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Saturday, July 31, 2010
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The KenLeen Museum
('not all things are
lost')
by Eileen Adams
My husband, Ken Adams had a dream. He wanted a place to store and show
off his antique cars, and to keep them all in one place. Finally, in the
fall of 1998, he started building the museum, a 40 foot by 60 foot area.
It houses 9 antique cars – a 1913 Model ‘T’ Ford Touring
with a brass rad purchased in 1959; a 1917 ‘C’ cab truck;
an original 1923 Model ‘T’ Ford Touring; (actually, Ken is
the second owner of this car. He bought it in 1960 from Stanley Harris
in Gores Landing, who bought it brand new in 1923); a 1929 Chev; a 1930
Model ‘A’ Ford; a 1932 Studebaker Rockne; a 1938 Chev; a 1950
Chev power glide automatic and lastly a 1969 Valiant.
We had a grand opening in June 1999 with approximately 400 people in attendance, with music, food and a ribbon cutting ceremony by Leo Linton, who built the museum.
Ken’s toy car collection was added, as was my Avon and spoon collection. Ken has collected 4 old gas pumps, the oldest dating from the 1940s; many old car parts; farming equipment etc. When people come to see us, they tell us they have something in their attic, basement or barn that no one ever sees, so sometimes they give us the item or loan it to us, so that it can be shown. One such item is a walking spinning wheel from the early 1900s, loaned to us by the Snyder family. Another is a child’s pedal car from the 1940s on loan from Fred Robins.
Our neighbour Johnny Robins, who is 91 years old, gave us an old horse drawn oil tanker that was used to bring oil to Roseneath about 1910. It has 3 compartments for different types of oil and 3 spigots on the back. It’s in pretty bad shape right now because it has been sitting and rusting under a tree in a field for about 50 years. Ken hopes to be able to find out the actual colour of the tanker and have it restored.
We have 4 tractors also on display:
There is a beer can and bottle collection donated by our nephews who started
collecting when they were very young, with brands of beer we had never
heard of before. It decorates part of a wall, and it is quite a conversation
piece.
We have had several visits from the residents of The Golden Plough Lodge Nursing Home in Cobourg and Burnbrae Gardens Nursing Home in Campbellford. It’s nice to hear their stories of owning or learning to drive on a car like one we have on display. They can also look at old machinery and tell what it was used for and stories of their younger days using such equipment. There are many fond memories stored in their minds and they have a chance to tell them. Some are very interesting.
Our local Women’s Institute has been here for a visit, as well as some school children. It is not a very large or well filled museum, but it is getting there with help from our friends and neighbours.
The Adams Reunion is held at the Kenleen Museum, as well as Music Day, and the church/Sunday school picnic is sometimes held here. Our Annual Rice Lake Tour ends up here for a barbecue supper catered by Hayden Taylor & family. Last year we built a pavilion with several picnic tables which certainly have come in handy many times.
If ever you are in the neighbourhood and would like to
visit the Kenleen Museum, it is situated at 12042 County Road 24 in Roseneath,
7/10 km. from the 45 hwy. Call first 905-352-2098
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