Thorold Historical Museum

Name: Thorold Historical Museum
Address: 2 Carleton Street S, Thorold, ON, L2V1Z5, CA
Telephone: +19059844435

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Thorold Historical Museum

The Thorold Museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying Thorold's unique community history. South, Thorold.

Archives are available by appointment Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm at 2 Carleton St. Our collection is viewable online and though satellite displays

08/30/2026

From the Observation Post of August 1956, we see a bronze statue erected by the Town of Baie Comeau, dedicated to Col. Robert R. McCormick.

Colonel Robert R. McCormick (1880–1955) was one of the most influential—and controversial—American newspaper publishers of the 20th century. He was the longtime owner and editor‑in‑chief of the Chicago Tribune, a decorated World War I officer, a fierce political conservative, and the builder of the media empire that shaped modern American journalism, which at its peak included the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, and Washington Times‑Herald.

McCormick transformed the Chicago Tribune into the largest‑circulation standard newspaper in America, with the highest advertising revenue in the world. He built a vertically integrated empire—owning forests, paper mills, hydroelectric plants, and shipping lines—to supply his newspapers with cheap newsprint.

McCormick needed a reliable, low‑cost source of newsprint for the Chicago Tribune. He and engineer Warren Curtis Jr. scouted multiple locations before McCormick personally selected Thorold.

08/28/2026

On August 28, International Comics Day, we’re celebrating a Canadian cartoonist whose work reached soldiers across Europe—and whose legacy still resonates in communities like Thorold, where military service and local history are deeply intertwined.

During the Second World War, Canadian Army cartoonist Bing Coughlin created the beloved character Herbie, the scruffy, good‑natured every‑soldier who appeared in The Maple Leaf, the army’s overseas newspaper. His humour captured the daily realities of Canadian troops with honesty, warmth, and a wink.

In 1945, the Army published This Army – Volume Two, a collection of Coughlin’s cartoons that soldiers eagerly shared in barracks, tents, and transport ships. These comics offered something priceless: a moment of levity during hardship, a reminder of home, and a way for soldiers to laugh together.

Thorold has a long tradition of military service—from canal workers who enlisted in WWI and WWII to local families with deep ties to Canada’s armed forces. Coughlin’s work reflects the lived experiences of many Thorold residents who served overseas, capturing the humour, frustration, and camaraderie that defined their time in uniform.

His cartoons remind us that history isn’t only recorded in official documents—it’s also found in the art, jokes, and everyday stories that helped soldiers stay connected to home communities like Thorold.

From our own collection, today we celebrate creators like Bing Coughlin, whose work preserved the voices of Canadian soldiers and continues to connect us to the people behind the history.

08/26/2026

On this day in 1914, a steam shovel carved into the earth of Thorold as work continued on the Fourth Welland Canal. The world had just entered the First World War, but here in Thorold, construction pushed forward on one of the most ambitious engineering projects in Canadian history.

Thorold contained Section 3 of the canal, including the famous twin flight locks—a major engineering undertaking. This section was only two miles long but cost an estimated $10 million, making it the most expensive part of the canal.

This photo captures more than machinery — it shows the determination of the workers who shaped the landscape of our community. Even as global tensions rose, crews in Thorold kept digging, hauling, and building the canal system that would transform transportation across the Great Lakes.

The steam shovel in this image represents the power, grit, and innovation that defined Thorold’s role in the canal’s evolution. Every scoop of earth helped create the locks and channels that still define our city today.

08/24/2026

August 24 is National Knife Day, a celebration of one of humanity’s oldest tools — and here in Thorold, one knife carries a story of service, readiness, and community pride.

Among the artifacts in the Thorold Museum’s collection is a TSFD (Thorold South Fire Department) knife. Today, the legacy of the Thorold South Fire Department lives on in the stories, the memories of the community, and the artifacts that remind us how ordinary tools supported extraordinary service.This knife reminds us that history isn’t only found in grand monuments or major events. Sometimes it’s found in the tools that helped our neighbours do their jobs — quietly, reliably, and with purpose.

On National Knife Day, we celebrate the craftsmanship behind these tools and the people who used them. In Thorold, that story includes the firefighters who kept our community safe, one call at a time.

08/22/2026

North America has been facing some tough forest‑fire conditions lately, and it’s easy to feel like this is something entirely new. But history reminds us otherwise. In 1916, Ontario experienced one of its most destructive fire seasons — a year when drought, heat, and wind combined to create massive fires across the eastern and northeastern parts of the province.

The 1916 Eastern Ontario/Northeastern Ontario fires, including the infamous Matheson fire, swept through communities, reshaped landscapes, and changed how the province approached fire prevention. The combined burn area reached ~500,000 acres (2,000 km²), making it one of the largest forest fires in Canadian history. With approximately 223 deaths (official estimate)it was on of the deadliest forest fire seasons in Canadian history. Entire communities were erased or had to be rebuilt and it led to the creation of Ontario’s Forest Protection Branch and the Forest Fires Prevention Act. Today’s fires are different in scale and cause, but the echoes are unmistakable: dry summers, vulnerable forests, and communities pulling together in the face of danger.

