Bobcaygeon

Bobcaygeon

Looking west up Big Bob Channel and the canal, in many ways Bobcaygeon’s appearance is similar to the village six decades ago. Boats still line the canal, while many of the buildings of the main street remain. Juniper Island continues to be largely forested, as are many of the points in the distance. The downtown has many fewer trees gracing its streets today, as has the north shore of Juniper Island. Three bridges still cross the channel, with the dam to the west. Gordon Boat Works (now Gordon Yacht Harbour) no longer makes canoes. Thomas Gordon started out building boats in Lakefield before moving to Bobcaygeon. Since the original photograph was taken, the marina has expanded to include new boat slips.

The Canal

While the canal was a favourite swimming spot in the mid twentieth century, it is no longer considered safe to enjoy a dip given the boat traffic. Boats have gotten larger over the years, but many of them still congregate below the Bobcaygeon Lock. The old stone retaining wall on Juniper Island (right) has been replaced by a concrete dock. Juniper Island is no longer the open parkland it once was, as it has grown up into more mature trees. On the south shore, the old trees have been removed, while the village now has a stop light at the swing bridge (under construction in 2022).

Bobcaygeon Lock

Though the park is not as densely wooded as it was circa 1955 when this original photograph was taken, the lock station has been rebuilt, safety railings have been added, and there are now black steel benches to watch the boats pass through, the lock chamber itself looks quite similar.

Constructing the Dry Dock

The original picture is a view east along Front Street showing the construction of Bobcaygeon’s dry dock. In 1921, a coffer dam stretched across Big Bob Channel to build a concrete dam with a dry dock. When it was completed the doors would rest against the V-shaped steel beams lying on the river bed. Boats would be brought into the west end, then once the gates were closed, the water could be let out on the lower (east) side. The steam engine on the right provided power, which was used for mixing concrete and pumping water out of the pit during construction. Henderson House appears in the centre-left in the background, since moved to Settlers Village. The new dam was complete by 1923 and the dry dock would measure 170 feet by 35 feet.

Big Bob Channel

The original photograph, taken from the mill dam, looks across Big Bob Channel towards the North Island. In place of the variety of buildings that once stood between the bridges, there are beautiful waterfront homes today. On the opposite side of Main Street, the Stoneyhurst Hotel (centre, partially obscured) still stands today, though with a different brick facade. In the original photograph, the water level was significantly lower than it is today. Up to the mid twentieth century, there were much greater fluctuations in water levels.

Mossom Boyd & Company

What was built in 1889 as Mossom Boyd & Company’s Office is now the Boyd Museum and Bobcaygeon’s Chamber of Commerce. It was conveniently located in front of the lock to also serve the family’s Trent Valley Navigation Company. As the Boyd’s Big House (located across William Street) was ceasing to exist, Dirk Van Oudenaren and Bernie Gehmair relocated an archway to improve the entrance of the original stone walls. Though the roofline and dormers have changed, and the west chimney has been removed, the interior of the old office still retains its Victorian character.

The Big House

When Mossom Boyd married Caroline Dunsford in February 1844, he gave up farming, moved to Bobcaygeon and began to work full time in the lumber and milling business. This enterprise had been founded by Bobcaygeon’s proprietor, Thomas Need, who had since returned to Britain. The newlyweds also took up residence in Need’s small house that overlooked the foot of the canal.

Though it was a small building when they first moved in, Mossom was an ambitious man, soon removed the roof and converted it into a storey-and-a-half building. Operating a lumber mill, there was no shortage of wood—back then lumber was graded at a high standard, so much lumber that might be acceptable today, would be culled. Over the years, many additions to the Boyd home were built of stacked lumber, where culled boards were laid one on top of another to create walls. By the 1890s, it had become ‘the Big House,’ comprising 35 rooms with 17 fireplaces. The Boyds were then among the most prominent business families in Canada, and their estate could host all of their friends and associates who would come to visit.

In this 1888 original photograph, Lillian deGrassi Boyd and Mossom’s son (Mossom Martin AKA Mossie), sit out in front of their home. While most of their children moved away, their youngest daughter Sheila lived in the Big House until 1982. For many years, the Boyd family owned Bobcaygeon, and this home at the heart of the village, surrounded by carefully constructed stone walls, was a conspicuous embodiment of their prominence in the community.

Boyd Estate from the Air

The former Boyd Estate, seen from the air in October 1983 and 2021. After Sheila Boyd passed away in 1982, the Big House sat empty, as her relatives considered working together with the Ontario Heritage Foundation and local politicians who rallied behind restoring the Big House to its former grandeur. But the political support amounted to little tangible assistance and the family instead sold the property. Ann Neilson, of Caledon East, purchased the building, hoping to turn it into a luxury bed and breakfast, but grew frustrated with the retrofits that would be required to open it to the public, and applied to have it demolished, prompting a public campaign to save the Big House. Neilson sold to it Bobcaygeon Vita Care, run by village doctors, who hoped to create seniors’ housing. The building sat empty and was abused by trespassers, even as villagers campaigned to save it. It caught fire on October 2, 1994—suspected arson—and the remains were demolished the next spring. Today, little remains of the former Boyd estate at the site, other than some rubble from the stone walls and some trees. The carriage house was relocated to Settlers Village and one of the arches lives on as an entrance to the Boyd Museum across the street.

Cain Brothers

The Cain Brothers General Store was built in 1874, and operated until 1906 when it became Thomas Edgar's 5, 10, 15, 25 Cent Store.

Locust Lodge

In 1924, Thomas Edgar's widow opened Locust Lodge. When the Edgar family operated the lodge, it was a vibrant, turquoise and yellow building, with brightly coloured wooden chairs on the shaded lawn out front. The old stone wall still remains, and there are still colourful chairs by the water, but many of the mature trees have been taken down—though it appears that one of the small trees in the original picture may be still standing, exhibiting its distinctive shape in front of the building.

Hotel Iroquois

What was once the Hotel Iroquois has been repurposed as the Front and Main apartments. Traces of the Iroquois’ two-storey verandah can still be seen on the brick façade, while the tastefully designed entrance has been superseded by a fire escape. The tree out front has disappeared, while the utility poles have been entirely reconfigured. The Iroquois replaced the Rokeby Hotel (or Royal Hotel), which Jackson Read built on the same site by 1873, after the original building burned on January 12, 1905. On the other side of Front Street, the Bobcaygeon Inn stands at the former site of Edgar’s 5, 10, 15, 25 Cent Store.

