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The Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society was established in 1944, when Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. McCullough convened a meeting of historically-minded residents of Hamilton to discuss the establishment of a new local history society to replace the former Wentworth Historical Society (1889-1925). The Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society exists to promote Hamilton’s history through its motto: Explore, Preserve, Relate. The Society holds regular meetings and annual Heritage Day dinner celebrations, as well as outreach activities such as lectures and day outings to local historical sites. The Society has collected and preserved historical photographs of the Hamilton area, many of which have been included in its publications on Hamilton history. In partnership with the Hamilton Historical Board, the Society has sponsored several historical plaques to commemorate important people and events in the city of Hamilton and the surrounding region. The Society has also been actively involved in restoring important historical landmarks such as the incorporation of the Old City Hall clock into the Hamilton Eaton’s Centre, and the Gore Park Fountain in downtown Hamilton.

The Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society was established in 1944, when Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. McCullough convened a meeting of historically-minded residents of Hamilton to discuss the establishment of a new local history society to replace the former Wentworth Historical Society (1889-1925). The Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society exists to promote Hamilton’s history through its motto: Explore, Preserve, Relate. The Society holds regular meetings and annual Heritage Day dinner celebrations, as well as outreach activities such as lectures and day outings to local historical sites. The Society has collected and preserved historical photographs of the Hamilton area, many of which have been included in its publications on Hamilton history. In partnership with the Hamilton Historical Board, the Society has sponsored several historical plaques to commemorate important people and events in the city of Hamilton and the surrounding region. The Society has also been actively involved in restoring important historical landmarks such as the incorporation of the Old City Hall clock into the Hamilton Eaton’s Centre, and the Gore Park Fountain in downtown Hamilton.

The Ancient Order United Workmen began in the United States in 1868 and was the first fraternal benefit society to offer financial insurance to its members. Providing insurance for workingmen during the 1860s was a novel idea, but the A.O.U.W believed that its fraternal structure and its low overhead costs made it more likely to succeed compared to commercial life insurance firms that often went bankrupt. Working class men had to apply for membership and if accepted, had to pay a $1.00 initiation fee. When a member died, his dependents would receive a $2,000 payout. After the death of a member, each remaining member in the association would be required to pay another $1.00 to replenish the fund. The popularity of the association resulted in many branches being established throughout the United States and even in Canada. The Grand Lodge of Ontario A.O.U.W. chapter was established in 1880 and had 226 lodges in the province, including the Hamilton Lodge No.49, which was established that same year with 500 initial members. The Hamilton Lodge was similar to the parent association in that it was a fraternal benevolent organization providing social and financial support to its members and their dependents by visiting the sick, assisting the poor, and caring for the orphans and widows of deceased members. The association also promoted the establishment of libraries and reading rooms to further education and learning, as well as advocated for apprenticeship opportunities. The association was incorporated by the Ancient Order of Independent Foresters in 1926.

The Ancient Order United Workmen began in the United States in 1868 and was the first fraternal benefit society to offer financial insurance to its members. Providing insurance for workingmen during the 1860s was a novel idea, but the A.O.U.W believed that its fraternal structure and its low overhead costs made it more likely to succeed compared to commercial life insurance firms that often went bankrupt. Working class men had to apply for membership and if accepted, had to pay a $1.00 initiation fee. When a member died, his dependents would receive a $2,000 payout. After the death of a member, each remaining member in the association would be required to pay another $1.00 to replenish the fund. The popularity of the association resulted in many branches being established throughout the United States and even in Canada. The Grand Lodge of Ontario A.O.U.W. chapter was established in 1880 and had 226 lodges in the province, including the Hamilton Lodge No.49, which was established that same year with 500 initial members. The Hamilton Lodge was similar to the parent association in that it was a fraternal benevolent organization providing social and financial support to its members and their dependents by visiting the sick, assisting the poor, and caring for the orphans and widows of deceased members. The association also promoted the establishment of libraries and reading rooms to further education and learning, as well as advocated for apprenticeship opportunities. The association was incorporated by the Ancient Order of Independent Foresters in 1926.

The Aged Women’s Home was the creation of the Ladies Benevolent Society. The Society, which was established in 1846, consisted of prominent Hamilton women who were concerned about the welfare of the poor within the city, particularly women and children. The Society held its first meeting on May 25, 1846 to discuss how to best provide for the needs of those suffering from sickness and poverty. Beginning as a soup kitchen on John Street, the charity provided relief with the help of donations from prominent citizens, churches, lodges, and other benevolent societies. As more organizations emerged to care for poor and orphaned children, the Society began to solely concentrate its attention on aged and infirm women. Through volunteering in the community, members of the Society witnessed first-hand how elderly, poor and infirm women with few resources and family supports, were left destitute and unable to provide for themselves in their old age, due to a lack of pensions, as well as poor wages during their working lives that left little room for retirement savings. By 1877, the doors of the Aged Women’s Home on Wellington Street opened in downtown Hamilton in the former Hamilton Orphan Asylum, which was also established by the Society. The building transitioned from the care of orphans to the care of elderly women through renovations that altered and enlarged it to fit their specific needs. As donations and support increased over the years, a new residence was opened in 1958 and renamed Idlewyld Manor in 1963. In 2004, a new, modern building was constructed on the West Mountain, which still exists today, and which is now home to both male and female residents.

Mechanics’ Institutes were first established in London, England during the early to mid-nineteenth century, with the purpose of providing workers with practical knowledge and instruction in their trades through reading materials, lectures and evening classes. These institutes soon spread throughout the world including in Canada and by the 1840s, there were well-established institutes in places such as Kingston, Toronto, Brantford, Dundas and Hamilton. The Hamilton and Gore Mechanics’ Institute was established at a public meeting on Monday, February 27, 1839. As in Britain, the original purpose of the Institute was to further the technical and scientific education of the working class. In the first year of operation, there were 273 members and a total of 126 volumes in the collection. From 1839 to 1844, the Institute rented out space in the Engine House of the Board of Police and focused on its reading rooms and the circulation of material. This remained the primary focus from 1844 until 1853 while it continued to rent out space in a different building on King Street. When the Institute was incorporated in 1849, it started offering lectures and classes in subjects such as science, manufacturing and nature. With its membership growing, the Institute needed a more permanent location as the city was growing too so in 1853, the Mechanics’ Institute opened its new building at 33 James Street North at a cost of $4,000, which was mostly borrowed. The building contained a hall large enough to seat 1000 people and the reading rooms were spacious and well-furnished. With the extra space, the Institute expanded its offerings with fairs, festivals, concerts, exhibitions, and literary readings, along with regular book circulation, classes and lectures. Although classes were offered in reading, writing, math and technical skills, and were intended to be educational in nature, they were not well attended by the working class, who after a long 10-hour workday, had little time or energy to sit through a lecture on topics that often appealed more to middle-class members.

By 1881, the Institute had over 7,000 volumes and a membership of over 1000 individuals. Despite the numbers and volumes circulating, the Institute was struggling with the debt it incurred from borrowing money to construct the new larger building. Though the original function of the Institute was educating the working class, and there were members such as blacksmiths, machinists, printers and shoemakers among the ranks, the majority of members were employed as politicians, merchants, barristers, bookkeepers, physicians, architects, clerks, grocers, and teachers. The directors who ran the Institute were also men from the middle and upper classes and although they did recognize that the function and role of the Institute had shifted, they did little to rectify this and failed to adapt to the needs of the working class. The Mechanics’ Institute also did not receive much in the way of government funding, and relied mostly on the subscriptions and membership fees, as well as donations. The failure to adapt and reflect the needs of the community, the lack of regular funding, the financial debt incurred from overextending itself with a building that was too large and expensive for its original purpose, as well as the competition from private libraries and technical schools, all helped lead to the demise of the Mechanics’ Institute in 1882. That same year, the Free Public Libraries Act was passed by the provincial government, which allowed for the establishment, administration and maintenance of public libraries through tax-based government support. By 1889, city council voted to establish and construct a library and in 1890, residents of the city of Hamilton had access to their first free public library when the Hamilton Public Library opened its doors.

The Wentworth County Agricultural Society was established in the mid-1800s to promote good agricultural practices and support rural communities in the region. Agriculture was essential to the success of the region and to the survival of the residents, so ensuring farmers were educated in the scientific principal of good agriculture, soil improvement, and the modernization of farm equipment, was of great concern and importance. The Society represented the smaller agricultural societies in the townships of Ancaster, Barton, Beverly, Binbrook, Dundas, East and West Flamborough, Glanford and Saltfleet, as well as the city of Hamilton, which paid membership fees to the larger organization. The Society elected officers and judges to organize and preside over fairs and exhibitions that showcased the livestock and yields of farmers, and awarded prizes for various categories including, but not limited to, best horse, cattle, sheep, poultry, fine wool, wheat and produce. The exhibitions were often held on the grounds of the Crystal Palace. The Society obtained revenue from grants from Hamilton City Council, membership subscription fees, booth, stand and stall rentals, participant entrance fees, and unclaimed prize money. The Wentworth County Agricultural Society is no longer in existence however, the Ancaster Agricultural Society still exists, as do many fairs and exhibitions, which have endured and continue to be a mainstay of rural community life in the region of Hamilton-Wentworth, as well as Ontario.