From our own collection we have a postcard from August 23, 1916 referencing the heavy smoke present in Burrit's Rapids, Ontario. It’s a reminder that while the challenges evolve, Ontario has weathered smoke‑filled skies before — and each time, people have responded with resilience, cooperation, and determination.

History doesn’t repeat itself perfectly, but sometimes it rhymes.

08/20/2026

On August 20, 1920, a group of team owners met in a small Ohio car dealership and created something that would change North American sports forever — the organization that became the National Football League. What started as a handful of teams agreeing on rules and schedules has grown into one of the most influential sports leagues in the world.

And here in Thorold, football has long been more than just a game. While there may be other sports that have a bigger tradition in Thorold football remains the kind of sport that builds community the same way it builds character — one play, one season, one tradition at a time.

From our own collection we see a photograph of the 1935 Thorold Mountaineers. The 1935 Thorold Mountaineers represent the town’s early sports culture: tough, local, and deeply rooted.

08/18/2026

On this day — 18 August 1945 — Newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni issued an imperial directive ordering all Japanese military commanders globally to strictly observe the ceasefire from August 14 and lay down their arms, attempting to stop the ongoing regional skirmishes.

From our own collection we see a personal account from Flight Sergeant Oswald J. “Oss” Luce, a Canadian POW during World War II. “Toilet Tissue Creates an Explosion,” describes how, during the Japanese invasion of Java in 1942, he and fellow airmen used a roll of Canadian-made toilet tissue (manufactured in Merriton, by Interlake Tissue Company), as a fuse to detonate radar equipment to prevent its capture—an improvised act of sabotage he humorously credits as “help from home.”

At the Thorold Museum we remember the millions affected by the conflict and honour the service and sacrifice of those from our community. Join us as we reflect on peace, resilience, and the work of remembrance that connects past and present.

08/16/2026

This newspaper clipping from August 16, 1945 captures Thorold in a moment of pure relief and celebration. After years of sacrifice at home and overseas, news of Japan’s surrender reached Canada on August 14, and communities across the country—including Thorold—marked August 15 and 16 as official Victory Day holidays.

In Thorold, families, veterans, politicians, canal workers, and local businesses came together to honour the end of the war in the Pacific and the close of the Second World War. The clipping reflects the mood of the day: flags flying, the Thorold Reed Band, and neighbours gathering in the streets to celebrate peace after six long years of uncertainty.

For Thorold, Victory Day wasn’t just a global milestone—it was deeply personal. Many local residents had served overseas, worked in wartime industries, or supported the home front. The celebrations of August 16 were a tribute to their resilience, service, and hope for a brighter future.

08/14/2026

In August of 1976, the City of Thorold held the unveiling and dedication of the plaque at the Battle of Beaver Dams Park. The park is a 10-acre community green space located at Sullivan Avenue and 40 Pine St S in downtown Thorold. It commemorates the historic June 24, 1813 War of 1812 Battle of Beaver Dams.

The Battle of Beaver Dams was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1921. It is designated because: warned by Laura Secord and an Iroquois scout, a force of Iroquois from Caughnawaga and the Grand River defeated an attacking American force near Beaver Dams on 24 June 1813; the American defeat left the British in control of the Niagara area for the remainder of 1813.

08/12/2026

On August 12, 1877, Thomas Edison completed the first working model of his phonograph, a device capable of recording and reproducing sound. It was a moment that reshaped how people experienced music, memory, and communication.

Edison’s early machine used a hand‑cranked cylinder wrapped in tinfoil. When a person spoke into the mouthpiece, sound vibrations pressed a stylus into the foil, creating grooves. Turning the crank again allowed the stylus to trace those same grooves and play the sound back — the first time a human voice could be captured and heard again.

The phonograph marked the beginning of the recorded‑sound era, influencing everything from home entertainment to scientific research. Every modern audio technology — vinyl records, magnetic tape, digital recording, streaming — traces its lineage to this single experiment completed in a small New Jersey workshop.

From our own collection we see a record for the "Salute to the St. Catharines Centennial", a musical tribute presented by the band of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment in 1976. We also have Duotone cactus needles, which are vintage, chemically treated cactus thorns used to play antique phonographs or 78 RPM records. Prized for their acoustic qualities, they were favored because they caused less wear on early shellac records compared to traditional steel needles. These needles would date back to the 1920's - 1940's.

Address

2 Carleton Street S
Thorold, ON
L2V1Z5

Telephone

+19059844435

Website

http://www.thoroldmuseum.ca/

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