Dates: 1961-2005

Fonds consists of records accumulated by Janet Cobb between 1961-2012, including correspondence, interview transcriptions, newspaper clippings, brochures, photographs and a scrapbook pertaining to Peterborough city and county, Trent University, the Peterborough Lift Locks, family history, and items of personal interest.
More information.

Access Points: Peterborough County; Peterborough, Ontario; Peterborough Lift Lock; Genealogical research; Trent University; Cobb family; Mowry family; St. Joseph’s Cemetery

Dates: 1983-2005

The fonds consists of the working files and drawings of J.P. Cahorn Engineering, which are arranged chronologically and alphabetically and filed according to his project numbers, which start with the year (although there are some conflicts in his system). They include information from other sources. He acted as a consultant on a variety of very different sites and/or buildings, mostly in the City of Peterborough but also throughout Peterborough County and beyond. Most of his work was related to structural engineering of new and existing sites and buildings for residential, industrial and commercial projects. He dealt with small and large projects, from someone’s garage addition to a 4-story condominium building. He consulted for residents, businesses, industries, cities, townships and public organizations. His approach to projects was always diligent, thorough, and consistent.

Access Points: Norwood; Collingwood; YMCA; All Saints Church, Peterborough; Millbrook; Hope Sawmill, Lang; Ennismore; 40 Auburn St. Condominium Building; Campbellford; Indusmin; Peterborough Club; Bobcaygeon; Peterborough Courthouse; Omemee; Nephton; Buckhorn; Warsaw

Dates: 1966-2015

Fonds consists of the papers of Peter Adams relating to his work at McGill & Trent Universities, in the community and as an Ontario MPP and federal MP from Peterborough.

A. Trent University Geography Department

• Departmental budgets, minutes, proceedings and correspondence


• Course Work


• Field Trips, Tours, Foreign Visits


• Special Projects and Publications


• Snow, Ice and Polar Studies


• Northern Studies, Libraries and Universities


• Eastern Snow Conferences


• Lake Ice Studies


• Malawi Project 1979 - 1985


• Arctic Studies with McGill University 1959-66

• Parks Board


• St. John Ambulance


• United Way


• Cancer Society


• Canadian Red Cross Society


• St. John’s Church


• Terry Fox Run


• YMCA


• Energy Savers


• Peterborough Historical Society


• Trent Sport, Recreation and Wellness

• Peterborough By-pass


• Peterborough County Board of Education (Boxes 16 - 24)


• Saving PCVS 1970


• M.P.P Annual Report 1988 - 1990


• M.P. Annual Reports 1993 – 2005


• Parliamentary Trips


• Contributions in Ontario Legislature 1987-88


• An Academic in Ottawa (April 2003)


• Political Photos


• Diaries


• Hansard - House of Commons and Committees


• Peterborough and Parliament (Book) 2013

Access Points: Peterborough, Ontario; Trent University Geography Department; Peterborough Collegiate Institute; St. John’s Church; Peterborough Historical Society; Peterborough Politics; Provincial Government; Federal Government; Canadian Arctic

Dates: 1969-2006

The fonds consists of materials pertaining to Rexe’s personal life and career as a teacher and politician, including correspondence, City Council memoranda and meeting agendas, planning documentation and reports, news clippings, personal notes, PCG reports and studies, court transcripts, legal invoices, and more.

The collection is organized into four series, Series B and C comprising the bulk of the collection. The first series, Series A, contains materials related to Rexe’s early teaching years and career(s) before re-entering politics in the 1980s. Series B contains materials from his years on City Council between 1980 to 1987, and is the largest and most extensive part of the collection. Series C contains materials pertaining to his legal matters, particularly Kazowski vs. Rexe (see biographical note, below); and finally, Series D contains materials from his later career(s), including his planning and consulting work (with Public Consulting Group, Inc.), his years teaching at Kenner Collegiate and Crestwood Secondary schools, his graduate work at Trent University, and his return to city politics in the early 2000s.
More information.

Access Points: Ann Rexe; Lou Kazowski; Doug Galvin; 1979 Federal Election; 1981 Provincial Election; Peterborough, Ontario; Peterborough City Council; 1971, 1980, 2003 Peterborough Municipal Election; Peterborough County Board of Education; Trent University; Municipal Consultancy

Dates: 1892-1905

The fonds consists of a total of 189 plate glass negatives, most of which measure approximately 12.7×17.7 cm [5″ x 7″]. These were created by at least 3 different photographers between 1892 and 1905 at various locations in Peterborough County, Alberta, and British Columbia. The collection contains many culturally significant pieces, including views of work on the Trent Severn Waterway ca. 1900, views of Stoney Lake and Juniper Point, and portraits of prominent Peterboronians and their homes in the 1890s and early 1900s.

The first accession is divided into five series:

Series A, “Surveying Series” and “Beaverton”: Contains 17 negatives dating from 1900-01 and is divided into two sub-series. “Surveying Series” includes views of surveying and mining work at Cardston, AB and Greenwood, BC. “Beaverton” contains views of lakes, houses, mills, churches, and stores in or around Beaverton, ON.

Series B, “Trent Valley Canal Building”: Contains 21 negatives dating from 1900-01. Includes views of workers and surveyors, horses, and machinery at different locations along the Peterborough County portion of the Trent Severn Waterway.

