14

Old Style Mail Box
1895
Whitney Pier, Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

15

The post office in Whitney Pier opened in 1895. Two of the earliest postmasters in the Whitney Pier area were Peter J. Carlin and Annie Gallivan and her husband Patrick.

In the past, mail was picked up three times daily on workdays, twice on Saturday and once on Sunday. Here we see an old MAILBOX constructed of heavy gauge steel with a secure lock. In order to prevent theft, the boxes were attached to telephone poles.

In Carl Munden's Post Offices of Cape Breton, Volume 2, published in 1988, it states that for the area, "an early alternate name was International Pier and there is much correspondence on these references between the Post Office and International Coal Company".

16

The Marmulak Family's Cabbage Shredder
1930
Whitney Pier, Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

17

A popular food amongst Ukrainian and Polish communities in Whitney Pier is sauerkraut.

This old-fashioned hand-crafted CABBAGE SHREDDER was donated by the Marmulak family in memory of their father Michael Marmulak. The Marmulaks belong to the Ukrainian community in Whitney Pier.

18

1905 Whitney Pier School Desk and Reader
1905
Whitney Pier, Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

19

This 1905 wooden SCHOOL DESK was used by children in the Whitney Pier area during their early school years. On top of the desk is a popular READING TEXT which contains the well known children's poem:

NAN'S PET
Here I am.
My name is Nan.
I have a doll.
I have a pet too.
This is my pet.
Her name is Blackie.
She has a black head.
She has a black tail.
She says, "Mew, mew."

As well, there is also a ruler and a SLATE BOARD on which children wrote using chalk. This was before the m

20

Barber Chair from Johnny Borden's Shop
1933
Whitney Pier, Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

21

This adjustable red leather BARBER CHAIR was once owned by Tom MacLean of Whitney Pier. The longtime barber worked out of Danny MacIssac's Barber Shop on Victoria Road. It spent its last days at Johnny Borden's Barber Shop before being donated to the Whitney Pier Historical Museum, care of Frank Dunn.

Manufactured in Chicago by the Theo A. Kroch Company, the chair is made of white porcelain with stainless steel hardware, complete with a padded decorative foot

22

Wooden Clogs Worn by Steelworkers
1915
Whitney Pier, Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

23

WOODEN CLOGS were used by men working on top of the Coke Ovens Batteries for protection against the intense heat that could melt their boots and cause serious burns.

24

Karoline Siepierski's General Electric Radio
1930
Whitney Pier, Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

25

This GENERAL ELECTRIC RADIO with shortwave capabilities enabled the owner to listen to broadcasts as far away as Berlin or London.

Purchased on Charlotte Street in downtown Sydney for a $115 in 1930, the radio was owned by the late Karoline Siepierski of Whitney Pier.

Siepierski had emigrated to Cape Breton Island from Rzeszow, Poland in 1926.

26

Hatmaking Equipment from Salem Joseph's Shop
1920
Whitney Pier, Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

27

When hats were made to order, it was skilled workers such as Salem Joseph and his son Joe, who practiced the trade in Whitney Pier.

These HAT BLOCKS, BRIM and SPINNEY are from their local operations and used to shape hats during construction.