Presented Summer 2022

If you've wandered down Trafalgar Road, you've likely noticed this unusual house just south of Lawson Street. Built in 1874, this house – like many of the old houses in Oakville – has a history, and it's a fascinating one. It was first built and inhabited by Captain Francis J. Brown, who was many things throughout his storied life but was a master mariner most of all. During her internship with the OHS, Madison researched the far-flung life of Captain Brown as it took him along the Great Lakes, up the Niger River, and all over the Sea of Japan. in the late nineteenth century and worked to produce a video so as to share this interesting story with the wider community. Join Madison for some insight into the Captain’s travels as she takes you through the process of unearthing this interesting history and the making of a video on the topic (and for a little sneak peek, too!)

Madison Carmichael is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a Master of Museum Studies and holds both a B.Ed. and B.A.H from Queen’s University. She first stumbled into the world of heritage and museum work when she was sixteen and spent a summer as a co-op student in her local museum, and she never looked back. Madison has interned and volunteered with the OHS since 2020. She’s catalogued all manner of archival material, and she helped to produce the Second World War banners displayed last November at George’s Square.