Perkins House and Queens County Museum, Liverpool, N.S.

The Simeon Perkins House is one of the oldest houses in Liverpool. Built in 1766-67, it was the home of Simeon Perkins and family until his death in 1812. Perkins is well known for many reasons. He was an entrepreneur, Lieut Colonel in the Militia, Justice of the Peace, a Judge, and a Member of the Legislature but he is best known because of a diary that he kept from 1766 until his death. In the diary he recorded early life in the Liverpool Township and his diaries even contain the earliest record of a UFO sighting in North America. The Perkins house has been a museum for many years with lots of artifacts. Most recently, with today's technology, "ghosts" have been added to help keep interest for the younger generation. In 1980-81 the Queens County Museum was constructed and opened next door to the Perkins House, on the site where the armory was located. The Queens County Museum is a gem to Queens County. It boasts the largest collection of local history artifacts of any place in Queens County. If you are interested in shipbuilding, privateering, early days in Liverpool, old furniture and portraits from Liverpool families and more, then the Queens County Museum is a must see. Back in 1987 I started going to the museum to do genealogy on my own families. The research center was upstairs in a very small but useful area. Many Saturdays many of us would squeeze ourselves into that little space and find information on our families. After the death of well known author Thomas H. Raddall, the Raddall family generously donated money to build an addition to the rear of the building to be used as a research center as well as an accurate reconstruction of Mr. Raddall's study where he wrote many of his books. The Thomas H. Raddall Research Center officially opened in 1995 giving the Queens County Museum a research center to be proud of. Thanks to many hard working volunteers and staff, the research center is packed with microfilm, cemetery records, vital statistics, thousands of old Queens County photographs and much, much more. I was a regular to this place for many years and if you have never been, I strongly suggest a visit to see both the Perkins House and Queens County Museum - you won't be disappointed. Linda Rafuse and her staff are very knowledgeable in all aspects of Queens County history and would be happy to share their knowledge with visitors.

Perkins House & Queens County Museum

Simeon Perkins House

Queens County Museum

Official Opening of the Thomas Raddall Research Center

UFOs OVER CANADA
FIFTEEN SHIPS AND A MAN
Wednesday, October 12, 1796
Simeon Perkins
    The earliest report of the sighting of an "unidentified flying object" in the sky over North America is likely the one that is found in the diary of a Maritime shipbuilder. This report comes from the diary that was kept by Simeon Perkins (1735-1812), a Loyalist merchant, colonial judge, and prosperous resident of Liverpool, Nova Scotia.
His gracious home, Perkins House, is preserved as a museum, largely through the efforts of the Maritime author Thomas H. Raddall.
Perkin's diary is of great interest to social historians for the light it sheds on social conditions in the province in the 18th Century. The Diary of Simeon Perkins was issued by the Champlain Society of Toronto in three volumes between 1948 and 1961. The third volume, which was edited by C.B. Fergusson, includes the entry for for Wednesday, 12 Oct. 1796, which describes "Fifteen Ships and a Man."
The entry is reprinted here. New Minas is a community near Minas Basin on the northwest shore of the Bay of Fundy.
As each age is inclined to depict "unidentified flying objects" or UFOs in the imagery of the day, it is not surprising that in the days of sail there should be a description of an aerial flotilla of fifteen ships following a navigator.

A strange Story is going that Fleet of Ships have been Seen in the Air in Some part of the Bay of Fundy. Mr. Darrow is lately from there by Land. I enquired of him. He Says they were Said to be Seen in the New Minas, at one Mr. Ratchford's, by a Girl, about Sunrise, & that the Girl being frightened, Called out, & two men that were in the House went out and Saw the Same Sight, being 15 Ships and a Man forwards of them with his hand Stretched out.
The Ships made to the Eastward. They were So Near that the people Saw their Sides and ports.
The Story did not obtain universal Credit, but Some people believed it.
My Own Opinion is that it was only in Imagination, as the Cloud at Sunrise might Make Some Such appearance, which being Improved by Imagination, might be all they Saw.
Exceedingly pleasant day & Evening