See You Next Summer: Postcard Memories of Sparrow Lake Resorts

SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER Postcard Memories of Sparrow Lake Resorts

Bruce M. McCraw

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SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER Postcard Memories of Sparrow Lake Resorts

Bruce M. McCraw

NATURAL HERITAGE / NATURAL HISTORY INC.

See You Next Summer Postcard Memories of Sparrow Lake Resorts Bruce McCraw Natural Heritage / Natural History Inc. Copyright © 1998 by Bruce McCraw All rights reserved. No portion of this book, with the exception of brief extracts for the purpose of literary review, may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher. Published by Natural Heritage / Natural History Inc. (P.O. Box 95, Station O, Toronto, Ontario, M4A 2M8) Designed by Gringo Design Printed and bound in Canada by Hignell Book Printing, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data McCraw, Bruce See you next summer : postcard memories of Sparrow Lake Resorts Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1*896219*41-1 i. Sparrow Lake Region (Simcoe and Muskoka, Ont.) — History. 2. Sparrow Lake Region (Simcoe and Muskoka, Ont.) — History — Pictorial works. 3. Postcards — Ontario — Sparrow Lake Region (Simcoe and Muskoka). I. Title. FC3095.S72M32 1998 971.3*17 Fio59.S72M32 1998

THE CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS SINCE 1957

098-931047-7

LE CONSEIL DBS ARTS DU CANADA DEPUIS 1957

Natural Heritage / Natural History Inc. acknowledges the support received for its publishing program from the Canada Council Block Grant Program. We also acknowledge with gratitude the assistance of the Association for the Export of Canadian Books, Ottawa.

Dedicated to my father Donald Frederick Fraser McCraw (1883-1976) who gave me many happy summers at Sparrow Lake where he also taught me how to fish -

TABLE OF CONTENTS vii

Foreword: David E, Stanton, President, Sparrow Lake Historical Society

ix x

Author's Note Acknowledgments

xiii xv

About Postcards Map of Sparrow Lake

i

From the Beginning An overview of the early history of Sparrow Lake and the initial development of Sparrow Lake tourism*

18 19 22 24 26 28 29 31

Resorts of Port Stanton Stanton House Sparrow Cottage Bayview-Wildwood Lakeshore House Bonheur Lodge/Bayview Lodge Wildwood Inn Sundown Lodge/Wild Echo

33 33 37 42 46 54

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove Sparrow Lake (Massey) Camp RoehPs Hotel (Torpitt) Torpitt Lodge Grandview Lodge Maple Grove

5$ 58 62 65 69 71 74 78 85 89 91 94 96 99

From Port Stanton to Vanomi Bennett's Peninsula Farm Hotel Idylwild Lodge Lakeview House Wenona Lodge Clipsham Lodge Uneeda Rest Hotel Wiancko House Delmonte-in-the-Pines Vernon Lodge Franklin House/Silver Pines Balmoral Hotel Mount Royal/Hamyrth Lodge Vanomi/Sparrow Beach Lodge

103 104 108 112 114 119

The Things We Did Together Fishing Boating Bathing and Beaches Friendly Competition and Get-togethers Church on Sunday

122

Epilogue Richard Hymans, Sheridan Park Public School, Mississauga, Ontario

125 131 136 137

Notes Index Credits for visuals About the Author

FOREWORD The sentiment expressed in the title of this book by Bruce McCraw, certainly applies to my life* I grew up on Sparrow Lake and cut my teeth in the tourist business working in my parents' budding resort 'The Wildwood Inn/ Later I chose a more technical vocation and left to live in Brampton, Ontario for twenty-five years pursuing an aviation career I retired early and, quickly, Ann and I sought to get back to the lake where we had had so many happy days at our cottage* We built our retirement home on our cottage site and now we enjoy every day on this lovely lake* Being a part of its history, I became involved in The Sparrow Lake Historical Society and take great pleasure in the retelling of this history* Through the years the Society has assisted in such projects as Still Smiling at the Front Desk by my cousin Susan Pryke, and A Legacy Almost Lost by the Kilworthy Historical Committee led by Betty ChishGraham* We have acknowledged and promoted A Respectable Ditch by author and member Professor James Angus which is a history of the Severn River* His latest book Severn River is a wonderful pictorial book on the Severn River and Sparrow Lake area* It is now my privilege to endorse this book by Bruce McCraw and its delightful format of telling the past through a collection of postcards* Bruce has been attending postcard and antique shows and buying postcards throughout the years as a hobby* He now has compiled them into a history of the resorts and through the magic of pictures this book will take you back to a time of happy memories and places you have experienced* It is a labour of love for Bruce and he has worked meticulously to ensure the correct story is told* This book brings forth the history in a vivid presentation that will be treasured and present on coffee tables for

Vlll

Foreword

many years to come. The Sparrow Lake Historical Society congratulates Bruce McCraw on this very special book . . . David Stanton, President Sparrow Lake Historical Society 1998

• ix •

A U T H O R ' S NOTE My story of Sparrow Lake is not unusual and can probably be duplicated by many who find that Sparrow Lake tugs at their heart* My father was told of Grandview Hotel on Sparrow Lake by an old friend and in the spring of 1926 he came up from Toronto to view the place* He realized immediately that Grandview had immense potential for recreation for adults and children alike* He booked a reservation and brought the family, including me at age two and a half, for a stay that summer* In the succeeding years my mother, brother, sister and I would stay for six weeks returning to Toronto in time for the Canadian National Exhibition* As there was regular train service to the Sparrow Lake station at Port Stanton at that time, my father came up weekends and later for a holiday to spend the days fishing. After his retirement he enjoyed eighteen more summers at Grandview with his fishing pals* After my teens my visits to Sparrow Lake were curtailed, but I was able to be at Grandview often enough to meet the girl I would marry* Now that I am also retired, my wife Pat and I can enjoy long summers there* Although since boyhood I have known a little about the other resorts, my postcard collection stimulated me to pursue a more thorough study of all the hotels and lodges that have dotted the shores of Sparrow Lake* As a result I have become much more aware of the local history and of the people who are part of it* This book is for all those who like me, find that Sparrow Lake always beckons one to return* B*M*M*

1998

• X•

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While my name appears as the author of this book, there are many people who enabled me to write it and to get it into print. As a novice in this field, their assistance was vital to the completion of my task* I am grateful to David E. Stanton, President of the Sparrow Lake Historical Society for providing me with historical background of Port Stanton and of nearby Massey (Sparrow Lake) Camp. Both David, and James R. Stanton, Vice President of the Sparrow Lake Historical Society, helped me with the history and development of the resorts of Port Stanton as well as the role of the early Stanton Steamers in the emerging tourism of Sparrow Lake, My thanks indeed to Doris Muckle for allowing me to peruse and refer to appropriate sections of her family history which provided insight into the early years of life on Sparrow Lake, and as well, of the Franklin family and of Franklin House, an early resort on Sparrow Lake. I must acknowledge the accounts of early pioneer life, including those of families that settled in the Sparrow Lake area, many of whom spawned Sparrow Lake resorts, provided by A Legacy Almost Lost - An Anthology of Kilworthy Country. This book published by the Kilworthy Historical Society and ably coordinated by B. Elizabeth Chish-Graham was an invaluable resource to me. I could not have done without all those who reviewed what I had written on the various Sparrow Lake resorts and made corrections or provided further background or anecdotes. Those who helped me include: Hazel Carney (Bennett's Hotel, Idlylwild), Jean and Stanley Clipsham (Clipsham Lodge, Lakeview Hotel), Robert E. Clipsham (Uneeda Rest) who also loaned me several of his postcards, Bill Darker (RoehPs Hotel,

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Grandview Lodge, Vanomi), David Long (Wenona Lodge), Jack Tresidder (Torpitt Lodge) and Leanore Wiancko (Wiancko House)* Bill and David Darker and Betty Niro also added several postcards. Others who were helpful or encouraged me were Ted Martin (Martin's Store), Susan Stan ton Pryke, Don Coulman, Guelph and various executive members of the Toronto and Golden Horsehoe Postcard Clubs* I also gained much from my association with the Sparrow Lake Historical Society* In addition to learning about the area and the resorts from newsletters and speakers at their meetings, their members have eagerly shared their stories with me and urged me on with my work* Above all their welcoming friendship means a great deal to me* The Express Business Service Centre of Orillia was very helpful in producing numerous manuscript photocopies for me* The United Church Archives (Victoria University, Toronto), kindly allowed me to review their records of Massey Camp* I often sought guidance from Sally Wismer, Executive Director, Guelph Arts Council* Her technical advice arising from her considerable experience in working with writers and publishers is gratefully acknowledged* Robin Woods was always enthusiastic despite the numerous drafts she typed and retyped for me* I was encouraged by my publisher Barry Penhale, Natural Heritage Books who expressed an early interest in my efforts and continued to work with me during the various stages of this venture* I also wish to recognize the endeavours of all those who tried to teach me the proper use of a preposition* My son, Scott, found numerous postcards of Sparrow Lake resorts for me at postcard shows and many of these are included in this book*

Acknowledgements

Finally, I could not have done without the assistance of my wife Pat who repeatedly reviewed what I had written, always offering constructive criticism, and as well really acted as my business manager* Despite the assistance of those I have mentioned here and my best intentions, it is entirely possible that errors have crept into this book. For these I apologize and ask that I be corrected.

B.MM.

1998

• xiii •

About Postcards

At an antique show over twenty years ago I discovered a postcard of RoehPs campsite, formerly located where the Torpitt golf course is now* The card had been written on July n, 1907* Knowing Sparrow Lake since childhood, I looked for more and soon found another two: one from Stanton House postmarked July 10, 1906 at Severn Bridge and another much later unused one of Delmonte Hotel. In no time I developed an appetite for collecting postcards of Sparrow Lake resorts so that eventually I had well over 350 from the more than twenty resorts that once flourished around the Lake* I soon realized that these postcards told a story and could form the basis of a book. They documented how resorts evolved from tent or simple cabin with no heat or running water to todays' modern unit, how holiday travel by train gave way to the automobile, how transport to the lodge from Port Stanton by motor launch replaced the steamer and how recreation on water evolved from skiff and canoe to the outboard motor*

XIV

About Postcards

The earliest Sparrow Lake postcards were printed for resorts not long after postal regulations allowed pictures on postcards* These were often the most elegant, frequently tinted and with art nouveau ornamentation; some were bordered with a frame to make them look like a photograph of a picture. It wasn't long before the novelty card appeared showing the over-sized fish that were caught in Sparrow Lake* Years ago postcards were the only inexpensive and fast way for the tourist and the local resident to keep in touch with family and friends* For a long time it cost no more than one or two cents to mail a postcard* Usually a short note to the recipient told of a safe arrival home or of some other event. Postcards travelled quickly from the village and town post office, often to be received on the same day, and even after travelling long distances, in less than three days. The quick dispatch of mail was assisted by railway mail cars, no longer in existence, on passenger trains and sometimes on separate mail trains between major centres* The old mail-baggage cars frequently had letter slots so that the sender in a village or small town could deposit mail directly when a train made a station stop* The extensive rail network and frequent train service of the past combined to make for rapid mail travel, well suited to the simple format of the postcard* That so many postcards of Sparrow Lake resorts dating from the early IQOO'S to the present were saved and are still to be found in the antique store, is a testament to the popularity of Sparrow Lake* Some showed clear evidence of being removed from albums* By no means were all of the postcards sent to local addresses; the author was fascinated to find that so many that were mailed to friends and relatives as far away as California, England and Belgium, all to end up back in Ontario in the hands of postcard dealers*

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From Tlie B e g i n n i n g

Sparrow Lake borders the southern rim of the Canadian Shield between Muskoka and Simcoe County. With the rugged terrain making settlement difficult the area was later in opening up than other parts of southern Ontario. However by the i86os early tourists found the Sparrow Lake environs to be a natural playground with good hunting and especially excellent fishing. Little wonder that over twenty resorts eventually emerged around the Lake* Sparrow Lake is said to have been known to the Indians as the 'lakeof-the-big-sun-fire' because of its beautiful sunsets/ There is evidence that for centuries they camped along its shores, lured there no doubt, by the excellent hunting and fishing in the area. The first visitors from the Old World were the French explorers* In the i68os La Salle navigated the Severn River, including Sparrow Lake, at least three and possibly four times.2 Evidence that these visitors had been in this area came to * i*

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light in the mid 19505 with Beulah (Stanton) Martin's discovery of a small brass bell, identified as iyth century Jesuit, beneath their store located by the shore at Port Stanton* A little over a hundred years later, in 1793, John Graves Simcoe, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada made a trip to Georgian Bay and referred to a small lake (Sparrow Lake) about six miles in circumference* He was apparently impressed with the beauty of the Sparrow Lake-Severn area as well as with the prevalence of rattlesnakes*3 It would be another 65 years before Sparrow Lake would see permanent settlers* In 1859 the recently appointed agent for the settlement along the Severn and Muskoka Road issued the first 'location tickets' for land in the Sparrow Lake-Severn area, and by the end of the year reported fifty-four 'locations'4 some of which were a 100 acres or more* Outlined on a Ticket of Location were certain conditions: the amount of land to be cleared and fenced, the building of a 'dwelling house' as well as the period of time within which the conditions were to be fulfilled* Among the settlers who came between 1860 and 1875, and who later established resorts, were the Clipshams, Franklins, Maguires, Roehls, Stantons, Whitesides, and Wianckos, names still well known or remembered around Sparrow Lake* Only three years before the first 'location tickets' were issued, timber licences were granted for cutting on the Severn and Black rivers, and in 1861 for Morrison Township on the east side of Sparrow Lake*5 Among the early lumbermen were Quetton St* George (Lake St. George) and Peter Christie, both of whom were licenced to cut 50 square miles in the Severn area*6 Lumber companies soon became a major source of employment and remained so until the late iSoos* To this day the sunken and stone-filled hull of the W*P* Christie lumber company tow boat is clearly visible

From The Beginning

from the dock in front of Martin's Store in Port Stanton. (The tow boat was built as the Simcoe in the i88o's and was later purchased by Captain Tom Stan ton and renamed the Pocahontas).1 Life was hard for the settlers* Hugo Stein, an early resident at the north end of Sparrow Lake, said that in 1860 tall pines, large oak and huge elms up to four feet in diameter reached the waters edge. While clearing the land the pioneers found Indian artifacts from which they made hoes and other tools.8 Wildlife were abundant, including: timber wolves, lynx, deer and black bear. Muskelunge, pickerel and black bass, as well as channel catfish, were an important source of food. If channel catfish were smoked in the cooler weather of the fall they could be kept well into the winter.9 Travel was difficult. To row to Severn Bridge and then walk to Washago was a several hours1 journey* To make clothing and blankets, Bertha (Roehl) Schulz, the daughter of early settlers, told of pioneers spinning their own yarn from flax which they grew, and from the wool of their sheep.10 The mid 18705 brought about major changes that made life easier for the settlers. The Northern Extension Railway from Allandale (Barrie) reached Gravenhurst in 1875 and a little station, the Severn, was located at Severn Bridge and another at Kilworthy (originally called Lethbridge), six miles south of Gravenhurst. Also in 1875, the enterprising Captain Thomas Stanton launched a little steamer, the Pioneer which he ran from Sparrow Lake to Severn Bridge where it made connections with the trains.11 Sparrow Lake now was quite accessible to campers and expanding tourism soon followed, especially when the excellent fishing became known. It was said that the Iron City Fishing Club (from Pittsburgh PA) caught so many fish that they gave them to farmers to feed the pigs.12

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Originally the early fishermen camped on settlers' property, but it was not long before they requested room and board* Soon the increasing number of summer visitors demonstrated the need for larger accommodation* By 1884 Captain Stanton had moved his family from the original homestead (where Sparrow Lake Camp is today) to present-day Port Stanton, and in that year established Stanton House, the first resort on the south shore of Sparrow Lake/3 This was followed by Uneeda Rest (1898) on the east side of Sparrow Lake, Lakeshore House (1898) at Port Stanton and Bennett's Peninsula Farm Hotel (1900) on the upper Severn near the entrance to Sparrow Lake/4 Between 1900 and 1912 eleven more lodges (some were called hotels) were established or built on Sparrow Lake/5 After 1900 it was obvious that an expanded steamer service was needed to serve the emerging resorts and the growing tourist population* Captain Stanton's Lady Franklin (the rebuilt and lengthened Spartan) could no longer keep pace with the traffic, so work was begun about 1901 to build a larger vessel, the Lakefield. This steamer, completed in 1905, was an attractive ship, 70 feet in length/6 In 1907 the 40 foot Glympse was added and these steamers comprised the Sparrow Lake Steamer Line operated by Captain Stanton's sons, Frank and Bert Stanton* About the same time as the Lakefield was completed, Thomas Wood, a relative of the Stantons, built a slightly larger steamer, the Champion, which was based at Idylwild Lodge on the upper Severn River not far from Bennett's Peninsula Farm Hotel*17 The addition of the Champion and the Lakefield, which together could carry well over 300 passengers, coincided with the completion of the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway (CNOR) to Parry Sound in 1906* Summer train service commenced in 1907 and, best of all, a little

From The Beginning

station, 'Sparrow Lake' (now long gone) was located at Port Stanton* Apparently Captain Stanton convinced the railway to swing the tracks close to the Lake rather than about a quarter of a mile inland and, as well, donated the land for the station. With a direct route from Toronto in operation, travel to Sparrow Lake shifted away from Severn Bridge, although Bennetts and Whiteside's steamer, the G. Whiz, continued for a time to meet the Grand Trunk Railway trains at Severn Bridge/8 Sparrow Lake Station became a boon for the CNOR with hundreds of tourists coming and going on weekends during the summer months. Then the trains and steamer service were closely linked. Moreover, the Passenger Department of the CNOR issued a brochure, 'Sparrow Lake and Severn River' listing 16 resorts and promoting the beauty of the area, the excellent fishing (especially for muskelunge) as well as the fine accommodations. In the same year that the summer train service began, Port Stanton, as it became officially known, obtained a post office which was located in Stanton Bros. Store/9 Today it is Martin's Store. However, the first post office on Sparrow Lake was opened on the east side of the Lake by Adolphus Wiancko in 1878. Upon his death in 1907, his wife became post mistress.20 Port Stanton thus became not only the gateway to Sparrow Lake but a service centre, which today has been further extended with the very successful development of Stanton Airways by John, Ernest Stanton's youngest son. While not central to the development of resorts, the construction of dams and power houses in the early 19005 on the lower Severn resulted in raising and helping to stabilize the water level of Sparrow Lake. By 1918 the Sparrow Lake steamers were gone, having been replaced with gasoline launches from resorts that met the trains at Port Stanton for

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the next thirty or more years, Ted Martin of Martin's Store has in his possession a 1924 photograph of the store with a sign listing a dozen Sparrow Lake resorts and their proprietors, together with the names of the seven launches serving those resorts* Even the launches gradually disappeared as train service diminished and access from Highway n improved. Today Martin's Store, near the Government Dock at Port Stanton, remains a popular port-of-call for tourists and cottagers as well as boaters on the Trent-Severn system* The road ended at Port Stanton until 1928 when it was extended by following the path of an old bush road as far as Torpitt Lodge (the 'Torpitt Road')* This development made it possible to reach the resorts and cottages on the west side of Sparrow Lake by car* Jack Tresidder (Jr*) recounts that in the dry summer of 1926, Bill Bauman, a guest at Torpitt Lodge managed to drive his Cadillac to Torpitt* This feat helped to initiate interest in a permanent road, and Jack Tresidder (Sr*), the proprietor of Torpitt Lodge at that time, became the driving force behind its construction* The marsh near Port Stanton presented as great a road building challenge as the rocky terrain* To provide a base for this swampy section, old straw mattresses from a resort were laid down, covered with branches and then topped with stone and gravel*21 While this new road was welcomed, the sharp curves and steep hills brought near terror to the uninitiated* Dick Dalzell, a guest at Grandview Lodge since 1926, recalled how as a confident teenager he would drive the cars of those too nervous to make the return trip over the road to Port Stanton* He would then hitch a ride by boat back to Grandview* Over the years the hills and curves have been smoothed out and side roads to cottages have been added*

From The Beginning

*7 •

A pioneer (Roehl) homestead and barn near the presentday gate to Grandview Lodge Resort. Another Roehl homestead, built about 1870 and still in existence, is located behind present-day Torpitt Lodge (1996).

From 1874 to 1906 the convenient connection to Sparrow Lake was via Severn Bridge. Tourists got off the Grand Trunk Railway train at Severn, a Jittie station one and a half miles north ofWashago, and took a steamer down the Severn River to Sparrow Lake. The station is in clean, as-built condition and the postcard dates from the early igoos. The tall gentleman towards the left of the postcard wearing a bow tie, vest and watch chain would be the station agent.

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Frank and Albert Stanton s steamer, the Lakefield (not the Lakeside as named in the postcard) at Port Stanton. Built in 1905, it was 70 feet long and was large enough to carry 200 people to resorts around the Lake.22 At first it met trains at Severn Bridge, but then in 1907, at Sparrow Lake Station, Port Stanton, after the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway was completed to Parry Sound in 1906. The steam yacht on the left is the Clifford owned by J.O. Wood a river pilot from Pittsburgh.23 The 40 foot steamer Glympse, built in 1907, and along with the Lakefield comprised the 'Sparrow Lake Steamer Line operated by Albert and Frank Stanton. The Sparrow Lake Steamer Line carried most of the commercial traffic for the railway from the Port Stanton wharf from 1907 on.24 The photograph for this unusually clear post* card, postmarked August 30, 1909, appears to have been taken from the wharf. A tractor engine that burned kerosene replaced steam power about 1911,25

From The Beginning

Letterhead and ticket of the Sparrow Lake Steamer Line, Stanton Bros., proprietors. The steamers were advertised as making connections with the Canadian Northern trains at Sparrow Lake Station.

*9 •

10 . see you next summer

The steamer Champion on the upper Severn River. An unusual postcard because only the upper half of the front is taken up with the picture leaving the bottom half, in addition to the back, for correspondence. The sender provided this remarkabk description of what it was like to travel to Sparrow Lake and stay at Maple Grove Resort in 1907;

"Dear Bessie... Aug. 15/07 ... This is the boat we came up from Severn on. We were on it three hours and enjoyed the ride. They had to stop at so many of the camps on the way which took quite a lot of time. This is such a pretty quiet place. You see everything just as nature placed it. The shore of the lake is right in front of the house and is so rocky. I sit up on the rocks and just enjoy the clean air and the quietness. Next week we will be the only ones here. There are nine others now, but they are going away Monday. I wish you could be here, as I know you would enjoy it, rowing etc. Lot of love, Anna B."

From The Beginning

*n •

A passenger train at Sparrow Lake Station probably one or two years after the line was completed. During the weekends in the summer months, hundreds of tourists would come and go from this little station. The building in the background to the right of the station is Lakeshore House.

A first class passenger train of the early igoos with a high-stepping 4-6-0 class locomotive in charge, no doubt a posed photograph with the trailing smoke from the locomotive added for the postcard. Railway publicity postcards were common in the early igoos. Since Sparrow Lake was on the main line to Parry Sound, in the early years summer visitors may well have travelled on a first class train like this one that would almost certainly include a dining, and even a parlour car for those who wanted to pay the extra tariff.

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A brochure issued by the Passenger Department of the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway about 1909 promoting the beauty of the Sparrow Lake'Sevem area, as well as the excellent fishing and fine tourist accommodation. It feted sixteen resorts most with rates of $6.00 to $9.00 a week! Summer rail fare between Toronto and Sparrow Lake Station was listed as $3.75.'

An early view of the platform at Sparrow Lake Station and the gangway to the Port Stanton dock. The building in the centre background is Stanton Bros, store, todays Martin's Store. It is difficult to tell whether the folks are waiting for the baggage to be sorted after getting off the train or whether the train for Toronto will soon arrive. One thing is certain, with the many large steamer trunks on the platform, tourists did not travel lightly in the early 19005. The postmark on the postcard is September 5, 1910.

From The Beginning • 13

A much later view looking toward the Port Stanton dock from the now fenced station platform. Although the postmark is July 20, 1937, the view is earlier judging from the models of the cars. Before 1928 there was no road on the west side of Sparrow Lake to Torpitt Lodge and cars had to be parked at Port Stanton.

The landing and post office, Port Stanton. On the left is an open-air ice cream parlour, later moved to the waterfront side of the store.2 The card is postmarked July 14, 1915 and bears two cent stamps, one labelled 'war tax.'

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A view of the Government Dock, Port Stanton, from the Lake in front of Lakeshore House. The postcard probably dates from the 19405.

A Port Stanton novelty postcard, postmarked July 5, 1914.

From The Beginning Judging from the model of the car and the tall gas pump (the reservoir on top held 20 gallons) this postcard ofStantons Store and post office would probably date from about 1936 or 1937. Known today as Martins Store, it serves cottagers and is also a major supplier for travellers on the Trent-Severn system.

The power house at Ragged Rapids under construction on the lower Severn about 1900. It supplied power to Orillia. The dam and power house were blown up in igij when the new power house at Swift Rapids was completed.21 Note the spelling of "Ragid" Rapids. Spelling and other errors were common in early picture postcards.

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The completed power plant at Ragged Rapids which began operation in 1902. The new power plant at Swift Rapids was one and a half miles downstream from Ragged Rapids*8 It supplied much more power and was important in helping to stabilize the water level in Sparrow Lake.

From The Beginning By 1918 the steamers were gone and gasoline-powered boats met the Toronto trains at Port Stanton. Several resorts then had their own launches as in this postcard where the Grandf iew Hotel launch is seen in the foreground, and on the far side of the dock, only partially in view, is the Torpitt Lodge launch. From the style of the outboard motor on the 'cedar strip' tied to the dock, the postcard would date from the mid to late 19305.

The three -mile road from Port Stanton to Grandview Hotel and Torpitt Lodge was opened in 1928. On the west side of Sparrow Lake, it was a challenge to navigate in the early years because in many places it was so steep and narrow. Mart Kinser, a long-time cottager, told how he had to shift his model "T" Ford into reverse gear (the only ratio that could handle the steeper hills) and drive up backwards!

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R e s o r t s of Port Stanton

From the time that the first tourists began coming to Sparrow Lake in 1872 and, shortly afterwards, boarding with Captain Thomas Stanton1 and his wife Ellen (eldest daughter of another pioneer, John Franklin), various members of succeeding generations of Stantons have been engaged in the development and management of the resorts of Port Stanton* Edgar Johns, a nephew of Captain Tom, once commented "How often do we hear parents of today bemoaning the fact that, as their children grow up they are unable to obtain work locally and are forced to migrate to the large centres in search of employment. It is indeed hard to visualize any place less likely to provide work than the Sparrow Lake area in the latter part of the ipth century. And yet, not one of the three sons and three daughters that comprised the Stanton family left home before they had married and what is more remarkable, none was other than self-employed during a life time.2" 18

Resorts of Port Stanton

STANTON HOUSE Stanton House is the oldest resort on the south shore of Sparrow Lake. Still flourishing, it was established in 1884 by Captain Tom and Ellen after they moved from what is now Sparrow Lake (Massey) Camp to the site of present-day Port Stanton* Edgar Johns also recalled his uncle "as a big jovial man, with a heavy full beard, generous, kindly, and very fond of children. I have nothing but the fondest memories of Uncle Tom and Aunt Nell (Ellen) and the many happy times I spent at Stanton House as a small boy during school vacation*"3 After Captain Tom died in 1907, Ellen managed Stanton House until her death in 1910, From that time succeeding generations have been involved beginning with their daughters; Alice until 1928, followed by Marion with her husband William Clipsham, and then in Z 935 by Captain Tom and Ellen's son George and his wife Eva (Johnston). After 1950 George and Eva's oldest son Tom and his wife Phyllis (Hawkins) took over and began a modernization program which has continued since.4 Postmarked Severn Bridge July 28, 1906, no doubt one of the earliest postcards of Stanton House. The sender, J.A. Eberhart said they were "camping at Captain StantonV" The lady in front of Stanton House is Alice Stanton.5 The scene on the left is labelled "Point at Captain Stantons." The leaning mapk in the shore scene is still there and has grown to be a very impressive specimen.

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The early cottages at Stanton House with the windmill and water tower in the background. The windmill pumped water from the lake to the water tower for gravity pressure. The cottages were originally located on the railway right-of-way and were moved by the railway contractor for Mrs. Stanton when the line was moved closer to the lake in igo6.7 A motel unit replaced these cottages in the late 19505. The original Stanton House remaining until the 19605, is in the background obscured by a large tree.8 The postcard is signed by Ellen Stanton, Captain Tom's wife.

A three room cabin, part of the original Front Row. It had been moved prior to 1930 across the lake on the ice from an earlier location and moved again to its present site behind the hotel kitchen.9

Resorts of Port Stanton The "Mapks" a modern motel-type accommodation containing several units. It was built

in 1965. Tom Stanton's house is on the right, partially obscured.10

The hub of Stanton House today showing the main lodge (1967) and dining room (1978). The two-storey unit on the right is called "Front Row."11

The boathouse called Bayshore (1974) has waterfront accommodation in the upper storey. The boat and water-ski docks are on the right.12

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SPARROW COTTAGE Aroundi9o6 Sparrow Cottage was built and operated as a sideline venture by Frank Stanton, Captain StantonJs son, along with Frank's wife Violet (McMaster). Sparrow Cottage did not experience the growth of Stanton House or Lakeshore House because of Frank's involvement with other things, especially the Port Stanton store and the Sparrow Lake Steamer Line/3

A small resort in a delightful setting, the postcard was dated August 11, 1912. The card was sent from Guelph by a husband who told his wife staying at Massey Camp to make sure their children were "good." Sparrow Cottage was Captain Frank's residence and his venture into the tourist lodge business did not survive.14

Resorts of Port Stanron . 23.

Obviously considerable care was taken to arrange this highly posed picture taken on the lawn of Sparrow Cottage. Frank Stantons son Walter is sitting on the fence and a number of children are firmly planted under the supervision of the adults nearby.

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BAYVIEW-WILDWOOD Bayview-Wildwood had its origin in the amalgamation of several resorts in Port Stanton: • Lakeshore House • Bonheur Lodge/Bayview Lodge • Wildwood Inn • Sundown Lodge/Wild Echo The oldest, Lakeshore House, was established in 1898 and, except for a short period of time, has been a Stanton resort ever since/5 However, the name disappeared when it was absorbed into Bayview-Wildwood* Bonheur Lodge, originally the home of Ed Stanton (Frank Stanton's eldest son), was built in 1920* The Lodge accommodated a few tourists and was later bought by Ernest Stanton (Frank's youngest son). Once in Ernest's hands it was expanded and renamed Bayview Lodge in 1945* Ten years later Ernest bought Wildwood Inn from Walter Stanton (Frank's second son) and the combined resorts later became known as Bayview-Wildwood* Wildwood was built in 1931 by Walter on the site that had been the old Stanton sawmill, later used as a garage* Once the road beyond Port Stanton was completed in 1928, the garage, less in demand as a place to park cars, was torn down* Walter used the 12 by 12 timbers for Wildwood's foundation* He began to construct the three storey hotel with ten dollars cash, a wheelbarrow and the backing of his bank* In telling this story, his son David still refers to that bank as "my bank*" During their years at Wildwood, Walter, his wife Eleanore (Fosdick), and family made many improvements which added to the pleasure and comfort of their guests* Knowing the importance of good and plentiful

Resorts of Port Stanton

food, they made a ritual of inviting their guests into the kitchen at 9:00 each evening to finish up the day's leftovers* The present owner of Bay view-Wildwood, Ron Stanton (Ernest's eldest son), assumed management from his father in ip66/ 6 Ron has made numerous additions and today his place is advertised as an all-seasons resort/7 Wild Echo was called Sundown Lodge when it was owned by Tommy Dawson. Walter Stanton purchased it in 1951 and renamed it Wild Echo. He then sold it (^1952) to Fred Adams, but later it once again became a Stanton resort but within the Bayview-Wildwood orbit* However, it was operated separately from Bayview-Wildwood for nine years (1986-1995) as Wild Echo - a Lakeside Ranch Resort by Ron Stanton's son Doug. Today management has returned to the main resort at Bayview-Wildwood/8 While the resorts of Port Stanton are its most prominent feature, there are a number of permanent residences, privately owned cottages and Martin's Store, as well as the Church of the Good Samaritan, making this a community with a small year round population*

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L A K E S H O R E HOUSE

Lakes/tore House had its beginnings when Ellen Stanton came to Bert Stanton s wife, Martha, to ask if she would take the overflow from Stanton House m their home.19 Not many years later a more formal Lakeshore House was established. The postmark is August 13, 1915, but the view may date from about 1905-7, possibly when Lakeshore House was being built.20

In this next view Lakeshore House has a screened-in verandah to protect the folks from the Sparrow Lake mosquitoes. One of the two gentlemen standing together is wearing light-coloured "plus-fours" and this would likely date the photograph somewhere in the 1920$.

Resorts of Port Stanton

A later and more pleasing Lakeshore House showing the grounds in front adorned with more foliage and looking much like it did in the 19305. Note the attractive architectural details in the verandah railings and the second storey screened-in porch.

The tennis court which remains in the same site today with Lakeshore House in the background, partially hidden. The vintage of the parked cars would make it about 1930 or 1932.

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BONHEUR L O D G E / B A Y V I E W L O D G E

Regrettably, the only postcard in the author's possession of Bay view Lodge when it was separate from Bayview^Wildwood. It began as a house called Bonheur, built by Edwin Stanton, Captain Stantons grandson. While operating this house as Bonheur Lodge, Ed's wife Flora took in a few guests each summer while Ed ran the Stanton's store. Ed's brother Ernest later bought Bonheur and his wife Clara renamed it Bay view Lodge in 1945.2I In 1955 Ron Stanton took over Bayview management.22 The view is looking east.

Resorts of Port Stanton

W I L D W O O D INN

A general view of Wildwood in the 19305, The parking arrangements were typically casual for the era. Walter Stanton, another of Captain Tom Stanton s grandsons, built Wildwood in 1931 after dismantling the Stanton sawmill The sawmill was originally the W.P. Christie Lumber Company shingk mill and was purchased by Captain Tom Stanton in the i88os.23 Wildwood was later sold to Walter's brother Ernest who owned Bay view Lodge and this established the Bayview-Wildwood connection.24

A more formal ig6os view of the main entrance with an outside telephone booth now added for the convenience of the guests.

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An attractive end-view of Wildwood with the shuffleboard framed by a gateway and sheltered by a stone wall built by Walter Stanton. Walter was a skilled stone mason who also loved to use dynamite in his numerous construction projects.

Wildwood in the 19505 or early 19605 facing the bay with a neatly manicured front lawn. Wood boats like these are a rarity today. One is a 'cedar strip', the other a 'lapstrake*, i.e. with the planking overlapped.

Resorts of Port Stanton

B A Y V I E W - W I L D WOOD A 1980$ postcard advertising the amalgamated BayviewWildwood as a year round resort only a short distance north of Toronto, The large building in view is a renovated Wildwood.

W I L D ECHO A very early picture-postcard with two inserts; one of the launch Mustang which had an inboard engine and was owned by Charles Musson, a Port Stanton cottager25 and the other a cottage on Helens Island which was owned by the Butler family. Sundown Lodge had its beginnings on Helens Island and is now Wild Echo.26 The postmark is April 29, 1907. Early picture-postcards like this one were usually tinted and embellished with art nouveau ornamentation.

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An aerial view of modern Wild Echo Lodge.Today it is part of Bayview-Wildwood.

A permanent residence built in 1950 in Port Stanton, - "Toms House/' Tom Stanton is a grandson of Captain Tom.

From Port Stanton to M a p l e G r o v e

SPARROW LAKE (MASSEY) CAMP Anyone passing by Sparrow Lake Camp today might see a flotilla of canoes or a troup of knapsack-laden children on a hike, or hear a dinner bell or singing by an evening campfire. However, it did not begin as a camp for children, but, in common with other early resorts, was originally an adult/family camp. The property was purchased from its original owner, Captain Thomas Stanton, by the Massey and Langmuir families in 1892.' The Massey property was for many years the summer home of various branches of the Massey family and comprised about 85 acres with a main lodge, dining room and cottages/ Vincent Massey, a former Governor-General of Canada, refers in his autobiography to a family camp on a northern

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lake which may well have been the site on Sparrow Lake*3 In 1906 when the Massey family gave a limited deed to the property to Reverend Thomas W* Neal and Reverend John D* Fitzpatrick, the camp was then used as a retreat for ministers and their families until 1912, when Reverend Neal returned the deed to the Massey family* The Masseys, well known for their philanthropy, in turn, deeded the property to the Methodist Union of Toronto4 to be used as a summer camp for disadvantaged boys from the Fred Victor Mission, also established by the Massey family*5 The camp program was expanded to include girls in I9i6*6 At the time of Church Union in 1925, Sparrow Lake Camp became the responsibility of the Toronto Home Missions Council7 The adjacent Langmuir property of about 47 acres was purchased in 1926, and the current camp buildings were erected* Sparrow Lake Camp then became one of the largest of the United Church camps.8 Since 1940 the Camp has been operated on a self-sustaining basis*9

This card was mailed from Wenona Lodge, called "Wenona House" by the sender, on August i, 1911 suggesting that postcards of Massey Camp were available to lodges on the Lake.

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove

The postmark on this card is September i, 1906. The large building in the centre, partially hidden by a tree, is likely Massey Lodge, said to be erected by Chester Massey. It was probably the Massey family's own cottage and the other buildings were for guests.10 The exact date of the photograph is unknown and it is hard to tell whether the Massey family was still using the Camp (with Massey children on the dock) or whether this was the first year the Camp served as a retreat for ministers and their families.11 The building on the right, closest to the water, was the dining or cook house.12

With so many adults evident, this postcard would appear to be made from a photograph at a time when the Camp was being used as a retreat.13 The dining house is clearly open in this view, with tables for open-air dining,14 The date would be between 1906 and 1912.

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• 36 • SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER Around 1912 the Massey property was deeded to the Methodist Union of Toronto to be used as a summer camp for disadvantaged boys and the name Methodist Boys' Camp then appears on postcards. Since the program included girls by 1916 this postcard probably dates from between 1912 and 1916,

The Langmuir s Point property was adjacent to Sparrow Lake Camp and was purchased by the Toronto Home Missions Council in 1926. This enlarged the Camp from 85 acres to about 130 acres, making it one of the largest of the United Church Camps.

"At the sound of the dinner bell" is postmarked August 23, 1928. The scene, on the way to the present-day dining half, probably was taken shortly after it was built in 1926. Around this time, a person well known to Sparrow Lake, Reverend W.A. Hunnisett was a camp leader. The camp is now referred to as Sparrow Lake Campy and for a period prior to Church Union, the name Methodist Young People s Camp was also used on postcards. This site is also where Captain Tom Stanton built his first log house in the iS/os/5

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove

ROEHI/S H O T E L ( T O R P I T T ) All the resorts on the northwest end of Sparrow Lake - RoehPs Hotel, Torpitt and Grandview, as well as Maple Grove, were established on what was originally RoehPs property* The RoehPs resorts, - RoehPs Hotel (later Torpitt) and Grandview had their beginnings because of the energy and initiative of Mr Otto Roehl (1862-1955)* His father, Otto Sr*, (18051874) had emigrated from northern Germany in 1860 to join his brother William who, some years earlier, had settled where Torpitt Lodge is today* Otto's father and uncle each purchased 100 acres from the Crown and together these two tracts stretched from Duck Bay to Deep Bay* As the first settlers on the northwest side of Sparrow Lake, the brothers established homes and began farming* Their joint land was eventually owned by Otto Roehl and to this day some of it remains in the family* On the Severn River as well as near the Lake, the RoehPs farm was also an ideal camp site* By the i88os fishermen, and no doubt some hunters, were requesting permission to stay on the RoehPs property* The first visitors were the Erhardt brothers, Fred and Leonard, from Pittsburgh who camped on RoehPs pasture where the Torpitt golf course was later developed* Fred first came in 1883 and Leonard joined him in 1886* During a personal conversation in 1990 with Abby Cox shortly before he died, Abby, a long time resident of Sparrow Lake and the original proprietor of nearby Maple Grove, said that at first Fred Erhardt fished from a small birchbark canoe which he had made by a local Indian* Up until the mid-19405 the Erhardt brothers came every year to Sparrow Lake. Their long time friend and fishing partner Oscar Logan, another early visitor to RoehPs and also from Pittsburgh, came to Sparrow Lake until 1952 (All three stayed at Otto RoehPs nearby

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Grandview Hotel after 1919 when RoehPs Hotel was sold)* These men were serious fishermen and hardly a summer went by without them catching a trophy muskelunge* It wasn't long after the early campers came that they began requesting meals at the Roehl farmhouse* Later Otto built his first cabin and, as more fishing buddies came, this building was followed by several more. In 1910 he built a hotel, RoehPs Hotel, on the site of present day Torpitt* Otto was now seriously involved in the resort business which augmented farming and lumbering as a means of livelihood/6 Occasionally references are made to a Harmony Lodge on Sparrow Lake* It was not a resort but a cottage with a boathouse over which there were three small rooms and a verandah* Both the cottage and the boathouse faced the Severn River and were probably put up in the early 19005 on what, at that time, was RoehPs property, but is today part of Grandview Lodge Resort* The boathouse is still standing as one of the oldest structures on the northwest side of Sparrow Lake* In the 19305 there were two families associated with Harmony Lodge, the Rosenbergs from East Aurora N*Y* and the Parkers from Orillia, the latter occupying the boathouse accommodation*17 Harmony Lodge was apparently a shared vacation facility with the cooking and eating area in the cottage probably accounting for the name Harmony Lodge* Between Torpitt Lodge and Harmony Lodge, a Chippewa family from Rama, the Williams, camped near the shore of the river* Floyd and Fred Rosenberg from Harmony Lodge, the William's son and I were all about the same age and we would often play together* I can recall Mr* Williams putting out night lines in the River to catch catfish* Sometimes he caught huge channel catfish, and I would watch with fascination as the fish were being cleaned and smoked over a fire*

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove

An early view of Otto Roehl's resort from the Severn River before the hotel was built. The camper's tents are on the edge of part of the present day Torpitt golf course. By the early ipoos a few cottages had been built. Note the spelling of "Rowls" at the bottom of the postcard. Postal cancellation, Aug. 1907.

Probably the earliest postcard ofRoehl's Hotel which was built in 1910. There are no railings on the verandah and no addition, which was added later. The styk of architecture is typical of summer hotels at that time and in this instance its symmetry is particularly pleasing,

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Frank and Albert Stanton's Sparrow Lake Steamer Line 40 foot Glympse at Roehlsy filled to capacity, leaving for an outing possibly a baseball game. The man on the edge of the dock in the white shirt and suspenders is Otto Roehl. The note on the postcard indicates that some guests pursued other interests than fishing, "Guy, this is the only place to camp - [there] is a crowd of girls up here from Pitts" (Pittsburgh). Postal cancellation Aug. 18, 1909. Inscribed on the back of the postcard is - "Published by H.W. Wiancko, Sparrow Lake, Ont." He would have been proprietor at that time of Wiancko House on the east side of Sparrow Lake.

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove

An attractively bordered postcard of a now well established RoeW's hotel with numerous boats for the pkasure of the guests. The postcard was mailed to Scotland and somehow found its way back to a dealer in Canada to be purchased by the author.

A large and clearly happy crowd at Roehls Hotel about 1912 or 1914. Otto RoeM is standing on the verandah, second from the left, and wearing a white shirt. His wife Annie is behind his shoulder and barely visible.

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Relaxing on what is today part of the Torpitt golf course. The two horses pulling the hayrake indicate that the Roehls probably still kept farm animals. The path in the background is still there today.

TORPITT LODGE The story is told of a tourist in the 19208, who, after getting off the train at Port Stanton, intended to go to Lakeview House* However, instead of getting into the launch to take him to Lakeview, by mistake he got into the Torpitt launch and to his surprise found himself a guest at Torpitt* He enjoyed himself so much that he continued to go to Torpitt year after year for over 60 years. No wonder Torpitt is known as the (House of Friendship'! Otto Roehl's 46-room RoehPs Hotel was purchased in 1919 by Jack Tresidder (Sr.) after he returned from World War L He formally renamed it Hotel Torpitt because so many guests came from Toronto and Pittsburgh, In those early years Torpitt guests had to be met by boat at Port Stanton. There were several trains a day with specials on the weekends and, as such, kept two launches busy, one for passengers and one for luggage. The friendly competition that existed among some of the

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove

'captains' was displayed in the various ways they would decorate their launches to welcome the guests* There were many other aspects of Torpitt that provided pleasure and amusement for the guests* Frequent events included baseball games with other resorts including Grandview, Vanomi and Delmonte* Jack often played and occasionally served as umpire* During the 19305 the DelVan-Tor Trophy (Delmonte, Vanomi, Torpitt) was created from a trophy that Jack, a champion middle distance runner, had won while serving in England during WWL This trophy still occupies a place of honour in Torpitt's lounge* For several years in the 19305 Torpitt had a resident pianist, Al Linton, who played for the regular dances at the hotel* In 1936 a large dance hall was built by the shore of the river* The Saturday night dances there were always popular and well attended by guests from nearby resorts* For the midweek dances across the Lake at Delmonte, Jack would take a boat load of folks over for the evening in his launch* Torpitt is also famous for its golf course established in 1942 as a 6-hole course and later expanded in 1956 to the 9-holes of today* It is the only golf course on the lake* Since the beginning of these resorts there have been annual tournaments and over the years the Torpitt Lodge Labour Day Tournament has been the most significant event* The original Low Net Score Trophy was replaced in 1973 by the Margaret and Jack Tresidder Memorial Trophy* In May 1939 Torpitt burned, but a new structure, now renamed Torpitt Lodge, was built on the same site in record time, just 23 days, in time for the opening of the tourist season* In addition to the main lodge, today there are modern motel units as well as a laundromat for the convenience of guests*

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Faye and Jack (Jr.) have operated Torpitt Lodge since the passing of Margaret and Jack in 1972* Faye is well known for her good food and is renowned for her butter tarts* With a long standing and faithful clientele, the tradition of the 'House of Friendship' continues to this day, with many guests of over fifty years continuing to return for their summer vacation/8

The original Torpitt shown here with the verandah, was built in 1910. The large wing behind was added a few years later. This is probably one of the first postcards of Torpitt after Jack Tresidder (SrJ purchased it in 1919.

Keystone Cottage was one of the early Torpitt cottages probably built about the same time as, or possibly earlier than the original hotel. It was demolished in 1971 and today jack and Faye's home, built in 1972, is located on the site of the cohhttage.

From Port Stanton to maple Grove . 45.

Two views of modern Torpitt Lodge. The upper postcard was probably made shortly after the new lodge was built in 1939. The sender of this postcard said that she was "only here for a few days . . . wish I could stay here for a long time.'1 The lower more recent view shows a number of renovations: a tuck shop added in 1960, picture windows and an extension to the dining room on the main level in 1962 and upgrading of the second floor in 1970.

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A view ofTorpitt's dance hall, looking east towards Grandview, probably not long after it was built in 1936. It was large enough to accommodate guests from several nearby resorts as noted by the sender of this card, who was staying at Maple Grove and planning to attend the dance at Torpitt that evening.

GRANDVIEW LODGE After Otto Roehl sold his hotel to Jack Tresidder Sr* in 1919, he decided to build a small resort on Grandview Point* The original building had about ten rooms and was known to older guests as the Annex, later to be named Roehl HalL (In the early 19805 the original Roehl Hall was replaced with a modern motel style unit*) In 1923 he added a larger unit, which today with many improvements, is the main lodge of Grandview Lodge Resort* Mr* Roehl operated Grandview as a family resort with guests returning year after year, and when their children grew up they in turn came

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove

with their families. He was a strict disciplinarian, no late hours, no partying; even dances in the hotel lounge had to be carefully negotiated* He preferred guests who liked to fish, but other than fishing, entertainment was limited to tennis or horseshoes and, of course, swimming as Grandview had a large beach. In peak season there were regular baseball games with nearby Torpitt Lodge* In the early years, the 1920$ and 19305, weekly rates were inexpensive, as at other resorts on the Lake; fourteen dollars a week for adults and eight dollars for children. Meals were simple and wholesome with turkey the traditional Sunday fare* Kids made their own fun and pranks were common. One was to turn the Wurlitzer in the lounge of the main lodge on loud about midnight and watch through a verandah window as someone came down from an upstairs room to pull the plug out of the wall. Also rafts were built for children since there were a lot of logs and planks around in the 19305. Because Otto Roehl was an old lumberman, he approved of this and would readily give me lots of nails to build a raft to be equipped with a mast and an old sheet for a sail Long before slot machines became legal in casinos, five cent slot machines could be found in resorts. My memories include a vivid recollection of Jack Tresidder (Sr.), the proprietor of nearby Torpitt Lodge, racing over to Grandview to warn Otto that an inspector was on his way to check for slot machines. No one was in the hotel office so Mr. Tresidder enlisted me to help him push Otto's two machines into a washroom at the end of the lounge. He told me to bolt the door and not to come out until a signal was given. It never came. So after nearly an hour I peeked through a crack in the door and saw that no one was in sight. As I started to pull one of the slot machines out (they were heavy) a lady came by and said "What are you doing with those things in

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there?" As a startled 14 year-old I told here that I had to take them to the bathroom! As a retired school teacher she readily reprimanded me for my answer - "Don't get smart with me, young man!" Otto Roehl operated Grandview for nearly twenty years* After his wife Annie's untimely death in 1934, he came to rely more heavily on Flossie Robinson who, as a young girl from Kilworthy, had come to work for Mr* and Mrs* RoehL It is probably not an exaggeration to say that the smooth day-to-day operation of the resort was due to Flossie's lifetime devotion to Grandview* From her 7:30 wake-up call on the legendary Grandview horn to her making sure that the teenage waitresses went to bed early when they had over-partied, she always had the interests of the guests at heart* A transition in the management and ownership began in 1938* Otto leased Grandview to his only daughter Mildred and, subsequently, sold it to her in 1943* His son-in-law Cecil (Darker) was gradually able to devote more time from his work with Neilsons in Toronto to the operation of Grandview.19 Later Mildred and Cecil's sons Bill and David were the third generation in the resort business* In 1973 Bill and his wife Gayla became owners* Grandview was next purchased in 1988 by Jim and Susan Seabrook* This was marked by the change in name to Grandview Lodge Resort* Tragically, Jim Seabrook was drowned in Sparrow Lake in September 1993, but his widow, who remarried, carries on the business with her second husband, Rick Hollingshead*20

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove

Grandview from the grove near the Lake probably not long after it was built in 1923. As yet there is no railing on the long narrow verandah. Part of the 'Annex (Roehl Hall) built in 1921 is visible on the far right of the postcard.

A classic view of Grandview as it looked in the 19305. The sender said that Grandview was a "lovely spot, nice big beach . . . you would have enjoyed the corn roast last night/'

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Grandview with the dining room extension and the new screened verandah replacing the old narrow verandah which was collapsed under heavy snow during the winter 0/1944-45.

Postmarked July 15, 1924 and looking toward the front entrance of Roehl Hall, Grandview now has several recently built cottages, but as a legacy of the past the large tent in the foreground proves that there is still the odd camper. The view is from near the shore of the Severn River.

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove

A side view of the Annex (Roehl Hall) as it looked in the 19305 until it was replaced in the early 19805. The end room on the kft with a separate entrance was reserved for Otto Roehl for life after he sold Grandview to his daughter Mildred (Darker) in 1943. Otto remained a familiar figure around Grandview until he died in 1955.

Two of the cottages as they looked in the 19305 be/ore being screened in. These are facing the beach and looking out onto the Lake,

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Screened cabins m the 19505 facing the bay in front of the main lodge. Before the era of fibre glass and aluminum boats, the ones docked here are 'cedar strip' or cedar lapstrake. Cottages now had showers attached.

Grandview beach in the late 19205. Note the youngsters on the raft. As there were lots of old boards and logs around, building a raft was a common amusement for the younger set.

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove

The beach about 1960 probably shortly after the retaining wall was built. 'Rocky Point' the last of the old style cottages is visible in the background. It has been moved behind the lodge where it became a staff cabin.

The path to Deep Dock, facing the River, with Snake Island in the background,the exact date unknown, but as there are hydro poles on Snake Island, no doubt shortly after 1929 when electricity reached Grandview. The woman in the foreground is passing a large oak tree that still stands today.

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The Grandview launch at Deep Dock loading up for a sightseeing trip or possibly for the folks on the way to church, a service provided by the Lodge. The man on the left is E.K. Allen of Pittsburgh who stayed at Grandview all summer (and smoked White Owl cigars), Jim Morris of Toronto a long-time guest is next to him and Cecil Darker co-proprietor is leaning on the canopy of the launch. The date would be about 1947 or 1948,

MAPLE GROVE

One day in July 1990 a car came down the long road leading to our cottage which looked onto Duck Bay* A lady got out of the car and said that her father just wanted to have a look at the bay* I approached the car and the elderly gentleman sitting in the front seat said his name was Cox. Knowing that name around Sparrow Lake, I asked if he were related to Abby Cox* With a strong voice he answered, "I am Abby Cox/'

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove

Abby (Albert) Cox owned and operated Maple Grove* In 1903 Otto Roehl sold land north of his farm and a camp site to Albert Cox (Sr*), who moved his family from their log house at Heidman's Corners in Morrison Township.21 Otto is said to have sold the property because he wanted a neighbour he knew and liked living nearby*22 Albert Cox (Sr*) built a home and farmed for several years and, about 1910, Abby helped his father build an addition to their house. Now there was room for tourists and, like so many other resorts on Sparrow Lake, Maple Grove began by taking in summer guests* As Abby's resort was not large, he catered to families and fisherfolk, as did the nearby RoehPs Hotel* When I had the good fortune to talk to Abby Cox in July 1990 he had many interesting stories of Sparrow Lake* One was that originally there was no wild rice in Sparrow Lake* He said it was put there years ago by a merchant from Gravenhurst because he wanted to hunt ducks (Duck Bay?). Abby also recalled building cottages for Otto Roehl, cutting ice for the ice house at Grandview and of being well acquainted with Cecil Wesley, a local Indian* During the summer Cecil was a special game warden* One day in the late 19305 when Deep Bay was a fish sanctuary and closed to fishing, Cecil, paddling swiftly in his canoe, waved me down at the entrance to Deep Bay. He wanted to be sure that I did not go in there with my boat and fishing rod, a temptation hard for a young teenager to resist* About 1940 Abby sold Maple Grove back to Otto Roehl and approximately five years later it was purchased by Margaret Van Kralingen* When she married Jack Sykes, he joined her in running the resort* Up until at least 1958 Maple Grove was still operating on the American plan* No longer in operation today, what was Maple Grove is now privately owned by the Patava family.

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Abby went on to manage a resort in Haliburton owned by a former guest at Grandview Lodge* In later life he lived at Hawkin's Corners on Highway n* Abby died on August 29, 1990, aged 95, about a month after I was fortunate to have been able to talk to him* He was one of the last local residents whose life and clear memory could reach back to the early years of Sparrow Lake* Beyond Maple Grove, on the way to Deep Bay, the remnants of a foundation can be seen near Sunset Rock* This was the spectacular site of Newell's Hotel, which in 1924 was included on the sign listing the hotels of Sparrow Lake at Martin's Store*23 The hotel's proprietor was Walter Newell, a stepson of Otto Roehl* Little more is known about the building which burned not long after it was erected* For many years children would find it a spooky experience to come across bits of broken china and old cutlery on the rocks where this hotel once stood* Mapk Grove as viewed from Cox's Bay on a quiet day in the late 19305. The folks appear to have been assembled for a posed picture in front of what was the original Cox home. Maple Grove was a few hundred feet below Torpitt on the lower Severn River.

From Port Stanton to Maple Grove A home^ view of Maple Grove from the south east side with what looks like a belfry for the dinner bell on the extension.

Cabins and dance hall probably taken about the same time as the first postcard shown of Maple Grove. One wonders if the guests haven t just been moved from the front of Maple Grove for another posed picture. The cottages in the background are typical of those built in the 19205. Today the dance hall would probably be referred to as the recreation hall; it is a reminder of how popular dancing was in the 19305.

Maple Gro 5 5 > 5 6 , 99, 100 Otto (Sr.), 37 William, 37, 96, 119 Roehl's camp site, xiii Roehl's Channel, 98, 106 Roehl's farm, 37, 38, 41 Roehl Hall, 46, 49, 50 Roehl's Hotel, 37-42, 55 Rosenbergs (East Aurora NY), 38 Rosenberg, Floyd, 38 Rosenberg, Fred, 38 Royal Stuart (Hotel), 96 Sanderson, David, 85

Schell, Bill, 82 Schofield, Dr. Frank, 91 Schultz (Schulz): 96 August, 96 Bertha (Roehl) (Mrs. August), 96 Harry, 96-98 Myrtle (Mrs. Harry), 96-98 Thelma, 97 Scotland, 41 Seabrook (James) Jim, 48 Seabrook, Susan, 48 Severn Bridge (ON), xiii, 3, 5, 7, 19, 62, 63, 66, 70, 96, 98 telephone exchange, 66,98 GTR station, 3 Severn River, i, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, 37'39, 50, 53> 56, 58-60, 62, 64, 67, 71, 92, 105, 106, 108, no Severn River Inn, 98 Shand, Jack, 94 Sheridan Park Public School (Mississauga ON), 122, 124 Silver Pines Resort, 92 Simcoe, John Graves (Lieutenant Governor), 2 Simcoe County, i Simcoe (tow boat) (later Pocahontos), 3 Skalosky, Mary, 86 Skalosky, Terry, 86 Sloan's Restaurant (see Gravenhurst) Socha, Stanley, 100 Snake Island, 53 Sparrow Beach Lodge, 98, 100, 102

Sparrow Cottage, 22, 23 Sparrow Lake Association of Cottage and Resort Owners, 108, 115 Sparrow Lake Historical Society, 58 Sparrow Lake (Massey) Camp, 4, 19, 22, 33-36, 119 Sparrow Lake Regatta, 115 Sparrow Lake Steamer Line, 4, 8, 9, 22, 40, 114 Sparrow Lake Station (see Port Stanton) Sparrow Lake United Church, 119, 121 Spartan (steamer), 4 St. George, Quenton, 2 Stanton: 2, 25 (Albert) Bert, 4, 8, 26, 40 Alice, 19 Clara (Mrs. Ernest), 28 David, 24 (Douglas) Doug, 25 Edwin (Ed), 24, 28 Eleanore (Fosdick) (Mrs. Walter), 24 Ellen (Franlin) (Mrs. Capt, Tom), 18, 19, 20, 26, 119 Ernest, 5, 24, 25, 28, 29, in Eva (Johnston), 19 Flora, 28 Frank, 5, 8, 22-24, 4°» 71, ii George (Capt.), 19 John, 5 Marion (see Marion Clipsham) Martha (Mrs. Albert), 26

Index Mary Lou (Mrs. James), 119 Pearl (see Pearl Whiteside), Phyllis (Hawkins) (Mrs, Tom), 19 Ron, 25, 28 Tom, 19, 21, 32 Tomas (Tom) (Capt.)> 3, 4, 5, 18, 19, 22, 28, 29> 33> 36, 114 Violet (McMaster) (Mrs. Frank), 22 Walter, 23-25, 29, 30 Stanton Airways, 5 Stanton Bros., 9 Stanton Bros. Store, 5, 12, 15, 28, 85

Stanton House, xiii, 4, 19-22, 26, 119, 120, 122-124 Bayshore, 21 Front Row, 20, 21 Maples, 21 Stanton sawmill, 25, 29 Stein, Hugo, 3 Stettenbenz, Carl (New York NY), Stettenbenz family, 77 Stuart, Harry (Cleveland OH), 96 "Summer Life on Sparrow Lake" (CBCfilm), 72 Sundown Lodge/Wild Echo, 24, 25, 31, 32 Sunset Rock, 56 Sunscape, 96 Swift Rapids (ON), 15, 16, 71, 75 Swift Rapids Damand Power House, 16, 67, 105 Sykes, Jack, 55 Ticket of Location, 2

Torpitt Lodge, 6, 7, 13, i7»37. 38, 4i-45» 47» 92,96, 117-119 Golf Course, xiii, 37, 39>4i>43 House of Friendship, 42,44 Keystone Cottage, launch, 42 Torpitt Lodge Labour Day Tournament, 43 Torpitt Road, 6 Toronto (ON), 5, 12, 17, 31, 42, 54, 75,96, 100, 119 Toronto Home Missions Council, 34, 36 "Tourist Guide, 1928" (Province of Ontario),

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Trent-Severn System, 6, 15, 107 Tresidder: Faye (Mrs, Jack Jr.), 44 Jack (Sr.), 6, 44 Jack (Jr.), 6, 42-44, 46, 47.85 Margaret, 44 Tervaes, Edovard (Brussels, Belgium), 68 Uneeda Rest Hotel, 4, 71, 74-76, 80, 108,113 United Church of Canada, 34, 36, 120 United Empire Loyalists,

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United States, 75 University of Toronto, 78 Upper Canada, 2 Van Kralingen, Margaret (Mrs. Jack Sykes), Vanomi Hotel, 43, 58, 77,

96, 98, 100-102, 114 Vanomi Point, 101 Vernon Lodge, 89, 90 W.R Christie Lumber Company, 2, 29, 91 Walther League, 120 Washago (ON), 3, 7, 71 Marshall's Mill, 71 Welch Bay, 58 Wenona Lodge, 34, 69, 70 Whiteside: 2 Gordon, 62 James, 5, 60, 62 Pearl (Stanton) (Mrs. Gordon), 62 Whiteside farm, 62 Whitwell family, 77 Wiancko: 2 Aldolphus, 5, 78, 79 Harold W., 78, 79 Maurice, 79 Meta, 84 Meta (Mrs. Adolphus), 78, 79 — (Mrs. H.W.), 84 Winacko House, 40, 7882 -post office, 79 Wild Echo (see Sundown Lodge) Wildwood Inn, 24, 29-31, 116 Williams (Chippewa family from Rama Reserve), 38 Wood, (Thomas) Captain Tom, 4, 62, 63, 80 World War I (WWI), 42, 43,69, 118 World War II (WWII), 58

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CREDITS FOR VISUALS All postcards and other visuals are the property of the author, Bruce ML McCraw and are used with his permission, with the exception of those listed below: Page 9 - Letter and ticket of the Sparrow Lake Steamer Line. Courtesy: David E. Stanton. Page 50 - Grandview with the dining room extension* Courtesy: Mrs* Betty Niro. Page 52 - Screened cabins in the i95os-Grandview Lodge. Courtesy: Mrs. Betty Niro. Page 76 - Uneeda Rest perched high above the lake. Courtesy: Robert E. Clipshatn* Page 77 - The swimmers are enjoying the sandy bottom at the south end of the lake* Courtesy: Robert E* Clipsham* Page 77 - The verandah of Uneeda Rest. Courtesy: Robert E. Clipsham* Page 102 - The rugged shore stands out.*. Courtesy: Robert R. Darker. Concluding page. High Island, probably the most well-known island on Sparrow Lake, a popular picnic spot. Courtesy: Bruce McCraw* Outside front cover. A view of Delmonte-in-the-Pines from the waterfront* Outside back cover* • An early view of the platform at Sparrow Lake Station and the gangway to the Port Stanton dock. The building in the centre background is Stanton Bros* store, todays* Martin's Store* It is difficult to tell whether the folks are waiting for the baggage to be sorted after getting off the train or whether the train for Toronto will soon arrive* One thing is certain, with the many large steamer trunks on the platform, tourists did not travel lightly in the early 19005. The postmark on the postcard is September 5, 1910* Courtesy: Bruce McCraw* • The 40 foot steamer Glympse, built in 1907, and along with the Lakefield comprised the 'Sparrow Lake Steamer Line' operated by Albert and Frank Stanton* The Sparrow Lake Steamer Line carried most of the commercial traffic for the railway from the Port Stanton wharf from 1907 on. The photograph for this unusually clear postcard, post-marked August 30, 1909, appears to have been taken from the wharf. A tractor engine that burned kerosene replaced steam power about 1911. Courtesy Bruce McCraw* • An outing in the early 1920*5 at DeLaporte's Point between Uneeda Rest and Wiancko House. Orma Clipsham (1898-1978) is at the stern and a guest, Carl Stettenbenz, is at the oars of a double-ender skiff built by Wes Clipsham. Courtesy: Robert E* Clipsham*

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ABOUT THE A U T H O R

The author fishing for bass from the Grandview Lodge "big" dock, July, 1935. Note the partial view of the dog on the left. The photograph was taken by the author's father, Donald Frederick Fraser McCraw.

Bruce McCraw, retired professor from the University of Guelph, first experienced Sparrow Lake as a toddler with his family* There his father is reputed to have caught one of the largest muskies ever taken from the lake. Today Bruce continues his research, but now the focus in on the resorts of Sparrow Lake and on matching his father's prowess as a fisherman.

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