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These records reflect the work of various municipal offices, 1855-1947. They are divided into eight series: I. Malden Township school records (1855-1944); II. Essex County court records (1902-1919); III. Essex County Registers Office records (1861-1870s?); IV. Essex County Clerk’s Office records (1924-1935); V. Essex County Main Lists (1926-1932); VI. Essex County Treasurer’s Office records (1858-1947); VII. Kingsville and Point Pelee Navigation Company records (1892-1894); and VIII. Additional Accessions.

The Treasurer’s Office records document financial transactions as recorded in cash books, fee books, receipt books, cheque books, and ledgers. These include general records as well as records relating specifically to the Highways Committee (1916-1928; 1934-1941), criminal convictions (1861), and property transfers (1908-1910; 1917-1925).

This fonds consists primarily of historic postcards depicting landscapes, buildings, attractions, infrastructure, and vehicles in the region of Southwestern Ontario, with a particular focus on Windsor and Essex County. Many of the postcards are undated, but formats include hand-tinted Early Twentieth Century (ca. 1900-1914) and White Border (ca.1914-1932) styles, as well as Linen (ca.1933-early 1950s), Standard/Chrome (ca. mid-1950s-1970s), and Continental/Modern (ca. 1970s - present) styles. Also included are a small number of photographs and ephemera items including arrest warrants, tokens, medallions, patches, maps, brochures, tickets, and advertisements, all relating to local people, businesses, events, or locations.

The years 1900 to 1914 were a so-called Golden Age for postcards in North America, thanks to the popularity of photography and mass production techniques that made them an affordable collectible item. Views of all kinds were produced, including residential neighbourhoods, churches and civic buildings, commercial districts, industrial plants, bridges, and landscapes. From 1900 into the 1930s, many postcards were black-and-white photographs with colour added. In subsequent decades glossy colour photographs became the norm, and a narrower range of views were produced (often depicting popular tourist sites, where they were sold as souvenirs). By the 1970s most North American postcards shifted from the traditional small size (8.5 x 14cm) to the larger European (“Continental”) size (10 x 15.5cm) and continued to feature a small range of local tourist attractions. All of these trends are reflected in the postcards contained in this fonds.

This collection contains an eclectic assortment of material – primarily images –relating to the history of Southwestern Ontario and its surrounding areas. The collection has been arranged into series that reflect the types of material received for digitization by SWODA. Series I contains photographs, including a number depicting the work and premises of a Windsor-area construction company, ca. 1920s-1970s; a 1943 group photo from a Windsor factory doing war production; and a Windsor elementary school class photo, ca. 1918; and mausoleums in Windsor Grove Cemetery, 1987-2021. Series II contains several hundred historic postcards in various styles (ca. 1900-2001) depicting landscapes, buildings, attractions, infrastructure, and modes of transportation primarily in Southwestern Ontario (especially Windsor and Essex County) and Detroit, Michigan. Five 1946 postcards depicting other places are all addressed to Miss F. “Rose” Perjul of Windsor, Ontario, mostly from newly demobilized soldier “Frank.” One postcard commemorates a 1959 royal visit. Further series will be added as applicable. Any known details about a specific item are included in the finding aid.

This fonds constitutes a rich record of Windsor Chamber of Commerce activities over more than a century, shedding light on the history and development of the business community in the Border Cities region, particularly Windsor. The bulk of the records relate to the Windsor Chamber of Commerce era (1935-1991). A small number of records document the original Windsor Board of Trade era (1876-1917, but with records only covering 1903-1912) and a somewhat larger body of records document the Border Cities Chamber of Commerce era (1917-1935).

The records consist primarily of correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes (1903-1991), with the addition of scrapbooks (1930s-1960s), photographs (1960s-1980s), and a copy of the 1876 charter which established the original Windsor Board of Trade. Due to the nature of the Chamber’s activities and advocacy, the fonds contains information about, or correspondence from, notable figures including O.E. Fleming, Art Reaume, George M. Duck, George Drew, Leslie Frost, Hiram Walker, Henry Ford, Jack Miner, Paul Martin Sr., Lester Pearson, John Diefenbaker, Pierre Trudeau, Mark MacGuigan, and Herb Gray. Major local issues touched on in the records include the development of the Windsor Airport, the local war effort during the Second World War, the purchase of Roseland Golf Club, the E.C. Row Expressway, Daylight Savings Time, downtown development, community planning, local government election procedures, regional government proposals, and transportation. Affiliated organizations including the Windsor Retail Merchants Association, the Manufacturers Association, and the Essex County Tourist Association are represented here as well.