Hamilton history had no better patron than Margaret Houghton
Former archivist for library wrote 10 books on local history
Hamilton’s most beloved chronicler of local history has died.
Margaret Houghton, 66, was a retired Hamilton Public Library archivist; author and editor of 10 books about Hamilton history; a co-host of the Cable 14 program Flashbacks; and a passionate backstage hand with the Players’ Guild.
But more than that she knew Hamilton like few others. She could tell you about the heroes and hoodlums, where the bodies were buried and where all the demolished heritage buildings used to be.
And she liked nothing better than having a passionate discussion about the infamous 1946 Evelyn Dick torso murder, a file topic, she would point out, that was by far the most popular at Local History and Archives Section of the library.
Her recall was legendary. If there was a arcane fact about the city — a name, a date or obscure trivia — she either had it in the back of her mind or knew exactly where to look for it.
And more than likely she could find the detail in one of her books.
Houghton, who retired from the library in 2016, had been in deteriorating health for the past couple months with an undisclosed illness. She died Monday at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Her family is planning a celebration of life and will announce details this weekend.
“She is definitely going to be missed. I kept looking at her saying we are losing so much history with you. People don’t know what you know. And people aren’t going to know it again,” said her sister Carol Sorbara.
“There is no one who will take the time and energy that she did.”
Houghton grew up in Westdale, the daughter of an International Harvester quality control supervisor. After attending Westdale High School, she went on to McMaster for a BA (magna cum laude) in English and history, and an MA in English before attending Hamilton Teachers’ College for her B.Ed.
At McMaster she studied Canadian, American, Russian and German history and once told The Spectator “I found Canadian history was really boring.”
But then she enrolled in a local history seminar taught by Prof. Chuck Johnston, and she developed a passion for history more closer to home. It seemed so much more relevant.
Working in what was called the Special Collections section for more than 35 years, with premium access to the library’s vast collection of documents and other materials from Hamilton’s past, she found a perfect place to develop her passion for local history.
And she also found the perfect mentor in Katherine Greenfield, who founded the library section and was its first head. She died in 2015.
Chief Librarian Paul Takala says, “Margaret was such a lover and a brilliant mind in terms of Hamilton history. She has really contributed a lot to Hamilton’s documented history and she has certainly helped a lot of researchers over the years.”
Among her many awards, Houghton was inducted into Hamilton’s Gallery of Distinction in 2014. She served as President of the Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society and was a former president of the Players’ Guild.
In more recent years, she devoted her attention to the Players’ Guild helping with sets, a job she affectionately called being a “prop tart.”
She used to say she tried acting once, but “was no good. I can only get up and be me.“
And she also was an enthusiastic collector. During her time at the library she would hire “pickers” to scout out historical artifacts at flea markets and auctions that could be added to the library’s collections.
She loved books, Sorbara says. “I was in her apartment this afternoon (Wednesday), and oh my gosh. There was all kinds of history, all kinds of books about history,” said Sorbara.
“But that is what she loved.” In addition to her sister, she is survived by a brother Bob. For decades she was a close companion to John Beckett.