit.

• Early sketches and drawings of Peterborough are located in the following fonds: 83-1022 copy of an 1828 sketch by Basil Hall made with the Camera Lucida; 95-1004 unknown engraving [Bartlett?] 1882; 95-1017 sketch of Government House by Mary Sanford 1832 (copy); 02-1002 composite panorama of Ashburnham from St. John's Church ca. 1874 (a representation produced in 2001); 89-1065 Peterborough, U.C. on the Otonabee River signed
• Special Collections maintains an impressive collection of books relating to the City of Peterborough. The "Trent Collection" contains all the obvious published histories such as Peterborough, Land of Shining Waters; Peterborough Scrapbook...1825-1975 Poole's A Sketch of the Early Settlement...of the Town of Peterborough ; Jones' and Dyer's Peterborough the Electric City and Guillet's Valley of the Trent. These titles represent only the most obvious sources; all of these (and many more) are catalogued on Omni and are available, for reference use only, in our Reading Room.
• We also hold many idiosyncratic items in the pamphlet collection, in the map collection and in the vertical unpublished research files. Also pertinent to the study of Peterborough are all the extant newspapers for the area which are available on microfilm. In addition, various citizens of Peterborough have written historical columns for newspapers. We have the papers here in the archives for some of these authors. Their research files and copies of their columns can be a rich source of information. See, for example, the papers of Helen Marryat, Richard Choate, Howard Pammett and Wilson Craw.
• One important source of information on Peterborough often overlooked is the "Dobbin Index." Francis H. Dobbin was a journalist working in Peterborough from 1864 until 1914. During this time he collected news items and also wrote brief descriptive essays. These are catalogued (F 5547 .P4D622) and are available to researchers in our Reading Room. Some of his longer pieces were published posthumously as Our Old Home Town. It too is catalogued (F 5547 .P4D6) and can be accessed in the Reading Room.
• The subject headings for the "Dobbin Index" of newspaper references, synopses, notes and essays are: 1. Introduction 2. Biographies 3. Churches 4. Education 5. Events 6. Fires 7. Industries 8. Institutions and Societies 9. Military 10. Municipal 11. Politics 12. Railway 13. Trent Canal
• It was in May of 1819 that the first settlers came to the region in Newcastle District which is now known as Peterborough. One of these settlers was Adam Scott (1796-1838), and he built a saw and grist mill on the west bank of the Otonabee River (at the location were King St. now crosses the river). This location, then known as Scott's Plains, was to become the City of Peterborough. The area had been previously surveyed by Samuel Wilmot in 1818, and at that time, he recommended to the surveyor general that land be set aside for the development of a town at the junction of Smith, Douro, North Monaghan and Otonabee Townships, along the shores of the Otonabee River. In 1825, the recommended townsite was surveyed again by Richard Birdsall and the creation of a town plan was undertaken. From 1819 to 1825, the only inhabitants of Scott's Plains were Adam Scott's family and a few hired men. This changed with the arrival of the Peter Robinson immigrants in 1825 who numbered close to 2,000 people. Many of them settled in the townships surrounding Scott's Plains, which was renamed in 1826, to Peterboro by Sir Peregrine Maitland, in honour of Peter Robinson. By 1827, there were 20 buildings located within the townsite, and in the summer of 1828, another 20 houses were built. Shops, taverns, schools and churches began to sprout within the town boundaries. Timber, and then lumber, dominated the Peterborough industrial base from 1825 to 1875. But this was not the only form of industry. Peterborough also had a tannery, three iron foundries, and several woolen and grain mills. The location of Peterborough along the shores of the Otonabee was extremely important in the development of Peterborough as a manufacturing centre. The river provided not only water power, but a means of transportation for both people and goods. In 1890, Edison Electric, later known as Canadian General Electric, set up a plant in Peterborough, and by 1892, it became the site of the CGE head office for Canadian Operations. In 1900, Quaker Oats also came to Peterborough. Not only did Quaker employ a substantial number of people, they also used locally grown grains in the production of their cereals. The period between 1875 and 1930 was one of rapid industrial growth in Peterborough. As well, the population was constantly increasing. In 1838, the population was between 800 and 900, and by the 1852 census, it had risen to 2,191. In 1871 it had increased to 4,611 and it became necessary for Peterborough to annex land from the surrounding townships. In 1872, 239 acres were annexed from Smith, 50 acres from Douro, and 581 acres from North Monaghan. After the annexation, the population was close to 7,000 inhabitants. Peterborough officially became a city in 1904 and continued to grow and by 1921, the population had increased to 21,000.

• Cobourg is located in Hamilton Township, in the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham, on the north shore of Lake Ontario. The area was first settled in 1798 by Elias Nicholson who built his home within the limits of what was to become the town plot. Originally called Amherst, Cobourg has also been known by the names of Hamilton and Hardscrabble. In 1819, the developing town was given the name Cobourg. It was incorporated as a village in 1837 and incorporated as a town in 1850. (taken from

• The land which is now Peterborough County was originally part of Newcastle District before 1841, and the Colbourne District until 1850, the year when districts were replaced by counties in Upper Canada. At this time the United Counties of Peterborough and Victoria were created. In 1861, Victoria County was given independence from Peterborough. Peterbourgh County is made up of the following townships: Galway, Cavendish, Anstruther, Chandos, Harvey, Burleigh, Methuen, Ennismore, Smith, Douro, Dummer, Belmont, North Monaghan, Otonabee, and Asphodel.

• Crawford House, part of Traill College, was named for Isabella Valancy Crawford. Crawford was born in Dublin and settled in Lakefield and then Peterborough. She was a poet, active around 1884. The name was approved at Board of Governors meeting, May, 1965.

• Roland Denne was a former mayor of Peterborough (1928-1935). The building was part of Peter Robinson College.

Use for: 748 George St.

• 748 George St.; was part of Peter Robinson College.

• Elizabethville is a small village in Hope Township, Ontario which is located between Garden Hill in Hope Township and Kendall in Clark Township.

Use for: Enweying

• Together The First Peoples House of Learning and Peter Gzowski College comprise Enweying; the name means “The Way We Speak Together.” (Note: the name Enweying was later changed to Enwayaang)
• The name was first Enweying, and was later changed to Enwayaang.

• Named for Reginald R. Faryon, “one of the first citizens of Peterborough to suggest the establishment of a university in the city, and an early organizer...”; his letter to the Peterborough Examiner advocating a post-secondary institution for the city appeared in December 1957; the bridge was designed by associates from Ron Thom's office including Paul Merrick and Morden Yolles.

• The pathway between the Library, along the river over to and behind the Athletic facility. A plaque commemorates citizens active in proposing and working towards the realization of Trent University.

• Named after Leslie Frost (1895-1973), Conservative premier of Ontario from Lindsay from 1949 to 1961, and first Chancellor of Trent University.
• To be used for records about the building, not the administrative unit.