Milkman George Bick

In the 1950s, when George Bick was delivering Kawartha Dairy milk in Bobcaygeon with a horse-drawn wagon, electricity was not yet universal, and refrigerators were just starting to become common. Most families would receive milk every day or two to ensure that it was fresh enough to drink. Since practically everybody in the village bought milk regularly, home delivery was convenient both for Kawartha Dairy and their customers. Typically, only those who lived in town would receive milk on their doorstep in the morning—farm families usually produced their own. On farms, a lot of milk was fed to pigs, because it was scarcely marketable before the advent of refrigeration—unlike butter, which could be preserved with salt.

Old Dolly was Kawartha Dairy’s much loved delivery horse—school kids often wanted to ride her. She lived in a barn behind Jack & Ila Crowe’s house on Prince Street. Jack had devised an oat bin that opened automatically when an alarm clock went off, so the horse was already fed by the time that he got to the barn in the morning. The milk run would begin shortly after dawn, and often lasted until about 2 pm. Often Jack or Ila did the route themselves, or had George help them. He was a farmer who lived in North Verulam, and was delivering milk on the side. He is remembered as being a laid back, older gentleman.

The delivery driver would have a pouch to store the money from each house. Many customers would buy books of milk tickets and put out a ticket or two to indicate how much milk they wanted to purchase. Having done the route countless times, the horse knew where it was going and would cooperatively walk along the street as the delivery driver stopped by each house. When it came to Clarence Poole’s Kawarthe Garage (now CIBC), the driver would carry the milk to the house and cut through the alley to the next street, and the horse knew enough to head over to Sherwood Street on its own. At another stop, Old Dolly knew to turn around as the driver was delivering milk to the house.

Milk was packaged in glass bottles, which were a common shape and design between different dairies. Each dairy would have their own distinctive milk cap, which also indicated the type of milk being bottled. At the time, some other dairies like Silverwoods (Lindsay) sold cream top milk, which was non-homogenized whole milk, where the cream would literally rise to the top, packaged in a special bottle with a flare on the neck, to allow customers to scoop the cream out with a spoon. By the 1950s, Kawartha Dairy was separating the cream out of the milk, and selling different grades of homogenized milk including skim milk, pasteurized (whole) milk, 2% milk, 10% cream and whipping cream. Murphy’s Dairy (now Kawartha Settlers Village) sold raw milk, and would close when pasteurization became mandatory.

For the Crowe family, picking up milk—initially just from a few farms in the vicinity of Bobcaygeon—and delivering it was a large part of the job. In the second year after Jack and Ila Crowe purchased the business in 1937, Jack broke his leg while training a horse and Ila, assisted by one employee had to do the deliveries. Many of the second generation of the Crowes who would go on to work in the dairy business literally grew up riding around with their parents as they delivered milk. For fifteen years, Ila delivered milk, often with her six children in tow.

In 1960, Kawartha Dairy acquired their first refrigerated truck, as the old horse drawn wagons passed into history. As household refrigeration was becoming the norm, the days of transporting milk without cooling it ended. Packaging was also evolving, as Kawartha Dairy switched from glass bottles, to paper cartons, then jugs, before milk bags were adopted—which remain standard to this day. Over the years with improved processing techniques and refrigeration, milk began to keep much longer. By the 1970s, a bag of milk would last for two weeks—and today they can last for three weeks. Few customers today would feel comfortable drinking milk in the condition it would have been after three hours in a delivery wagon in the 1930s. People started buying milk at the grocery or corner store, instead of having it delivered to their homes. In 1980, Kawartha Dairy phased out home delivery.

With the advent of trucks, refrigeration and as Kawartha Dairy was relieved from the laborious job of delivering milk to each home, it became practical and necessary for dairies to serve a much larger area. When Jack and Ila Crowe bought the business, they only served part of Bobcaygeon, but as the decades passed small family run dairies closed, as businesses got larger. By 1990, Kawartha Dairy had sixteen trucks and two tractor trailers on the road. Today they sell milk throughout south central Ontario and ice cream as far away as British Columbia. Though the dairy still produces many of the same varieties of milk as in the 1950s, today the business moves at an entirely different pace from the days when George Bick and Old Dolly walked around town peddling milk.

Kawartha Dairy

Kawartha Dairy milk and ice cream is a big part of what makes the region special. Enjoying it on a summer evening has become as integral to local life as taking in the beautiful weather by the lake. When Jack and Ila Crowe opened a dairy at Bobcaygeon in 1937, it was just a simple three-room building, where the cold storage was refrigerated with blocks of ice from the lake. They picked up milk in galvanized steel cans by wagon, using horses and boats to deliver glass bottles to their customers. In the 1950s they introduced ice cream, and in the 1960s expanded to Minden. Today the dairy has 10 retail outlets and is popular across Ontario.
On the left side in the original picture is Wellington and Clara (Junkin) Johnson’s house, later owned by their son George. Being located so close to the production line, they constantly heard the sounds of the milk cases coming down the rollers. The building still stands behind the façade of the expanded dairy.

Cheese Factory

The Bobcaygeon Cheese Factory was located on North Street, across the road from Reid Street. This September 18, 1903 photograph shows cream pails loaded on wagons, with Matthew McIlmoyle, Joe Anderson, William Arscott & Sons, Charles Moffatt (helper), James Humphries, James Anderson (helper), Joe Kelso (cheesemaker) and William Britton (helper). By 1977, when the later picture was taken, the building had been repurposed for the Bobcaygeon Hydro Commission...

Bobcaygeon Hydro

Today, the former Bobcaygeon Hydro Building is 76 North Street Custom Printing and Embroidery.

Catholic Church

Though he was himself an Anglican, in 1879, Mossom Boyd donated the land to build a Catholic Church, just around the corner from his ‘Big House.’ It was said that he made this donation because the French Canadian workers he brought in would not stay unless there was Catholic Church. Architect William Duffus designed the building, and a contractor by the name of Grant framed the chapel, leaving it ready to brick and shingle for $60. They bought 16,000 bricks from Francis Curtin’s Lindsay Brickyard (later S.J. Fox) for $105.60. Jean-Francois Jamot, the first Bishop of Peterborough, officially blessed St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on January 14, 1883, then blessed and erected the Stations of the Cross the following November.
In 1933, J.M. Grant, the grandson of the contractor who originally built the church, added a vestry and a shed at the back. At the same time the altar was placed in the arch, with a new confessional, electric wiring, raised ceiling and a choir gallery. In 1964 the parking lot was built, followed by an addition at the back the following year—as is reflected in the original picture. Since then, a tree has matured in front of the building, with tasteful gardens framing it. Today, the Catholic Church is known as Our Lady Queen of Peace.