The Women’s Wentworth Historical Society was established in 1899 by former members of the Ladies’ Committee of the Wentworth Historical Society, who had separated from the latter organization after a dispute over where to construct a public museum, as well as a monument to the dead from the War of 1812 Battle of Stoney Creek. The members of the original Ladies’ Committee organized a successful fundraiser that raised money for a proposed historical museum at Harvey Park near Dundurn Castle. After the money was raised, some of these members spearheaded by Sara Calder, felt that the choice of locations for both the museum near Dundurn, and the monument to the dead soldiers at Smith’s Knoll in Stoney Creek, were not appropriate. Calder, who was the granddaughter of James and Mary Davis Gage, owners of the Gage homestead and property (currently Battlefield House Museum and Park), along with other members of the Ladies’ Committee, felt that the Gage homestead and grounds were a more suitable location. When the Gage homestead became available for sale, Calder encouraged the Wentworth Historical Society to buy the property but was unsuccessful at convincing many of the members. The disagreement led to some of the women leaving and forming the Women’s Wentworth Historical Society with Sara Calder as the first President.

The objective of the Women’s Wentworth Historical Society was to collect and preserve historic facts and relics, conduct research into the history, archaeology and genealogy of Wentworth County, as well as promote the maintenance of historical sites, buildings and monuments, while fostering a spirit of patriotism in its members. In 1899, not long after the creation of the Society, Sara Calder purchased the Gage homestead along with 4½ acres of land around the house for $1900 and retained ownership of the property until the sale price had been raised by public and private funds. The property was then turned over to the Women’s Wentworth Historical Society and external trustees were appointed to administer the legal entity. The property was officially opened as a public park on October 21, 1899. The Society was the first private organization in Canada to own a historic site that was maintained as a public park. Annual membership fees and fundraising events helped pay off the mortgage on the property in 1907 and in 1910, an additional 13 acres were purchased, bringing the total park land to 17½ acres, with the goal of eventually making it a national historic site. Calder and the members of the Society worked hard to maintain the park and homestead, in hopes of procuring a monument by convincing the dominion government that the location was the most suitable place for the public museum and memorial, and that the Society and its members were the best stewards of such a significant site. The government agreed to provide funds to construct the tower monument, which was then unveiled on June 6, 1913, on the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Stoney Creek. To commemorate such a significant event, the monument was unveiled electronically by Queen Mary at Buckingham Palace in London, England.

Over the years, the money sustaining Battlefield House and grounds was raised by Society functions and events, membership fees and private donations, with the exception of rare government grants that helped maintain the property. Despite all the efforts, the operation of such a large site and the constant repairs to such an old building, were too much for the Society and its finances. After 62 years of ownership, the Women’s Wentworth Historical Society transferred the house and property to the Niagara Parks Commission in January of 1962. The Commission then purchased another 17½ acres of land for the now national historic site. Although the Women’s Wentworth Historical Society then turned its focus to assisting with the centennial restoration of Dundurn Castle, the real focus and passion had, and always would be, for Battlefield House. So when the Society noticed that the grounds were being well maintained but the house was looking neglected, members persuaded the Niagara Parks Commission to restore the house to its original condition on the understanding that Society members would fundraise to refurnish four rooms within the house to the 1790-1830 time period when the Gage family occupied the residence. The newly restored Battlefield House was re-opened to the public on May 15, 1976. Despite a fire the following year on August 8, 1977, the damage was limited to the roof and a second-floor room, so it was quickly repaired, and the house re-opened permanently the following season. The Society had persevered and ensured the preservation of Battlefield House, of which the members were very proud. Unfortunately, the achievement of this goal took a toll on the organization. After 83 years in operation, the dwindling finances and volunteers, the changing economic and social climates, along with the lack of a new preservation project, forced the executive of the Women’s Wentworth Historical Society to reluctantly inform its remaining members that it would have to disband. The members were invited to one more luncheon held at the Hamilton Thistle Club on September 14, 1982. This luncheon marked the end of an era for the type of passion and dedication exhibited in the preservation of historical sites. The hard work, determination and dedication of the members of the Society, especially the formidable Sara Calder, ensured that many generations of residents and visitors have been able to enjoy some of Hamilton’s most notable historic landmarks, along with future generations to come.