When Daphne Frazee wrote a book on her grandfather, Wolfville architect Charles Wright, an invaluable historical record on this builder was created for future generations. Without Frazee’s work, much of what is known about the man and his accomplishments could have been lost. As well as leaving a “legacy of many fine buildings,” Wright as a partner with entrepreneur R. A. Jodrey was involved with creating the first hydroelectric company in this area.

If you’d like to hear more about Charles Wright and his life as an important Valley builder and pioneer, you’ll have the opportunity at the upcoming monthly meeting of the Kings Historical Society. Ms. Frazee will be the guest speaker and her talk is based on the life of Charles Wright. Mark the date and time on your calendar – 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 26, at the Kings Courthouse Museum in Kentville.

Call them salt cellars, open salts, salt dips or whatever, salt dishes were the precursor of salt shakers and once were common on tables – until the salt shaker came along. You can view some of the salt cellars that were in use during the Victorian by catching the mini-exhibit, “Salt of the Earth,” now on at the Kings County Museum.

At the same time, you can learn something about how salt influenced and shaped world history from Roman times to the Napoleonic era and into the modern era. Salt was (and still is) so vital an ingredient in everyday life that it influenced our thoughts and our language. Think about some common sayings “salt of the earth,” and “not worth his salt,” for example.

Another exhibit worth catching at the Museum features the china collection of Bernard Hale and other collectors. Mr. Hale’s collection consists of miniature pictorial ceramics, dated between 1890 and 1930, which were souvenir pieces in their day. “Pictorial” in this case means the souvenirs contain views of various landmarks and local scenes from long ago. I looked the exhibit over recently and found pieces with the A L. Hardy photograph of Moors Falls, early Kentville streets and early views of Hall’s Harbour, Canning, the Gaspereau Valley, Cape Split and Blomidon.

Another exhibit opening soon will be dedicated to the memory of historian Leon Barron, a longtime volunteer at the Museum. This will be a permanent exhibit on the Museum grounds with artifacts unearthed during recent excavations at the Kentville railyards.