Baptist Church

Fenelon Falls and Verulam Baptist Churches, reunited today as Trentside Baptist Church, started off together at Blythe Farm on September 30, 1857. The Langton Family, who originally built the farm, were devoted Anglicans, but they had moved on as John Langton pursued a political career that would make him Canada’s first Auditor General. Much as the Langton family had used the farm as a temporary location to help found the Anglican Church, the Grahams who followed, were instrumental in establishing the Baptist Church.
A common minister preached at Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon and Scotch Line (south of Sturgeon Lake in Verulam Township) until 1888. After conducting morning service in Fenelon Falls, the minister travelled by horse and buggy or sleigh to the Scotch Line for the afternoon, before preaching at Bobcaygeon in the evening. In Bobcaygeon, services were held at McConnell’s Tavern, Taylor’s Hall, as well as above the Featherstone and Forbert stores, until a Baptist Church was completed in October 1879. In 2014, the Baptist Churches of Fenelon Falls and Bobcaygeon reunited as Trentside Baptist Church.

Knox Presbyterian Church

Bobcaygeon’s first Presbyterian Church was built in 1867, at the present site of the post office—before then members of the local congregation met in the buildings that were available at the time, and travelled to Peterborough for weddings and baptisms. The original frame building included a porch, driving shed and a fence—back then animals were pastured at large, and needed to be fenced out, lest they desecrate the property with their droppings. Ten years later services were enlivened with hymn books and an organ—which was controversial as John Calvin (a French Protestant whose teachings inspired many early Presbyterians) had advocated against musical instruments in divine service—it was to be serious religious reflection, not entertainment.
The original church burned in 1899, forcing the congregation to meet at the Baptist Church. Two Presbyterians, Alexander Orr (who operated a Temperance Hotel) and Irvine Junkin were leaders in the Temperance Movement. Irvine had an 8-room house, that included a general store, where he also served as postmaster. The same year, his home and store were ignited one night, and his family barely escaped with their lives. The congregation decided to rebuild on the Junkins’ lot. The following year, work began on Knox Presbyterian Church, located beside the Market Square, which opened on March 17, 1901. Peter Grant received $3500 for the construction. In 1938, his grandson John was hired to extend the building by 13 feet to the west, at a cost of $1203.13. Bobcaygeon formed a two-point charge with Rosedale. A church hall was added in 2000, which included a kitchen, minister’s office, study and elevator. Though a fence is no longer needed around the church, the church hall has replaced the stables at the back, it no longer has a prominent gable on its southern roof, the back chimney no longer exists and shade trees have been planted in the yard, Knox Presbyterian Church is still quite recognizable more than a century after it was built.

John Anderson Furniture

John Anderson sold furniture, and in later years the building was converted to a movie theatre, then Beckers, then the Bobcaygeon Promoter, and today is Rokeby Cannabis. The Full Cup Café and Diner is located next door. The Beck family lived in the home behind the neatly groomed hedge in the original picture, from 1927 to 1968.

Town Hall - Fire Hall

The Verulam Town Hall, built in 1874 at a cost of $1,200, was repurposed as a fire hall in the mid twentieth century, when Council moved to their new location. At that time the Women’s Institute met at the back of the first floor. The WI room was used by the driver’s examiner, who came to town one day per week. In the 1950s, the hall located on the second story hosted many public performances, complete with a stage.

Town Hall - Lions Hall

Though the front of the building was significantly modified when it served as a fire hall, it has been restored to resemble its former appearance, and is now home to the Bobcaygeon Lions Club. Though the chimney is gone, the belfry is still there. In the original image, there is a ladder on the roof to ease fighting fires (in the days of cedar shingles, fires often spread as sparks ignited the roof) and a stable beside it. Today, the road is higher than in the original picture, and a single set of stairs stands in place of the original double staircase.

J.J. Devitt & Sons

J.J. Devitt started the business in 1928 as a taxi station and by the time the original photograph was taken it was also a Massey Harris farm implement dealer, and BA service station. Ken took over from Harold in 1968, expanding the Bolton Street location to include his school bus business. He subsequently moved to King Street, then Highway 36 south of Bobcaygeon. The Devitt family lived in the house behind and there was also a horse stable behind the shop. The gas was pumped over from the train station, which was near the corner of Park Street. As at many service stations, the job of looking after customers often seemed like it would never end, and as they lived on site, visits were friends were often interrupted when a car pulled in. When guests came to Devitt’s they might hear that whoever is sitting closest to the door goes out to pump the gas.

Thurston's Service Station

In the early days of automobiles, service stations truly did live up to their name—cars were not reliable and service stations did provide repairs. At Noxon (Knocky) Thurston’s, not only could they help get you back on the road, they also delivered babies. The family lived in the house that is visible in the background and Irene (Irwin) was the villages’ nurse. Many Bobcaygeon residents were born in the Thurston’s kitchen in the mid 20th century. Later on, it was owned by Don Beckford, and then became Ken Devitt’s Garage. Reincarnated as Mike’s Mart, today King’s Mini Mart is an Ultramar Station.

Thurston's Aerial

Since the days when Thurston’s operated their service station, the adjacent lot has been cleared to create a parking lot, while the south school still stands across King Street.

South School

Over the years, the south school has been repurposed many times over—Cornerstone Furniture, Dr. Fagan’s Office, Pat Warren’s Radiology Clinic, a Buy and Sell and an Art Gallery to name a few. But for all the changes, the building looks much the same, though the belfry and the front chimney have disappeared.

Hill Croft Preparatory School

Designed by architect William Langton and built in 1908-9 by contactor William Grant, Hill Croft Preparatory School’s original headmaster was Walter T. Comber. His daughter, Dorothe, maintained a collection of historic village photographs for many years. It was reincarnated as a hospital, then was significantly expanded to become Hillcroft Haven nursing home, which cared for many local seniors in the 1980s and 1990s. In recent years, the long-term care addition has been stripped away to reveal the original façade with a few alterations. All of the chimneys that Langton had so tastefully planned are now gone.

