This unique game was donated to the Museum in 1982. It was designed by Mrs. Norma E. Leighfield for use by public school teachers in teaching the history of the Province of Ontario.
Capron's Crossing was a historic area near Paris, Ontario around 1880, when Canada was a British Dominion under Queen Victoria.
The game board (43.2cm long x 55.5cm wide) on the left of the photograph is a stylized map of Paris, Ontario along the Grand River. The map includes street names and districts of the time. There are also cells all around and through the map used for playing the game. Each cell has a "price" in British currency of that time. The game is intended for 2 to 6 players, although 6 are preferable. Each player takes the role of a historic character who was involved in the history of the area. Characters are represented by 6 different colored cards (each 5.1cm long x 7.7cm wide). Each card includes a biography of the character on one side and the name of the character on the other. The characters (players) are: Hiram King Capron, Levi Boughton, Hugh Finlayson, Norman Hamilton, Norma Leighfield, and Queen Victoria!
Play incorporates a number of items:
Counters - 130 plastic pieces that are 2cm in diameter x 1cm thick in the 6 colors matching the character cards, - gold, red, green, blue, yellow, pink.
Paper Money - 450 bills (5.5cm long x 11.4cm wide) in green and black in various British denominations - with the coat of arms of Queen Victoria and drawn on the Bank of Upper Canada.
Shillings - 24 cardboard discs (2.9cm diameter) in white and black with a picture of Queen Victoria and the words One York Shilling printed on each disc.
Property Cards - 75 yellow cardboard cards (4.7cm long x 5.7cm wide) corresponding to areas on the map.
Fortune Cards - 60 white cards (5cm long x 9cm wide) indicating various events such as a "flood".
A pair of plastic dice (1.5cm cube) used in the play of the game.
The game includes about 800 pieces, and all of these are stored along with the folding map in a burlap bag (46cm long x 26cm wide) as can be seen in the upper right of the photograph.
Teachers of Ontario history who may be interested in finding out more about this game, can contact:
Information Paris 63 Grand River Street North Paris, Ontario N3L 2M3 CANADALast update March 23, 2010