Series C, “Stoney Lake”: Contains 61 negatives, some dating from 1900-01 and others dating from 1985-96. Views include Juniper Point (and “Juniper Lodge”), Sheriff Hall’s cottage, canoes at Eels Creek, Jack’s Creek, Grubbe’s Island, Julien’s Landing, Devil’s Elbow, Indian River, McCraken’s Landing, and more. Some images taken in Westmount, Quebec.

Series D, “Peterborough Houses”: Contains 72 negatives, some dating from around 1893-94 and others from around 1905-07. Includes views of Merino, Cordach, Hazelbrae, Idyl Wyld, John Robertson’s house on Bonaccord St., the side yard of what is today 361 Park Street, and others.

Series E, “Portraits: Jack Fairbairn et al”: Contains 18 negatives, most of them undated. One from 1893. The subseries “Jack Fairbairn as a Little Boy” includes formal portraits of Jack Fairbairn Jr. as an infant and even a view of him only a few days after his birth. Other views include some of the Fairbairns “at Hermitage” as well as two images of a Mrs. MacFarlane.

There is reason to believe that, in some cases at least, the dates written on the original envelopes were applied much later. For instance, D42 and D46 were more than likely taken the same day since the views are nearly identical, and nearly all items in the photos match. Yet each was given a different year (1903 and 1905).

An accrual was received in November of 2014

Accession 2 consists of:

Series F: Glass Plates
Series G: Negatives
Series H: Studio portraits by Peterborough photographers G. B. Sproule, G. E. Whiten and P. H. Green taken between about 1885 and 1900.

The second accrual consists primarily of prints and photographs.
More information.

Access Points: Trent Severn Waterway; Peterborough, Ontario; Beaverton, Ontario; Stoney Lake; Juniper Point; Eel’s Creek; Grubbe’s Island; Indian River; Merino; Hazel Brae; Idyl Wyld; John Morrice Roger Fairbairn; Hannah MacFarlane Fairbairn

Dates: 1906-2006

Fonds consists of records and historical research notes compiled by Kim Krenz related to the history of the Peterborough County House of Refuge, and its successor Rosemere Manor. The House of Refuge operated from 1906 to the 1970s, when Rosemere Manor was established as a senior’s residence around 1979.
More information.

Access Points: Lakefield, Ontario; Rosemere Manor; Peterborough County; Kim Krenz; Preston Family; Richard McCarthy

Dates: December, 1841

Letters patent for the creation of the justices of the peace for the District of Colborne, December 9th 1841, upon the completion of the courthouse in Peterborough. The letters lay out the duties of these justices and lists some of the types indictments they are to rule over, including assault, murder and lawmen who fail to perform their proper duties. It also suggests that men who have committed one of these indictments must either turn themselves in, be arrested by an officer of the law, or be outlawed. Punishment for those men who are not able to keep the peace is time in jail. The document includes the names of the Chief Justice, Vice Chancellor, Executive Council, the Legislative Council, and the Justices of the Peace of all local areas.
More information.

Access Points: Peterborough County Court House; District of Colborne; District of Newcastle; Peterborough Law Association

Dates: 1968-2005

Fonds consists of correspondence, databases related to cemeteries and genealogy. In file 319, Betty Craw in 1982 made the following observations:

“Compiling a record of Memorial Stones in over 200 Cemeteries in the counties of Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Durham began in 1966. These publications are simply a labour of love – a memorial to my father and sister. The research developed into a rather onerous task when I realized how much information was being eroded by neglect, indifference, weather and sheer vandalism.” She thanked Alice and Marianne MacKenzie for their help in recording cemeteries. She also thanked Eileen Gariepy and Andre Dorfman.”

Series A: Cemeteries series; listing of stones within the cemeteries recorded, 1975-1980, files 1-164 (vols. 1-4) The cemeteries are from the counties of Peterborough, Victoria, and Northumberland and Durham

Series B: Genealogical research inquiries, mostly 1980s, 1990s, files 165-221 (vols. 5-6)

Series C: Archival research records, originals and copies, files 222-334 (vols. 7-11) Includes marriages, cemetery records, assessment and census records, and other documents with potential for genealogical research.

Series D: Maps, 1940s, files 335-342 (vol. 11)

Series E: Voters’ lists and assessments, 1964-1967, files 343-353 (vol. 11)

Series F: Marriages, Newcastle District mainly 1870-1872, transcribed c. 1975-80 (files 354-362) (vol. 12)

Series G: Genealogical resources (files 363-431) (vols. 13-17)

Series H: Genealogical cards recording individuals by birth, marriage and death; and cards cross-referencing to cemetery listings. (vols. B1 to B15)

Series I: Books and pamphlets
More information.

Access Points: Peterborough County; Victoria County; Northumberland County; Cemeteries; Genealogical research; Ashburnham, Ontario; Peterborough, Ontario

Dates: 1924

Cummins Rural Directory Map 1924. The map shows property owners and hamlets and sidings across Peterborough county and neighbouring parts of Victoria, Durham and Northumberland. It matches in style the historical atlases of the 1870s and 1880s, and the Illustrated Historical Atlas of the city and county of Peterborough.
More information.

Access Points: