Trent Valley Archives

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Trent Valley Archives You can subscribe to our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/CA4vD

Some of the resources at the Trent Valley Archives include:
◦Large text collection of regional genealogical and historical resources
◦Cemetery transcripts covering cemeteries throughout the Trent Valley region
◦Family histories
◦Genealogical Research Directory
◦Peter Robinson immigration of 1825: ships lists and land records
◦Local newspapers and extracts from local newspapers supported by significant newspaper indexes (to the Peterborough Examiner, Peterborough Review and Dummer News) and by major runs of obituaries in the 19th century and in the 1990s.
◦Chronologies of significant events in the local area (partially available on this website)
◦Major collection of resources on the Peterborough Irish
◦Extensive microfilm collections of census, church, assessment records,
◦Extensive digital collection of pre-1840 Upper Canada (Ontario) documents.
◦Many of our archival finding aids and indexes to local histories are available in-house and sometimes on our website.
◦The Peterborough County land records, 1867-1950.

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to our open house on Saturday to support the launch of our latest publication ...
09/21/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to our open house on Saturday to support the launch of our latest publication in partnership with the Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club, "Bowling on the Green: 125 Years in Peterborough," and our recent discoveries in our Marianne MacKenzie fonds. We are very grateful for your support!

If you were unable to make it out to our open house, we'll be sharing more about our 1825 map discovery on our social media very soon. Copies of Bowling on the Green will continue to be for sale in our bookstore for $40 each and will be added to our web shop this week for those who require shipping.

[Image Captions | Image 1: Elwood Jones and Steve Russell, authors of Bowling on the Green, sign copies of the book for visitors.

Image 2: A selection of items from both the Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club and the Marianne MacKenzie fonds were on display.

Image 3: Elwood spoke about the history of the PLBC and the Marianne MacKenzie fonds during the open house.

Image 4: Elwood showed many people the 1825 map throughout the day.

Image 5: The 1825 map, a copy made from the original by Marianne MacKenzie.

Image 6: Visitors were pleased to discover some of the resources we offer at the Trent Valley Archives.]

Women's history can be difficult to trace. Fortunately, we've already done the legwork for our women's history tour! Hap...
09/19/2026

Women's history can be difficult to trace. Fortunately, we've already done the legwork for our women's history tour! Happening TOMORROW afternoon at 2pm in Little Lake Cemetery, the tour highlights the lives of over a dozen women who made contributions to the Peterborough community in several fields.

Whether you enjoy the arts, literature, sports, politics, or philanthropy, there's guaranteed to be a historical woman on the tour to inspire you! Tickets cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/womens-history-tickets-1988560881126?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true or you are welcome to bring cash to the tour tomorrow.

09/19/2026

We had a wonderful open house and launch of our latest publication, “Bowling on the Green: 125 Years in Peterborough” today! Here are a few highlights from the day, which brought TVA supporters new and old to our archives building to celebrate the book and our recent 1825 map discovery, a part of the Marianne Mackenzie fonds. Thank you to everyone who came out to say hello and learn more about the resources we offer!

09/19/2026

We hope to see you at our open house today from 11am-1pm!

As you may have read in this Wednesday's Peterborough Examiner, an exciting discovery was made at the Trent Valley Archi...
09/18/2026

As you may have read in this Wednesday's Peterborough Examiner, an exciting discovery was made at the Trent Valley Archives this month!

Last Thursday, our archivist, Elwood Jones, together with volunteer Peter Johnston, discovered a 23"x17" map in a tube along with other maps that came to us as part of the Marianne MacKenzie fonds.

We have a large collection of Peterborough area maps in our archival holdings, but this map is special as it is believed to be the oldest known map of the City of Peterborough. Created by Richard Birdsall during his survey of Peterborough in August of 1825, it depicts what Peterborough would have looked like 200 years ago, just before the Peter Robinson emigrants arrived.

The map features several key Peterborough landmarks at that time, including Peter Robinson's administrative buildings, the market square, and Peterborough's original burial ground (where Confederation Park is today). It is bordered by McDonnell Street, the Otonabee River, Townsend Street, and Aylmer Street.

Although a copy made by Marianne in the 1990s, the original has yet to surface, making this discovery significant for those interested in studying what the town of Peterborough looked like in its earliest days.

If you want to see the map in person, it will be unveiled during our Open House tomorrow, September 19, from 11am-1pm. We hope you'll join us at our archives building at 567 Carnegie Avenue tomorrow to celebrate this exciting discovery!

Thank you to Peterborough This Week reporter Lance Anderson and photographer Clifford Skarstedt for spreading the word about our map. [Image Credit: Clifford Skarstedt]

The Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club (PLBC) has a rich history spanning 125 years, a history that has been well-preserved ...
09/17/2026

The Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club (PLBC) has a rich history spanning 125 years, a history that has been well-preserved in the archives of the club's activities, now housed at the Trent Valley Archives. These archives formed the basis of our latest publication "Bowling on the Green: 125 Years in Peterborough," which highlights the locations the club has occupied, the challenges it overcame, and the people who took up the sport over the past century and a quarter. Written by Elwood H. Jones with support from avid lawn bowler and club member Steve Russell, the book also provides a glimpse into the history of recreation and sport in 20th century Peterborough.

At our open house this Saturday, September 19 from 11am-1pm, we invite you to explore this rich history with the launch of Bowling on the Green. As part of the launch, the author will speak about the book and what the history of the PLBC can tell us about the Peterborough community as a whole. You'll also have an opportunity to take a peek at the PLBC archives and learn more about their contents, in addition to the countless other archival and genealogical resources that can help you with your family, property, and local history research projects.

This event is free to attend and open to the public, and you are welcome to drop in anytime between 11am and 1pm. Light refreshments will be provided, and copies of the book will be for sale for $40 each. Let's bowl!

Discover the untold stories of some of Peterborough's most influential and interesting women on our Women's History tour...
09/16/2026

Discover the untold stories of some of Peterborough's most influential and interesting women on our Women's History tour this Sunday, September 20 at 2pm!

As you walk though Little Lake Cemetery, you'll learn about women like the trailblazing Iva Campbell Fallis, Canada's second female senator; the intrepid Frances Stewart, one of the first women to settle in the Peterborough area; and the shrewd Almira Grover Foley, whose remarkable financial gift is still helping Peterborough County residents to this day.

The tour is just a few days away, and we don't want you to miss out on your chance to learn more about the women who helped to shape Peterborough into the thriving community it is today! Tickets cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/womens-history-tickets-1988560881126?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

[Image Credit: TVA F375, Fairbairn Photograph Fonds.]

If you were unable to catch our "A Peterborough Summer: 1976" photograph exhibit at Dreams of Beans Café this August, we...
09/15/2026

If you were unable to catch our "A Peterborough Summer: 1976" photograph exhibit at Dreams of Beans Café this August, we have great news to share: the exhibit has been extended until Friday, September 25!

Thoughtfully curated by Trent Valley Archives volunteer Will Pearson, the exhibit provides a glimpse into the daily lives of Peterborough residents in the summer of 1976. Featuring over a dozen photographs of Peterburians enjoying casual summertime activities and iconic summer events like Peterborough Days, the Arts and Water Festival, and the Peterborough Exhibition, the exhibit is sure to bring back memories for anyone who grew up in (or is nostalgic for) Peterborough in the 70s.

If you visit the exhibit and a particular snapshot catches your eye, you also have the opportunity to purchase it! We're selling the framed, ready to hang, photographs in this exhibit for $40 (for a small photograph) and $65 (for a large photograph). Although we're still a little ways off from the holiday shopping season, a photograph from this exhibit would make a great gift for anyone on your list.

Hang onto summer for just a little bit longer by paying this exhibit a visit anytime Dreams of Beans is open!

On our Women's History tour, we're bringing women's contributions to the foreground. Featuring women from different back...
09/14/2026

On our Women's History tour, we're bringing women's contributions to the foreground. Featuring women from different backgrounds, the tour highlights the professions, hobbies and causes these women were passionate about and provides a glimpse into women's lives in 19th and 20th century Peterborough.

Join knowledgeable tour guide Maddie More in Little Lake Cemetery this Sunday, September 20th at 2pm to learn more about these women and be inspired by their courage, determination, initiative, creativity, generosity and community minded spirit.

We're only running this tour once this season, so if you'd like to attend, don't miss your opportunity! Tickets cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/womens-history-tickets-1988560881126?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

[Image Credit: TVA F375, Fairbairn Photograph Fonds.]

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567 Carnegie Avenue
Peterborough, ON
K9L1N1

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Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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