We all know about the famous battles of 1812, and the great war heroes such as General Brock and Laura Secord. The War of 1812 is a bit of colourful martial history that stands out in textbooks and memories. But, while we may know a lot about the exciting engagements of the war, the quieter drama of the home front is forgotten. An exhibit opening later this month at the Jordan Museum details the lives of locals during the war. The year long exhibit is being installed by the creative agency Rhoddy Designs, the first time an exhibit at the Lincoln Museum has been put together by an outside design firm. According to Sylvia Beben, assistant museum director, the exhibit would partly focus on the lives of those locals who put faith in God above King or country.
“A lot of the families around this area were Mennonites, who are pacifists and they didn’t believe in fighting the war. A chunk of our exhibit deals with pacifism and the way of life of people living in this area,” she said. Local farmers would open their doors to soldiers from both sides, offering them hospitality, though not active support.
“There weren’t any major battles around here, but soldiers from both sides stopped in here.