The Dryden & District Museum collects artifacts related to the history and heritage of the Dryden area. Through proper documentation and care, the museum ensures collections keep their historical and educational value. View our collections policy for more information.
| Artifacts and Archives |
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The museum's collections include artifacts related to:
We also have archival material that shows the history of settlement, industry, transportation and everyday life in Dryden, such as:
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| Research |
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The museum has space available for researchers. Staff are happy to provide any help, if needed. Please contact us at 807-223-4671 to make an appointment. Have a research request? We will answer your question as soon as possible, based on amount of research required and our available resources. Museum staff provide 30 minutes of complimentary research. After this complimentary research period, research will continue at a fee of $25 per hour. Submit your request one of the following ways:
Photocopies and scans of research are available for a fee. |
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Collecting COVID-19 stories and experiences |
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History is happening now. The global COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and will have a significant place in history. We would like to record the local impact that this is having on members of our community. If you would like to contribute to our COVID-19 Archival Collection, you can describe your personal experiences in a journal, poem, letter, a piece of artwork, etc. If you have any question please email us or call 807-223-4671. |
Online Photograph Collection
The Dryden & District Museum photograph collection is now available online! Click HERE to access the collection database. Once on the database home page you can conduct key word and advanced searches, or view random images.
Dryden Observer Newspaper Collection
The Dryden & District Museum and Dryden Public Library's collection of Dryden Observer Newspapers can now be accessed online!
English: TBA
French: TBA
*The views and opinions stated in the archival collection of The Dryden Observer newspapers are those of the authors who wrote them. This information does not necessarily reflect the position of the City of Dryden, Dryden & District Museum or Dryden Public Library. Some content may be dated, sensitive, or no longer socially acceptable. Please use the information acquired respectfully
Thank you to the Department of Canadian Heritage Museum Assistance Program for their grant which made this project possible.
Donor Recognition |
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Thank you to all of our donors: (merci à tous les donateurs:)
Editor status ($5,000.00 +)
Columnist status ($1,000.00 - $4,999.00)
Subscriber status ($500.00 - $999.00)
Reader status ($25.00 - $499.00)
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Oral History Project
This past year the museum started a new and exciting project, an oral history database! Here you can listen to the stories that we recorded over the 2018-2019 year. These stores bring different perspectives on the history of Dryden and the surrounding area, which is not written in the history books, and are fun to listen to! Simply click on a name below to get started. This page will be updated throughout the year to include transcriptions. Keep checking back for updates.
Museum staff will no longer be conducting the Oral History interviews, but if you believe that someone you know has an interesting story to tell, feel free to interview them and donate it to the museum!
| Stella Davies |
| Stella Davies is a member of the Skene family born in Oxdrift in 1926. The first half of the recording talks about her 32-year long run at the Mill, where she worked as a receptionist. She also talks about growing up in Oxdrift, Oxdrift school, teachers and games they played, dances in Dryden, and the family farm. She also reminisces on how Oxdrift has changed over the years and using the train for travel. Along with working at the Mill, she talks about working at the Central Hotel and Alfred Pitts grocery store. The second half of the recording she discusses cookbooks she has written on her family’s recipes, one of which she wrote with her granddaughter. She also discusses the various photos in the cookbooks. Davies also goes more in depth about her family, her life growing up, her siblings, and how her family came to Canada. The final part of the interview, she talks about a picture of her, her husband and Sheryl Hoshizaki’s father, which she goes on discussing what it was like living during the Second World War and how it affect the Mill.
Pictures she talks about during her interview:
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| Alphonse Roussin |
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Alphonse Roussin is French Metis from Manitoba. His family moved to the Dryden area when he was 5 years old in 1950. During part 1 of the interview he discusses various topics including, Eagle River, Minitaki, working on the railroad locally and in BC, working on the family farm, having a newspaper route, the Mill, representing the workers for the Mill, being on the Dryden Metis Council, nuclear power, Native and Metis rights and various other topics. Part 2 of the interview was done a week later. He begins the interview discussing mercury poisoning at the Mill, finding dead deer in the bush and mercury dumping. During his time at the Mill he talks about Union disputes and strikes, mentioning the shooting of 11 works on highway 11 because of wood site dispute. Discusses in detail what he did working on the railroad, the family farm, his Metis heritage and recognition and being part of the council, and the small-town Pinegrove in Sanford Twp. Note: Part 2 recording cuts off beginning part of interview when I ask Al if he knows anything about the mercury dumping at the Mill, and if he is willing to talk about it. He starts off by saying 'when he worked there in 61, 62 or 63 a friend of his work at the chemical plant.
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| Ray Fread |
| Ray Fread was born in Eagle River in 1947 and later became a pilot. He discusses his time growing up in Eagle River, his run-ins with the law at a young age and then his time working at the Mill. He became a pilot and airplane engineer, flew different planes in Red Lake, Big Trout lake and other places. He discusses his time as a bush pilot, flying medical evacuations, flying water bombers for MNR, the Dryden Airport, Dryden air crash, Dryden Doves, history of Bearskin airlines and history of aviation around the Kenora District and in general.
He also has a book which go into details about his flying called: 'From Pickle Lake to Paradise: Life and times of a habitual lawbreaker'.
Equipment he talks about at the end of the interview:   |
| Mel Fisher |
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Mel Fisher was born in Saskatchewan in 1939 and moved to Oxdrift with his family in 1947. During the interview he discusses why his family moved to the Oxdrift area, work he did on the farm as a young boy. He talks about going to elementary school in Oxdrift, followed by high school in Dryden, then off to the University in Winnipeg. He talks about his time working in the Mill for 17 years, as well as his extensive run working for the City of Dryden as town engineer, running for council, representing North Dryden. Finally, he discuses the creation and run of the Historical Society.
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| Eleanore Allan |
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Eleanore Allan was born in St. Millie, Manitoba and her family decided to travel a unique way across Manitoba to Ontario, they did so via caravan. Through the beginning of the interview she discusses what was like to travel via caravan, for example, her mother’s embarrassment as they rode through Winnipeg. The rest of the interview, Eleanore talks about settling and living in Quibell, working as wood cutters with her father, going to the school in Quibell, working at various tourist camps, and in general her life growing up and as and adult.
Pictures of the her family's caravan:
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Virtual Transcription Project
The transcription of the Land Register from 1896 to 1908 was completed in the summer and fall of 2020 by volunteers working on this at home. This register includes the townships of Van Horne, Wainwright, Eton, Dryden, Zealand, Aubrey, Sanford, Rugby, Southworth, Melgund, Mutrie, Britton, Rowell, Hartwall, and Revell.
The transcription of the Births, Marriages, Deaths, Register of the Dryden Division from 1897 to 1908 was completed in the winter of 2021 by volunteers working at home.
If you would like to see the photographs of the original registers, please email us and let us know what pages you're interested in.
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