The Village That Straddled the Swamp

Monday, 28 February 2022 at 12:46

The Woodstock Museum is open to the public once again and they have a brand new exhibit to show off.

WOODSTOCK - The Woodstock Museum is open to the public once again and they have a brand new exhibit to show off.

The Village that Straddled the Swamp is the foremost history book for the City of Woodstock. It was written by a local journalist and historian Doug Symons. This exhibit has been in the works for awhile and unfortunately, Doug Symons passed away in January, before he could see it for himself.

Curator Karen Houston says the exhibit highlights some of the tales from the popular book.

"This is a very special exhibit as it not only celebrates the anniversary of the book, but also Doug himself. The exhibit captures Doug’s legacy as a prolific writer and historian while exploring notable people, events, businesses and organizations from Woodstock’s past over nearly 200 years."

The Museum features photo's and artifacts from the Museum's collection, along with a displace of medals on loan from the Woodstock Coin Club. The medals commemorate significant events in Woodstock history, many of which are featured in Symons’ book.

Houston says the book does just feature positive stories from Woodstock. It also touches on some of the lesser known areas of local history, including the racist practice of minstrel shows and the Ku Klux Klan.

"This section of the exhibit expands on Doug’s research from The Village that Straddled a Swamp and confronts those uncomfortable aspects of our history."

The Ku Klux Klan did make several visits to Woodstock, they never stayed but the book does chronicle the time they burned a cross at Southside Park in the 1920's.

Stories from The Village that Straddled a Swamp is on view at the Woodstock Museum from March 1 to May 28, 2022.

A 25th anniversary reprinting of The Village that Straddled a Swamp is also available for purchase in the Museum’s gift shop. You can listen to a full interview with Museum Curator Karen Houston below.