Alexander Orr Temperance House

In the nineteenth century, travel was often slow and arduous. Trips that might take a few hours today, were often multi-day journeys back then. Every community needed at least one hotel, and since much of the traffic to the north country on the Bobcaygeon Road stopped in the village, it could support multiple hotels. Alexander Orr’s Temperance House was in operation by 1865. For many establishments, alcohol generated much of the profit, but many people had strong anti-drinking sentiments and Alexander catered to this clientele. The hotel had a reputation for serving high quality meals. Many visitors came for the fishing, and he took an interest when one guest caught a seven-pound bass and another party reeled in 87 fish in a single morning. Scotsman Alexander Orr was an avid gardener, who often showed his vegetables at the Bobcaygeon Fair. It is said that he had Scottish masons build the hotel with limestone from Canal excavation.
By the turn of the century, Mrs. Phillippo was operating the structure as the Kenosha Inn—a business that lasted until at least the 1930s. It could accommodate 80 guests for $1 to $1.50 per day. Afterwards it has been repurposed many times. Clarence Poole and Bill Nichols were two of the locals who lived there. It was also a restaurant and toy factory, then a library in 1952. A blacksmith shop was set up around back. The Masonic Lodge bought the building in the 1940s. Since then many retail establishments have used the first floor of the old hotel.

King Street Elm

In the early twentieth century, Bobcaygeon had a unique natural landmark, the King Street Elm. At the time practically everyone in town would recognize the towering specimen, and it was so popular that postcards were made of it. Today, nothing remains of the great tree, as the road has been paved and widened.

Sherwood Street

For generations, Sherwood Street has been a neighbourhood of beautiful old houses with trees lining both sides. In the early twentieth century, it was one of the local sites featured on postcards. Dr. Harry Boyd lived at the end of the street, on Little Bob Channel.

Canal Street

Walking along Canal Street towards Bolton Street, beside the locks, Dan Cain's Store was once a very prominent sight. Rebuilt after a 1913 fire, today it is part of Bigley's expansive cluster of stores.

Cain's Store

Nothing remains of from this early twentieth century view of the front Cain's Store...

Bolton Street West Side

The northwest end of Bolton Street was once home to the original Bigley's shoe store, Wollard's drug store, the Bank of British North America and Dan Cain's Store. After the block burned in 1913, the Bank of British North America rebuilt on the corner. Five years later, it merged with the Bank of Montreal.

Burritt and Hansom Kerr

For decades, Burritt and Mildred Kerr loved to be part of the Bobcaygeon Fair Parade—and people never knew what surprise they had in store. Burritt dreamed up his first float when he was 14, taking the dump cart from his family’s aggregate business and their ox, Hansom Kerr. Later on, Burritt had modified a cutter so that it was self-propelled using a lawn-mower, inventing a system of brakes, so it could be steered like a skid-steer. He cut out wooden reindeer that were suspended in front. Another parade featured the 1948 Ford “Black Beauty,” with dummies sitting (“the kids”) in the back seat. Bobcaygeon residents will long remember the sight of Mildred driving a dump truck in the parade at the age of 80.

Mildred and Burritt Kerr

Bruce Hobley snapped this photograph of Mildred and Burritt Kerr in a parade on June 7, 2008 in front of Purdy's Jewellery.

Bobcaygeon Locks in Spring

Today much of the waterfront of the Kawarthas has been developed, as property owners take for granted that the government will always manage water levels to remain within very tight tolerances. Boaters assume that there will be enough water, even in summer, so they can always enjoy a trip around the lakes. At the same time, they expect that it will never rise sufficiently in spring to flood their boat house or carry away their dock. Having lakes whose water levels scarcely fluctuate is anything but a natural state of affairs, and requires the flooding of extensive areas to hold back water in spring to maintain navigation later in the year. The foundations of this system were laid in the nineteenth century, to facilitate floating logs downstream, and as many locks were built on the Trent-Severn Waterway. The original image was taken during the spring freshet, circa 1900, when the water level of Sturgeon Lake was high enough to overflow the locks. By then, there was a system of water level management, but it was not as precise as it is today.

Bobcaygeon was the first lock built as part of the Trent Valley Canal (as it was then called—the Severn section came later). Work began on the original Bobcaygeon lock on August 2, 1833, with the village’s proprietor, Thomas Need overseeing for the Commission to Improve the Inland Waters of the Newcastle District. When the big day came to let the water into the lock on November 4 of the next year, the waterway commissioners were shocked to find out that water flowed through the fissured rock of the lock pit. The levels of the lock were also set incorrectly, so it would not function at all until it was rebuilt a few years later.

Even before the lock became functional, the canal became a focal point of activity in Bobcaygeon. Originally, the locks were below the bridge, and the village’s saw and grist mills were on either side. James McConnell's inn was among the first buildings erected at Bobcaygeon, in operation by 1833. With the rock of the south shore of Big Bob serving as its floor it was always prone to flooding. On May 1, 1836, Thomas Need observed, “the water is 18 inches deep in McConnell’s rooms.”

It took twenty years after work began on the construction of the Bobcaygeon Lock for a steamboat to be launched on the Upper Lakes. Beginning in 1853, James Wallis’ Ogemah (an Anishinaabe word for a civil leader or chief… he fancied himself as the leader of Fenelon Falls) towed timber and scows of lumber, while also running regular passenger service and carrying excursions. In 1866, the ship connected Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and Bridgenorth.

Fifty years after the Bobcaygeon lock was built, the second generation of Mossom Boyd’s family incorporated the Trent Valley Navigation Company in 1883—he had acquired the village from Need. The next year their steamer Victoria caught fire (presumed to be arson), but the charred timbers were found to be an improvement, so the hull was rebuilt as the Esturion, which would be the company’s flagship. It would be one of their longest serving vessels, running passenger service from Lindsay to Bobcaygeon, stopping at Sturgeon Point. It appears in the distance in this original picture, as it enters the Bobcaygeon Canal.

The original image shows downtown Bobcaygeon as it was at the turn of the century. Dan Cain’s store appears on the left, which would burn in a 1913 conflagration that destroyed that corner of town. It was rebuilt as the Bank of British North America (which would merge into the Bank of Montreal in 1918). The magnificent stone building has since become part of Bigley’s. Then as now, Bobcaygeon had a swing bridge, which in that era was much lighter and designed to accommodate horse traffic. On the north bank was a set of stairs which descended to Bobcaygeon’s bath house—which was located right beside the canal. The canal itself was a popular swimming spot for many years—though swimming in the canal is now illegal. The woods west of the bridge were a community park—and the tower from the village’s firehall is visible through the trees, at the right of the original image.

Bobcaygeon Fair Parade

The parade to the Bobcaygeon Fall Fair (September 27-28, 1906), turns onto the swing bridge, headed for the market square. The team of black horses belonged to the Ventress family from Nogies Creek. Since then, the locks have moved west of the swing bridge, and the lockmaster’s house and grist mill have disappeared. At the turn of the century, many visitors would come to the fair by steamship. However, this mode of transportation was starting to wane with the development of gasoline launches. The following year, the Boyd family began to wind up the Trent Valley Navigation Company.

