I like history.
A lot.
You’d never guess it, judging from the fact that I write about art and music so much, but it’s true.
I guess growing up in a house filled with antiques does that to a person.. I don’t know.
My upbringing may be one of the reasons why I’m excited to visit the Barrhead Centennial Museum every summer and take in the displays and listen to the stories.
It’s possibly a factor in why I like old war documentaries and ancient history too, but that’s not my point.
Unlike the majority of you, I’m a newcomer.
Granted, I’ve been here for almost two years now, but I wasn’t born here.
I have the same last name as a fair number of area residents, but like my mother always said, De Vries is like Smith in the phonebook.
My point is, if you are interested in the history of the Barrhead area, maybe you should take a look at the book the museum has in its possession.
Northwest Trails, first published in 1967, details the entire history of the area from the time of the fur traders and settlers, right up until the formation of what we now know as the Town of Barrhead.
Right inside the front cover is a very, very old map of the Klondike Trail itself and a list of all of the communities it serves.
It is an interesting read and one I’m sure many of you will find deeply fascinating.
So go on, do yourself a favour and head on down to the museum to give it a read.
After all, it is the museum’s 50th anniversary.
Better yet, grab a copy of the book for yourself and put it somewhere where it can be a conversation starter.
History is important to us.
If we don’t hang on to it, we will lose part of our heritage, our identity.
And that would be a shame.
