From The Scrap Book
By Dr. Bill Randall
July 6, 1990
Harvey Historical Association
It’s finally happened! Back in the sixties I tried to organize a Harvey Historical Association. The meeting was to have been held in the St. Andrews United Church Hall (since re moved to the rear of James Coburn’s residence). Mary Coburn and Maurice Lister and I were the only ones who showed up. It was discouraging and I decided to put it on hold. However, I did commit to dictate of record, much of the historical information that I had acquired over the years. This was sent to the Provincial Archives and there, they were transcribed onto paper, and then transferred to microfilm. Fortunately, there were individuals interested in family genealogy with sufficient motivation to go to the Archives and take advantage of the information there in order to compile their family genealogies.
Jocelean Hall Ruth Cleghorn, Helen Craig and Doris Davis all prepared written mate rial about their families. How ever there were many families not covered and there was a considerable quantity of general historical information which has never been made available to researchers.
When I retired in 1984, Jocelean Hall urged me to up date and correct what she calls “Your unpublished manuscript”. This seemed to me to be a formidable task, and had it not been for her generous offer of assistance I would never have considered doing it.
Consequently it was suggested that I write some material for the weekly newspaper the Southwest Valley Reporter. I called it “From The Scrap book”, and if you’re reading this you know what I’m talking about. One of the delightful re wards of writing “From The Scrapbook” is to observe an obvious increase in the number of people who are interested in Harvey history.
One thing was essential and that was to organize considerable material already available in some sort of system whereby we could find an item when we needed it.
It was suggested that we apply for a grant from the Summer Experience Employment Development Program whereby we could have the help of a high school student for nine weeks.
Sandra Corey, Secretary of the District #27 School Board, offered to apply for the grant on our behalf. The grant was approved; then we needed to form an organization. This time the invitation to meet for the purpose of forming a Harvey Historical Association met with a better response. Fifteen people came to a meeting at 1:00PM on June 6 and we formed a Harvey Historical Association.
Space in the District #27 School Board Office was made available and it is at that base where we are trying to collect and organize available information re: history of Harvey. Our summer student is Julie Holt and in the accompanying picture you see some of us who are trying to help her.
Nearly everyday someone offers a source of historical mate rial: Family Bibles, grand mother’s scrapbook, family albums and official documents relating to the history of the early land grants. Our process thus far, is to pick up the proffered mate rial, bring it to the office, photo copy it and return it to the lender as soon as possible. Then Julie analyzes it and files it away in its proper relationship to other data.
Behind the scenes people like Jocelean Hall, Ruth Cleghorn, Helen Craig, Nina Spilman, Margaret Hood and many others are alert to point us toward new sources of material.
This time I think the Harvey Historical Association is here to stay. We are still hoping for funding but trust that it will only be a matter of time and then we will be able to buy some much needed library equipment.
I will personally have the satisfaction of knowing that when someone wishes to know more about the fascinating history of this community that it will be available and in an organized system.
Source: Rev. Bill Randall’s “From The Scrapbook Vol. One.”