Grist Mill

In this early view of the grist mill, farmers have arrived to pick up Massey Harris farm implements. Often farm families made their machinery purchases in late winter to be ready for spring. Today both the lockmaster’s house and the grist mill have been replaced with greenspace along the canal. On the far bank, Juniper Island the forests on Juniper Island have matured and filled in.

Dr. Bonnell's House

The original picture of Dr. Bonnell’s house was taken early in 1919, looking north from the swing bridge. It has since been incorporated into the Buckeye Centre, though the trees out front have disappeared. The building on the left in the original picture is the Bobcaygeon Independent office.

Forest House - Cosh House

In the first half of the nineteenth century, when travel was by foot, horse or paddling, the distance that people could travel in a day was very weather dependent and it was unlikely to exceed 50 km—perhaps it might only be 10 km. Each community needed somewhere to stay, and an inn or tavern was typically among the first buildings constructed. At Bobcaygeon, James McConnell had a tavern in operation by 1833. Built upon the rock on the south shore of Big Bob Channel, it was always prone to folding. On May 1, 1836, Thomas Need observed, “the water is 18 inches deep in McConnell’s rooms.”

It is not known when the Forest House (also spelled Forrest House in contemporary records) was built, but Albert Edward Bottum (son of the hotel’s earliest known operator) said it was “the first real hotel” in Bobcaygeon, which would mean that it was built before 1865. Like McConnell’s it too was on the island, on the south shore of the Big Bob Channel. By 1865, Elijah Bottum was operating the hotel, as he hosted a dinner for the Agricultural Society: “Mr. Bottum spares no efforts to make his guests comfortable.”

Bottum operated the Forest House until at least 1871, but moved on to focus on his transportation business—he operated steamships, Oak Orchard and its Dance Hall, and the stagecoach to Peterborough. The stage left Bobcaygeon at 7 am, changed horses at Ennismore, arriving at Peterborough at 1:30 pm; returning, changing horses again at Ennismore and arriving at 7 pm, or later depending on road conditions. This journey included crossing floating bridges. As the coach arrived in Bobcaygeon, travellers would need a place to stay, like the Forest House.

For visitors coming to Bobcaygeon by boat, the Forest House was a striking white building, one of the first things they would see when they arrived in town. It was located on Juniper Island (as Bobcaygeon’s Island north of the Canal was called), between the dam and the lock with its adjacent mills. It was also between two of Bobcaygeon’s bridges on the main street through town. Whether a traveller was coming by boat or stage, the Forest House was in a very convenient location.

This historic photograph shows loggers (said to be Mossom Boyd’s workers) arriving at the Forest House on their way to the shanties. It is the only known image of: This Bobcaygeon landmark; its contemporary stage coaches; and of the men passing through town on the way to the shanties. At the time, it was common to bring labourers from other regions, especially rural Quebec (where men could be hired at lower cost) to work in the shanties. They would have to stay at several hotels along the way.

Over the years many different entrepreneurs operated the Forest House, but on what basis they were managing the hotel is a murky historical question. Though he lived in Great Britain most of the time, Thomas Need owned Bobcaygeon until 1869, when he sold it to Mossom Boyd (who had been managing his affairs in the village). In 1876, Mossom Boyd sold the parcel containing the Forest House to John Simpson of Lindsay for $255. Legally, Simpson owned the property for as long as the hotel stood. It was reported in local newspapers that many others had bought or leased the property—but the arrangements are unknown: Benjamin Benedict (from Iceland) c. 1875-1878; J.E. Dunham (operator of the Sturgeon Point Hotel) 1878-1881; Jackson Read 1881-?; Elijah Bottum 1883-1887; William Henderson 1887-?; E.B. Garlick 1890; John W. Gilpin (from Emsdale), 1891.

An attempt was made to burn the Forest House on April 19, 1888. When William Henderson “came down in the morning and went to start a fire in the kitchen stove the room was full of smoke. On investigating it further he found a fire started under the floor, which he put out in a few minutes. A porter bottle half full of coal oil was found in close proximity to the fire.” At the time the newspaper commented: “It was about time that this work was stopped. We have altogether too many strange fires lately.”

On November 12, 1891 the Forest House burned. At 5:30 the village’s fire bell rang and the steam fire engine “did good work in confining the fire” so it did not spread to nearby properties, but the hotel burned to the ground. “A cow and four pigs that were in a rear stable were forgotten in the excitement of the fire, and were consumed.” Harris’ Paint Shop was part of the building at the time and was also lost. Though there was some insurance, it would not be rebuilt. By then Bobcaygeon was home to newer, grander hotels like the Rockland House and the Rokeby Hotel, both in close proximity. Boyd’s lumber company was also nearing its end in Bobcaygeon. ...

Cosh House - Riverwalk

On July 6, 1895, Irvine Junkin bought the property for $300, and hired Peter Grant, who built him a beautiful home: “The house is of red brick and contains in all some 13 rooms. The ceilings are high, giving the building a very comfortable appearance.” In the 1919 image, the fire hall appears on the left and the Bobcaygeon Independent on the right. The house passed to Junkin’s son-in-law Hedley Vicars Cosh, and his daughter Amy Cosh (1902-1967 – Bobcaygeon’s beloved librarian for 34 years) lived there in the next generation. Later the Kittle and Baggs families resided in the brick home. In the 1990s, it was demolished to make way for Paul Pankhurst and W.G. Jackett & Sons to build the Riverwalk Condominium. The transformation of this property from the hotel at the centre of Bobcaygeon to a waterfront condominium reflects how the community has evolved since the mid nineteenth century. It would be quite a sight today if stage coaches rolled into town loaded with shantymen.

Bobcaygeon's Fire Company

For most of the nineteenth century, local communities had little in the way of fire fighting equipment. If a fire broke out, everyone grabbed their pails, and the bucket brigade did what it could to extinguish the flames. On farms, often all that could be done was to salvage what could be got out safely, and to move things away from the burning building. In villages, (typically made of wooden buildings, with cedar shingled roofs) it was often a desperate struggle to stop the fire from spreading. As a safety precaution, some building had ladders on their roofs to facilitate fire fighting. Many communities had a ‘Great Fire’ that levelled part of their downtown. A 1913 fire gutted the west side of Bolton Street at Canal Street, but many other local communities had a much larger conflagration.

Given the risks that any fire might spread, it made good financial sense for villages to invest in firefighting equipment. The first pumps were often not portable, or could only be used in proximity to water, meaning that it could only serve part of the community. There were debates at the time about whether public money should be spent on equipment that would not serve everyone. But most villages decided that this was a necessary investment.

