Written By Kathy Evans, Book Editor
In July of this year, family and friends gathered at Arrowwood Farm, a beautiful property in Riverside, just south of Melbourne, to celebrate the publishing of a book written by my uncle, Bob Gentleman. The farm that is now called Arrowwood Farm (6460 Riverside Drive) has sentimental value to our family, as it was once owned by the Gentlemans, purchased in 1870.
Bob’s book, titled “They Settled in Riverside,” is largely a family history, documenting the arrival of our ancestors in the Riverside area and describing their family branches. But Bob also captures an era now decades past as he shares stories of early Riverside neighbours and of growing up in Melbourne in the 1930s. He recalls his paper route, the school, town merchants and businesses, the railroad, and the neighbours and friends who were important in his life.
Bob wrote the book over a couple of years, beginning when he was 91. I was honoured to serve as editor. I like to think that my sisters and I, who grew up in Melbourne, played a role in its inception simply because of our frequent peppering of questions to Bob about our family’s and Melbourne’s stories. We are not all blessed with the sharp memory that Bob has, so having the stories in printed form is invaluable. What became clear to me during the process is the immense importance of all the stories, the old photos, the heirlooms, the family archives, the cemetery headstones—everything that helps us know our history. Just as important is the need to share stories as a family and a community, through family reunions and picnics, online group sharing, community events, and historical societies. And through memoirs, like Bob’s.
When asked by the Glencoe & District Historical Society to reflect on the importance of sharing family history and of bringing to life the stories of a particular time and place, Bob wrote the following:
