Perth & District Historical Society October Meeting

Here's information from PDHS on the 17 October meeting being held at the Royal Canadian Legion, 26 Beckwith Street E., Perth, at 7:30 pm.

“The Life and Times of Joe Perkins”
For our October 17 meeting, the Society will welcome back local author John McKenty, with the story of Joe Perkins, of Maberly and Perth, the subject of John’s latest book.  

‘The Life & Times of Joe Perkins: 1908 – 1990’ will trace the story from Perkins’ early days, working with his father at the family’s general store in ‘downtown Maberly’, early South Sherbrooke Township, to his arrival in Perth in 1938, and his eventual death in an Ottawa hospital, in 1990.  From his earliest days to his death, Joe Perkins was a formidable figure in Maberly and eventually the Town of Perth.  Over the years, he built a business empire that both amazed and confounded his contemporaries – as part showman and part salesman.  The people of Perth could never decide if Joe Perkins was a visionary or an opportunist, and, while some swore by him, others swore at him.  In the end, no matter one’s opinion of Joe Perkins, he had a profound effect on the social and economic development of this area that he called home. 

John McKenty first came upon this story in 2000 when he met Joe Perkin’s son and daughter, while working on his first book, ‘Square Deal Garage’.  The subject next surfaced in 2016 at the Perth Regional Heritage Fair, where there was a project on the Perkins family.  With assistance and contributions through interviews, feedback and photographs from several members of the Perkins family, the McKenty book has brought to life this little-known story of one of the genuine characters in this area’s history.  

John McKenty is a retired educator, and has continued with his own learning through the books that he has authored and published:  ‘Square Deal Garage: Sixty Years of Service to the Motoring Public’; ‘Follow The Crowd: The James Boys of Perth’; ‘Canada Cycle and Motor: The CCM Story’; ‘Arden Blackburn’s Mail Route: The Early Days at Christie Lake’; ‘St. Crispin’s Legacy: Shoemaking in Perth, Ontario 1834 – 2004’.  His many books documenting our area’s local people and businesses show that history doesn’t need to be on a grand scale.  In addition to his writing, John ’s volunteering in the Perth community includes the Stewart Park Festival and the Perth Regional Heritage Fair.  In recognition of his efforts, he was awarded the Perth Medal for 2018, presented at that year’s Stewart Park Festival.