Once council purchased horse-drawn or stationary fire fighting equipment, local residents volunteered to be part of the local fire company. Many were quite proud that their community had progressed to the point of being able to offer this service. This original photograph shows Bobcaygeon’s crew, circa 1900: A. McIntyre, G.A. Harris, A. Moffat, Tom Edgar, Captain W. Robinson, Jack Hurst, George Elder, Bill Moffat, George Humphries, Ned Prescott, Leighton Garlick, Dick Peirson, Jim Switser, Charles Edgar, Albert Bottum, Bob Hurst, George Gibbon, Ed Grant, Job Van Valkenburg, J.T. Robinson, Garner Nicholls, Abe Kennedy and Hank Harris.

Fire Hall and Post Office

Bobcaygeon’s Fire Hall was torn down in 1934 to make room for the Post Office. At the time, the lower part of the building was salvaged and moved Gypsy Point, near Nogies Creek. Since then, the Post Office moved to the south end of Bolton Street, which allowed the building to pass to the Senior Citizens Club, which has in turn moved to Head Street.

Middle Bridge

Little remains from the original image looking south across Bobcaygeon's middle bridge on Main Street, from North Island to Juniper Island. In place of the original bridge's stone pillars and two sided metal railing, the modern bridge has much more compact concrete pillars, with a sidewalk on both sides. The Cosh House, which is scarcely visible through the trees, has been replaced by the Riverwalk condominiums, while the former post office now stands on the corner, where the firehall once stood.

Bobcaygeon Creamery

George and Suzie Lee standing in front of the Bobcaygeon Creamery. Originally constructed by Charles Elliott, the Lees purchased the business in 1937, operating it with their son Lloyd. At one point, Bobcaygeon had multiple milk and cream processing facilities—Crowe’s (Kawartha Dairy), Murphy’s, Lee’s, plus many cheese factories in the region. In the second half of the twentieth century, the industry consolidated, and today Bobcaygeon is unusual in still having a local dairy in town. Don Whyte bought the former Bobcaygeon Creamery to operate an automotive body and paint shop. It was demolished in 1979 to make way for the new post office.

Bolton Street, circa 1940

Looking north up Bolton Street, circa 1940, Bobcaygeon’s downtown had many more mature trees than it does today. On the right is Pogue’s Garage, across the road from Devitt’s Service Station and Henry Devitt’s restaurant—at the time there was a BA station opposite to another BA station. In the original image there was a street light suspended over the centre of the main street, while today there is a crosswalk located a little closer to the canal.

Bolton Street, circa 1965

T.G. (Gordon) Devitt and his wife May operated a 5 & dime on the west side of Bolton Street. She was well remembered as a member of the curling club. Robert Douglass’ Coffee Bar next door was a popular ice cream shop, and later became Keith Gordon’s Insurance Office. Brothers Wilson and Ted Shea purchased Read’s Grocery store and rebuilt it as a IGA Supermarket in 1956. In its early days, the supermarket also sold housewares like woollens and china. After many years as an IGA, the grocery store switched to Foodland.

Bolton Street, circa 1970

This image of Bolton Street, circa 1970, includes many of the buildings that still stand to this day. After the second Rockland House burned a few years earlier, the corner block on the east side was rebuilt into shops, Doll House Ladies Shop & Beauty Salon and the El Toro Steak House. Further down, Mason’s Hardware stood on one side (later the Golden Kettle Restaurant) with Crest Hardware opposite. The latter subsequently burned. Since then, the vacant lot beside El Toro has been developed, and the exterior appearance of many shops has changed significantly.

First Rockland House

The original Rockland House was the first thing that many visitors to Bobcaygeon would notice—by design being a perfectly situated accommodation. Overlooking the lock, right in front of the wharf, and on the corner of the main street, when travellers came to town on a steamboat, the beautiful limestone hotel was the local landmark. Commissioned by Joseph Goulais, it opened in 1882, but its owner died the next year. His widow carried on the business for a few years, then leased and eventually sold the property to Harvey Thompson. The first Rockland House was remembered for serving fine meals. On the night of April 12, 1904, the Rockland House lit up the sky of Bobcaygeon, and the best that local firefighters could do was save the rest of the town. By morning, the limestone walls stood empty….

Second Rockland House

Within a year of the fire, work began on the Second Rockland House, which was initially just a smaller wooden hotel along the canal. It was subsequently expanded around the corner, like its predecessor, but was much more modern in design, compared with the original, grand Victorian hotel. Like its predecessor, it too burned on November 18, 1966. Al Ingram remembered that he was walking home that evening and was commandeered to join the fire department. Many new recruits helped keep the roofs of other buildings wet, so the fire would not engulf more of the downtown. That night, the flames could be seen from County Road 8 at the edge of town. A third and smaller Rockland Motel was built on Canal Street. For many years, the corner block has been a restaurant, Doll House, El Toro and today it operates as graz.

J.H. Moore Waggon Shop

J.H. Moore Waggon Shop was a prominent Bobcaygeon business, and many farmers needed a solid waggon (to use the contemporary British spelling) to transport all their crops around the farm. Families also aspired to have a carriage for their journeys, though few had the time to travel much further than a neighbouring town. In later years, it built some of the area’s first automobiles, by fitting carriages with a single cylinder engine.

Kawarthe Garage

After the original J.H. Moore Waggon Shop burned, Clarence Poole (left) erected a masonry building, that he operated as the Kawarthe Garage. His daughter Evelyn (Mrs. Don Rosenburg) stands in the doorway in this photograph, taken circa 1940. Clarence and Jessie operated the business with their son, Ross, who carried on after they retired. At the time, the Bobcaygeon Bypass had yet to be constructed, so through traffic would go up Bolton Street, hence the directional signs on the utility pole, advising motorists to turn right to visit nearby villages, like Fenelon Falls, Buckhorn, Kinmount, and Haliburton.
The double clear vision gas pumps shown in the picture were hand crank pumps, with a lever on each side that the operator used to fill the cylinder at the top. Gasoline was not filtered back then, and many customers would be conscious that impurities could damage their engine, so the clear cylinder allowed them to see the clarity of the gasoline they were purchasing. The side of the cylinder was marked, to measure the quality of fuel dispensed. The lights on top, helped advertise the business, as motorists might be desperate to find a service station in the evening.
At the time this picture was taken, cars were not as reliable as they are today, especially tires. The first radial tires for cars had yet to be introduced (Michelin 1946, they were nearly universal by the mid 1970s) and motorists commonly had to replace a tire, especially on a long journey. Often when motorists stopped for gas, they would also need repairs, so many service stations were full service garages, and tires were one of the most commonly needed parts—Poole’s Kawarthe Garage was also a Dominion Tire Depot. Like most villages at the time, there were many service stations on Bobcaygeon’s Main Street, and they would be busy keeping their customers on the road. In those days, a pit stop often took several hours.

