This site just keeps growing and growing! Now we've added video!

We launched this site on March 12, 2019. Originally it was intended to list all the historical plaques in Hastings County. At the moment (September, 2020) we have more than 130 plaques and we know there are more.

But then! We decided to organize the sites into geographic categories to make visiting the plaques easier. You don't have to drive willy-nilly all over the county. This was partly the result of the pandemic, when people couldn't go far for a holiday. So, in the age of the StayCation, we decided to help people become tourists in their own backyard. We created a new category on our website, Road Trips in Hastings County.

And even more! We began recording short videos on the location of each plaque. Society President Richard Hughes introduces the topic writer and historian Orland French tells the story about each location. These are available on YouTube Cogeco TV and Cogeco YourTV community television Belleville. They are also being gradually added to the website as well.

Recording and presenting the locations and stories of the historical plaques has become an intensive effort. That's the nature of modern communications.

The site is nowhere near complete, and may never be, as long as people continue to post or erect historical plaques in Hastings County. As an author and publisher, I am becoming more and more aware that websites are another form of publishing. I try to visualize myself as a tourist visiting some new location in Hastings County, drawn there by a plaque or series of plaques on this website. What else would I want to see? What else would I want to learn?

Each resource page consists of a minimum of four pieces of information: a picture of the plaque, a photo to give you some guidance to finding the plaque (sometimes they are hard to locate even if you have GPS co-ordinates), the text of the plaque, and GPS co-ordinates and street address. That's the minimum you should find. In addition, you may find historical photos related to the subject, or links to other sites with more information.

Some visitors to this site may never leave their armchairs to tour the plaques of Hastings County. Others may plan "plaque tours" during a rainy spell at the campground or cottage. (Hint to get your kids to go along: some of these plaque sites are near ice cream outlets.)

Oh, did I mention how much I am learning about Hastings County while I build this site? Lots. Even where to buy ice cream cones. That's part of my summer research.

This site just keeps growing and growing!

We launched this site on March 12, 2019. Originally it was intended to list all the historical plaques in Hastings County. At the moment (September, 2020) we have more than 130 plaques and we know there are more.

But then! We decided to organize the sites into geographic categories to make visiting the plaques easier. You don't have to drive willy-nilly all over the county. This was partly the result of the pandemic, when people couldn't go far for a holiday. So, in the age of the StayCation, we decided to help people become tourists in their own backyard. We created a new category on our website, Road Trips in Hastings County.

And even more! We began recording short videos on the location of each plaque. Society President Richard Hughes introduces the topic and writer and historian Orland French tells the story about each location. These are available on YouTube Cogeco TV and Cogeco YourTV community television Belleville. They are also being gradually added to the website as well.

Recording and presenting the locations and stories of the historical plaques has become an intensive effort. That's the nature of modern communications.

The site is nowhere near complete, and may never be, as long as people continue to post or erect historical plaques in Hastings County. As an author and publisher, I am becoming more and more aware that websites are another form of publishing. I try to visualize myself as a tourist visiting some new location in Hastings County, drawn there by a plaque or series of plaques on this website. What else would I want to see? What else would I want to learn?

Each resource page consists of a minimum of four pieces of information: a picture of the plaque, a photo to give you some guidance to finding the plaque (sometimes they are hard to locate even if you have GPS co-ordinates), the text of the plaque, and GPS co-ordinates and street address. That's the minimum you should find. In addition, you may find historical photos related to the subject, or links to other sites with more information.

Some visitors to this site may never leave their armchairs to tour the plaques of Hastings County. Others may plan "plaque tours" during a rainy spell at the campground or cottage. (Hint to get your kids to go along: some of these plaque sites are near ice cream outlets.)

Oh, did I mention how much I am learning about Hastings County while I build this site? Lots. Even where to buy ice cream cones. That's part of my summer research.

Welcome to the Hastings County Historical Society's guide to the historical plaques in Hastings County. This web site is under ongoing construction so don't be concerned if you can't find your favourite plaque. It's on the way!

This site is designed and dedicated to curious people who love to stop the car and read a roadside plaque. Eventually this site will list and illustrate all of the historical plaques in Hastings County, including those in Belleville and Quinte West. While this may make plaque-reading an armchair pleasure, we hope it will encourage you to travel around and visit the actual sites where plaques are dedicated to people, places or events. There's nothing like seeing a location to fully understand its historical importance. We hope reading plaques on this site will encourage historians to get out of the house and go exploring. GPS locations and street addresses have been provided.

As of this writing, we don't even know how many plaques are in Hastings County. We do know that in 2017 and 2018 the Historical Society erected 12 brass plaques. It plans to continue the program indefinitely. Additional plaques include those erected by the Ontario Heritage Foundation, National Historic Sites Canada, various municipalities and organizations and individuals.

Happy touring, both through this website and Hastings County. Come back often. This is a work in progress. If you know of a plaque we haven't mentioned, let us know.