Woodstock became a CITY in 1901

Woodstock was named a town in 1851

Woodstock officially became a 'City' in 1901. Provincial guidelines suggested in that era a minimum population of 10,000 but there were other factors in play such as receiving consideration from the Ontario government of the time in areas such as road infrastructure.

The municipal party to mark the occasion was July 1 - 2, 1901.

The provincial proclamation had been decreed by Oliver Mowat -- an actual member of the Fathers Of Confederation who had been the Premier for 24 years. Mowat, who was born in Kingston in 1820 and was already a lawyer by 1841, passed away in 1903 -- a mere 2 years after Woodstock became a City. Mowat represent the Oxford area after Confedertion, 1872 - 1896. As Woodstock was below the 10,000 threshold -- maybe its incorporation as a City was partly due to Mowat.

It's interesting to know that Woodstock's City Hall today was essentially built in 1901, but as the post office for the community. The 500 Dundas address became City Hall in 1968.

Woodstock Museum (stock photo)

Receiving very little fanfare during our current calendar, Woodstock became a town in 1851 or 175 years ago. Early settlers were named Burtch, Luddington (both families have direct descendats today), Perry, Drew and of course VanSittart by 1834. Census numbers around the time of the arrival of the retired Admiral Henry Vansittart was only about 200. As Town Plot from the survey Sir John Graves Simcoe and a crew of adventurers had penciled in the days around 1793. 

WOODSTOCK MUSEUM NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

The Woodstock Town Hall at 466 Dundas Street was built around 1854 -- about the same time the railway arrived. Today, that town hall is the Woodstock Museum and it houses a terrific on-going exhibit on the second floor as Woodstock's permanent history recollection collection. 

It's difficult for me to do a review of the museum and it's current Woodstock 125 exhibit, which will continue into January of 2027. As you see, I'm a member of the Woodstock Museum advisory committee as a member of city council. When donations / artifacts / contributions arrive at the museum, Adam Pollard has the task of examining each piece for its historical importance and provenance, authenticity and significance. After the research is complete, the museum advisory committee then takes the report for final decision.      

The Woodstock 125 exhibit -- in my opinion -- is a wonderful cross-section of the many eras as one could analyze pre-1901 and then post 1901. The people of Woodstock, it's industry, it's events, it's tragedies, and crossroads. Woodstock of today has a population in the vicinity of 52,000, but the museum placards and accompanying prose describe people ranging from Bernadette Smith to Erastus Burgess to Joe Boyle to Reginald Birchall. While the Benwell / Birchall trial is infamous in local history it's not lore, but true, but the murder took place on the eastern end of Oxford near Princeton in the Blenheim Swamp. 

The collage of historical notes compiled by Pollard are accompanied by pictures and contraptions of yester-year such as an old adding machine utilized at Standard Wire Fence Company (Later Standard Tube and then Copperweld and now ArcelorMittal) for payroll calculations. 

On display is a ribbon marking Woodstock's recognition for Queen Victoria's birthday on May 24, 1900. The Queen would die before her next birthday.

Also depicted is the seating plan for the Perry Street Arena, a photo of its construction pre 1914, and pictures of the construction of the Woodstock District Community Complex twin-pad arenas as it opened in 1996 (Opening ceremony memorabilia on display from Nov. 3, 1996). 

Perry Street Arena construction 1914

It was in November of 2011 when the current Woodstock Hospital opened, but what about the past as the museum has posted images from ye old health care centre on Riddell Street.

Did you know: Vance Construction built about 30 military-base buildings at the current Woodstock Fairgrounds which trained 23,000 service people.

Pollard's team includes museum assistants Samantha and Rachel.

The Woodstock Museum has always paid tribute to local industry, and the Woodstock 125 collection recognizes LaFrance, Fisher Controls, Bickle-Seagrave, Gardner-Denver, Ralston Purina and many others.

A sidebar for today's youth is that the original architect drawings of the skateboard park in Southside Park are depicted on 3 easels. 

Woodstock 125 . . . more than 125 reasons to visit the Woodstock Museum National Historic site in 2026.

The Museum Square is across the street from the Woodstock Art Gallery, so be sure visit that landmark with its historic connections to a current Florence Carlyle show. 

This submission from your local reporter is not meant to be thorough, but an overview of a well-planned and articulated Woodstock 125 museum exhibit.

NAVY VETS Hockey

The Woodstock Navy Vets have an extremely strong presence in Woodstock sports history -- a junior hockey club since the 1960s locally. The Navy Vets are in the middle of a venture to becoming a Junior B team this upcoming season and want to recognize their history with a collection of memorabilia, programs, photos, jerseys and trophies. Here's a Facebook ad explaining:

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