Reunion gives donation for museum

Earlier this month the Locke Family Association presented a contribution of $500 to George Harding, Mayor of Lockeport, and Kent Balish, Chairman of the Little School Museum committee, to help with repairs at the museum.

Twenty-three members of the association were in town on Aug. 4 as part of the Locke Family Association’s annual reunion. The Linda Rudd Foundation of Friendswood, TX, will be matching the contribution later this month.

As part of the reunion, the group was treated to a walking tour of the town, including the streetscape and old family cemetery, and ending the day at the Little School Museum, which Kent Balish guided.

“We were impressed by the collection of artifacts reflecting Lockeport’s fishing legacy,” said Don Hayes, who has been secretary of the association for over 30 years. Janice Locke, the asso- ciation’s historian and a former teacher, was especially intrigued by the schoolroom exhibit.

Lockeport was founded by Jonathan Locke and Josiah Churchill in 1763 or 1764, and the families intermarried. Descendants can be found all over – “Thousands in Nova Scotia, and we know of almost half as many across Canada and the U.S.,” according to Geoff Smith, the association’s genealogist. The association is preparing a printed update to the published genealogies, which were last updated in 2002. Kate Aghaghiri, Locke Family Association President; Fred Partridge, LFA member and Lockeport resident; George Harding, Mayor of Lockeport and Kent Balish, Chairman of Little School Committee of the town council.