The former Eaton Academy

William Stone’s leg had to come off. That was the assessment of the good Doctor Edward Dagge Worthington in Eaton Corner on March 10, 1847. Poor William, a shoemaker, had broken his ankle in an unfortunately severe fashion. Doctor Worthington would have to amputate. But the doctor had a way to lessen the pain. It was called sulfuric ether. William would not feel a thing during the operation.

It was the first time in Canada that major surgery was performed with the use of general anesthesia. This procedure had been tried for the very first time just five months earlier by a Boston dentist, William T.G. Morton.

Established in the 1790s, Eaton Corner was among the first villages in the region settled by Europeans, following close behind Sawyerville and the very first settlement of Pleasant Hill.

In the following decades, Eaton Corner was larger than Sherbrooke, known then as Hyatt’s Mills. This all changed when the railway was built through Cookshire instead of Eaton.

These are just a few of the many fascinating historical tidbits one can learn on a visit to the Eaton Corner Museum.

Today’s Eaton Corner is a collection of some of the oldest houses in the region, dating from the early 1800s. The Museum is housed in the former Congregationalist Church and the historic Eaton Academy at the intersection of Laberee Road and Routes 253/210.

The Church is a beautiful white clapboard building on one side of the road, and the equally attractive Academy is on the other.

Museum President Marc Nault and Secretary Sharon Moore said the board of directors is always looking for new ideas for projects and activities to attract public participation and interest in the rich history of the Cookshire-Eaton and Newport areas. In the past, the Museum hosted an ‘‘Old-Fashioned Day’’ when volunteers dressed in period costumes and demonstrated 19th-century woodworking and construction techniques. Museum board members are particularly looking for people with historical skills to demonstrate.

Volunteers Denis Palmer and Royce Rand focus on keeping the buildings in pristine condition. When dealing with centuries-old buildings, this is a full-time occupation, particularly for volunteers with other demands on their time, said Palmer. Painting is high on the agenda this year.

A permanent exhibit in the museum is divided into sections to tell the region’s storied history, beginning with the Abenaki Indigenous presence as well as early European settlers, advances in transportation, commerce, industrialization, and onward.

Plans are in the works for a possible series of Sunday afternoon workshops this summer, including «Music on the Lawn» events with local musicians. Rothney also said the Museum is working with the Cookshire Fair to set up a display of antique farm equipment on the fairgrounds.

The Museum’s annual general meeting is planned for Saturday, May 24, at 1:30 p.m.; members and the public are invited. The current board of directors has seven members. ‘‘We are actively looking for more volunteers’’ said Nault. ‘‘Please come!’’