Pogue's Garage

Just down the road was Pogue’s Garage, who sold Dunlop tires. There was plenty of work to keep multiple garages busy on the main street of Bobcaygeon. In the 1947 photograph, Garnet Shouldice, William Robinson, Dick Telford and Cecil W. Pogue stand in front of the garage.

Canal Park

In the early twentieth century, Bobcaygeon’s canal park contained many ornamental plantings, behind the community’s fire hall. Creating such a beautiful waterfront required a lot of foresight in the late Victorian era—a time when many families were just beginning to be able to afford a few luxuries. Then as now, it was a beautiful place to watch the boats in the canal. The original image dates from the period when steamships were in decline, as more people had gasoline launches. By the 1960s, the post office had replaced the fire hall, and the park hosted many lawn bowling games. Though there are not as many ornamental plantings today as there were a century ago, and the locks and lock station have now moved to the opposite side of the swing bridge, the space retains much the same feel—just today the railings and benches are no longer made of wood.

Boyd's Piling Grounds

In the early nineteenth century, Big Bob Channel was the main watercourse linking Sturgeon and Pigeon Lakes, while it seems that Little Bob Channel was intermittent. Once dams were constructed to facilitate navigation and milling, the water levels of the lakes were raised sufficiently and stabilized creating a year-round island between Big and Little Bob Channels.

Mossom Boyd’s saw and grist mills were originally located on the Bobcaygeon canal. As mill waste accumulated in the canal and lumber was stacked on the shores and wharves, it became clear that it was difficult to accommodate the traffic of the canal and a large sawmill in the same location. Boyd constructed a new mill near the mouth of the Little Bob Channel on Pigeon Lake. The east end of the island became the piling grounds for Boyd’s sawmill, laid out into a network of streets with names that reflected their use: Pine Street, Elm Street, Slab Street, Lime Street, and Rock Street. The lime kiln was located on the north shore of the island, the base of which subsequently became a long-lasting landscape feature.

Much of the Mossom Boyd & Company’s lumber was exported to the United States and marketed by Christie Johnson and John Macdonald (Mossom’s son-in-law). After they died in 1891 and 1892, the company was reorganized, and they stopped buying as many timber limits—which were becoming scare and prohibitively expensive. The company’s last drive took place in the spring of 1903, its machinery was removed in 1908, prior to demolition. The Boyd family’s lumber operations moved to Cowichan on Vancouver Island. ...

Port 32

... In the years that followed, the old piling grounds on the island sat vacant, as forests regenerated. Located close to downtown Bobcaygeon, kids from town enjoyed playing the woods by the mid twentieth century. In the late 1980s, as preparations were being made to redevelop the property, much of it was rocky forested land. By 1990, Fred Reynolds was constructing Port 32 as a subdivision, with W.G. Jackett & Sons clearing land, building roads and preparing sites for the homes to be constructed. The development would reflect the local landscape, with limestone armour stones accentuating many of the properties built amongst the trees. Much of the building material was taken from the sites as they were developed. Limestone that had to be excavated to build basements was then used for landscaping. However, there was little natural topsoil, so many loads of earth had to be brought in. Jacketts used excess limestone from the excavation to build a berm along the highway, creating a sound and privacy barrier between the subdivision and Highway 36. Fred developed the homes at the pace they were selling, so over the years that followed, Port 32 was built into the woods that had once been Mossom Boyd’s piling grounds.

Kawartha Feed Mill

Located in a building that was originally constructed as the True Blue Hall (a Canadian fraternal order like the Orange Lodge), the Kawartha Feed mill served Bobcaygeon area farmers for generations. Conveniently located at the end of the railway line to Bobcaygeon, farmers would bring their grains to the mill to be ground as fodder. Though many farmers would transport their own crops using a horse and wagon, being located on the railway line made it more convenient to sell some of the material, if desired. The vertical pipe with an elbow pointing back toward the railway was used to pump gasoline to Harold Devitt’s garage from a rail car. In the photograph, circa 1980, Gayton Kimble is on the wagon, while Eddy Cameron is holding the horse. Though farmers continued to come to the site for feed through the 1980s—even as fewer farmers were using its original service of custom grinding their grain—it has since been redeveloped into residential units.

Clearing Land for the Railway

Before the Railway was constructed, the north west shore of Bobcaygeon Island was largely forested—at the time, the tip of the island (later site of the railway bridge, now the bridge on highway 24) was a marketed as a beautiful spot for tourists to visit). To build the railway, a lot of land had to be cleared, opening a vista across Big Bob Channel to the north shore, as seen in this original photograph, circa 1903. Since the tracks have been torn up, the former railway has been redeveloped as a municipal road, while the adjacent land has become parkland. Today, trees are being replanted in place of the forests that once stood there, with a new park building and playground.

Bobcaygeon Station

Bobcaygeon was home to the first lock built on the Trent Canal in 1833. In the late 1850s, the Bobcaygeon Road was among the colony’s first colonization roads, built north from the village to Dwight (similar to modern 49/121/35). This infrastructure ensured that much of the traffic connecting northern settlements like Kinmount and Minden—as well as many logging camps—went through Bobcaygeon. Later in the century, Bobcaygeon became a centre of steamboat navigation with Elijah Bottum’s business and the Boyd family’s Trent Valley Navigation Company. Though it was among the first villages connected by the waterway and colonization road, the railway came to Bobcaygeon late.

In the mid nineteenth century, the railway was the fastest and most economical mode of transportation for long distance travel. In an era when many roads were simply linear clearings where the stumps were cut low enough that an oxcart could pass, the cost of transportation was prohibitive for many goods. Before the advent of the railway, it would take days to travel from Bobcaygeon to the towns on Lake Ontario. A railway connected Port Hope and Lindsay in 1857, then the Toronto & Nipissing Railway (actually terminated in Coboconk) and Victoria Railway (Lindsay to Haliburton) connected many communities to the north in the 1870s. Though many nearby communities were integrated into rail networks, Bobcaygeon would rely on horses and steamships throughout the century. Once railways connected the northern communities, much traffic switched from the Bobcaygeon Road to the iron horse.

