The Huron County Museum is inviting residents to help safeguard the region’s past with the launch of a new community-based oral history project aimed at capturing personal stories and lived experiences for generations to come.
As part of the Huron County Oral History Project, the Museum will offer a series of interactive workshops this winter to show participants how to prepare for and record oral histories of their own. Two online sessions are planned for January 22 and February 19, while an in-person workshop will take place at the Museum on February 5. Registration for any of the sessions is available through the Museum’s website.
Later this winter, the project will also introduce a free and publicly available Oral History Guide and Best Practices resource. Designed for beginners, the guide will outline each stage of the oral history process, from planning interviews to recording and preserving them. Workshop participants will receive early access to the guide before its public release.
Residents are encouraged to participate not only as interviewers but also as interview subjects, contributing their personal knowledge and experiences to Huron County’s historical record. The initiative aims to enrich the stories connected to artifacts already housed in the Museum’s collection by adding the human experiences behind them.
The Museum is particularly interested in hearing from people with ties to historic or former local businesses, as well as those who can share insight into significant community experiences, industries, and events that have shaped life in Huron County.
“We know many of these stories live in the community, not just within the Museum’s walls,” said Senior Curator Elizabeth French-Gibson. “This project gives residents the opportunity to add their voices to Huron County’s shared historical record.”
More information about the Huron County Oral History Project, including workshop registration details, can be found on the Museum’s website.
The initiative is made possible through funding from the Young Canada Works Building Careers in Heritage grant program, administered by the Canadian Museum Association with support from the Government of Canada.
