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Charles F. L. Wilson – a farmer hailing from Weyburn, Saskatchewan – died March 10, 1995, at the age of 90 years. By his Last Will and Testament, he directed that “all my antiques” be given to the Soo Line Historical Society for “preserving and displaying” and “being responsible for the safekeeping” of them. The Society is a non-profit body corporate and operates the Soo Line Historical Museum in a substantial brick building at Weyburn, SK. The Executors of the late Mr. Wilson’s estate wished to make the gift to the Museum effective and the Society was willing to accept.
The pieces that Mr. Wilson collected were not used by your typical pioneer family but by the wealthy and upper class. They were not practical, and were bought for show. Charles was more interested in collecting things that adorn, and would go out of his way to complete a set that was incomplete at time of purchase. Out of these collections of 5000 pieces, 437 have been designated as cultural property under Import/Export Act. Our two-part focus for this virtual exhibit will firstly be on Charles Wilson the collector, and on the collection itself. The second part of the exhibit will focus on some of the rare, obsolete artefacts, with a background on their use and their maker. Many people are interested in what these beautiful pieces actually do. This Community Stories virtual exhibit aims to answer those questions.
