Special Events: Some Activity Ideas


Based on records in your archives, recreate an appropriate period in the history of your community. 

Specific events, such as those below, might be organized.

ACTIVITY

DETAILS

A Day in the Life of (YOUR COMMUNITY)

  

Select one day to examine and exhibit information on everyday life in your community. Who owned what property, and who lived where? What vendors were licensed? Where did people work? What stores were in business, and what wares did they sell? What were the community's primary institutions and who were its leaders? How many carpenters, lawyers, farmers, students, factory workers, etc. lived here? What religious or ethnic groups were present? Current officials, business people, and/or community leaders could make presentations about what life was like on the designated day. Perhaps descendants of individuals who lived in the local community at the time could offer presentations.

 

Food, Fashion, Fun�From the Past
 

Organize a dinner dance and fashion show featuring foods, clothing styles, and music popular in earlier times, as documented in local archival material. This event could address a variety of periods in the history of your local community. Develop such an event in cooperation with historical societies, local restaurants, educational institutions, etc.

 

Genealogy of a Property
 

Like families, buildings and properties have unique histories which can be traced through historical records. Conduct a search through deeds, tax records, and other records related to one property; this could be a focal point for looking at the evolution of a neighbourhood or an entire community. The archival profile could be supplemented by other historical information about what was going on around the property at the time, both locally and nationally.

 
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