Bobcaygeon’s lack of a railway connection was not because of a lack of effort. Bobcaygeon’s civic leaders worked hard to secure a railway, but for decades, each plan ended in frustration. In 1852, as arrangements were being made to connect the Kawarthas to the Grand Trunk Railway, then under construction, Bobcaygeon council tried to attract one of these new lines. But the priority at that time was to connecting regional centres. By the 1870s, when the secondary railways were built, Bobcaygeon representatives pursued several different railway schemes. In the early 1870s, the Midland Railway considered building a branch line to Bobcaygeon, but the scheme collapsed when the depression began in 1873. Municipalities in the Bobcaygeon area offered bonuses for the Bowmanville, Lindsay and Bobcaygeon Railway in 1872, the Omemee, Bobcaygeon and North Peterborough Junction Railway in 1873, the Cobourg and Peterborough Railway in 1874, and the Whitby and Bobcaygeon Railway Extension Company in 1878. In 1880 they spoke to the Grand Junction again about a proposed link with Cobourg, Peterborough, Marmora and Chemong Lake. But none of these schemes amounted to anything, and in the case of the Cobourg and Peterborough, many wondered if the company had any serious intention of building the road, as they demanded $250,000 in bonuses, the right of way, and tax exemption. In the late 1890s there was also an unsuccessful campaign to build an electric railway to Bobcaygeon.

With many villagers frustrated at Peterborough’s apparent lack of interest in securing a rail connection, in the 1890s the village focused on Lindsay. As the Grand Trunk Railway already served much of the region, promoters argued that a competing line was necessary. They planned a route via Lindsay from Burketon Junction on the Canadian Pacific Railway track from Toronto to Peterborough—even though this was longer than the other proposal to connect Bobcaygeon to Omemee on the Grand Trunk Railway. Mossom M. Boyd, W.T.C. Boyd, John A. Barron, Charles Fairbairn, H.J. Wickham, John D. Flavelle, William Needler, George Bick, John Petrie, John L. Read, John Kennedy, and John Dobson were the key figures in the Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and Pontypool Railway Company—essentially the Boyds and their associates. The Boyds took a great personal interest in ensuring that the railway would be built, arranging for the charter, urging residents to attend votes on the bonuses, and even personally negotiating to purchase some parts of the right of way. The survey was completed in 1900.

If there was any business in Bobcaygeon that would greatly benefit from the railway, it was the Boyd’s sawmill. Ironically, the Boyds finally managed to secure a railway connection to Bobcaygeon, just as their sawmill was closing. The tracks reached Lindsay on May 30, 1903, as land was being cleared to extend the line to Bobcaygeon. The Boyd family was concurrently trying to sell the Little Bob Mill, liquidating many of their best timber limits, and planning to move their lumber operations to British Columbia. If there was any business that would be impacted by the railway, it was the Boyd’s Trent Valley Navigation Company, because the railway would compete for traffic. Nonetheless, the Boyd family led the effort to bring the iron horse to their community. The first train left Bobcaygeon on April 25, 1904, and Willie Boyd retired as President of the Company three days later at the official opening. By the end of the decade, the Boyd family’s main Bobcaygeon businesses had all but disappeared.

Initially, two trains a day served Bobcaygeon, and much of the freight and passenger traffic to and from the village rode the rails. In the 1940s, a traveller could leave Toronto at 8 am and arrive in Bobcaygeon by 3 pm. The railway made it far easier for tourists to come stay at Bobcaygeon—perhaps at the Whyte House, which was just across Sherwood Street. Bobcaygeon residents could take the train to attend community events like an Orange Parade or church picnic. Youngsters could take a hand car to Dunsford to enjoy an evening at the Greenhurst Dance Pavillion. It was no coincidence that Bobcaygeon’s feed mill was right beside the railway station.

Within a few years of the first train rolling into Bobcaygeon, the first automobiles motored into town. Cars were faster than the train and could go anywhere there was a road. Though the train remained more economical for long distance haulage, once trucks began to appear, for many goods it faster and less expensive to truck it direct, rather than haul it to the train station, load it on a train, load it back into a vehicle or wagon, then take it to its final destination. By the mid twentieth century, practically everyone had a car, and few passengers took the train any more. As traffic declined, the train made only one run per day. The last train left Bobcaygeon in 1957, then the line was abandoned four years later. Bob Thompson moved the rail station to his aggregate business, subsequently sold to Fred Reynolds to develop Victoria Place. Today, the former site of the railway station is part of Bobcaygeon’s beach park, and is a larger lot than it was in the days of the locomotives, as much fill has been deposited in Big Bob Channel.

Tip of Bobcaygeon Island

Before the railway was built, the western tip of Bobcaygeon Island was a beautiful spot to enjoy the river and look out towards Sturgeon Lake. It was one of many beautiful spots that tourists were encouraged to visit in the newly named ‘Kawartha Lakes.’ Today, the railway has come and gone, and the right of way has been repurposed as a road, as automobiles proved more convenient than trains.

Front Street Flooding, 1913

Parts of Bobcaygeon, like Front Street, would naturally flood in the spring, then water levels would drop in the summer. While Big Bob tended to retain some water year round, Little Bob was once intermittent. By the late nineteenth century, aided by the dams that were initially constructed to facilitate floating logs out of the northern woods, the Trent Severn Waterway was beginning to be able to manage water levels to facilitate navigation. While occasional floods occurred along the main course of the waterway into the twentieth century, today precise water management has become the norm, and many houses are built in locations that would flood, were it not for Parks Canada managing the hydrology of the Trent Watershed. 1913 was a difficult year for the village, with a flood and a large fire on Bolton Street. Note Henderson House (right in the background), now a wonderful community space at Settlers Village and the Hotel Iroquois (rebuilt after the 1904 fire) to its left.

Front Street East

The original photograph was taken by Walter Comber (tutor to the Boyd family) from the Ambassador Lodge circa 1900. Dr. Thorne's house appears on the left, and W.T.C. Boyd's Edgewood is on the opposite shore. Today, Front Street East is much more densely wooded, though Gordon Boat Works can be seen on the near shore.

Looking Across Big Bob Channel

Another of Walter Comber's photographs from the Ambassador Lodge, circa 1900 looks across Big Bob Channel at the tip of the North Island. In the original photograph, Dr. Bonnell lived on the opposite shore where Buckeye is today, while the Cosh House can be seen near the bridge, now Riverwalk. The buildings between Bonnell's house and the river housed the many animals that he kept.

Picturesque Bobcaygeon

In the early twentieth century, the east end of Juniper Island was open parkland, with not nearly as many trees as at present. Being located right beside the Canal, it was a very popular place to look out across at the beauty of the Big Bob Channel. When this original, colourized image was captured, the water levels were much lower than at present, exposing parts of the river bed. On the far shore, the Stonyhurst Inn, operated by Margaret Falls, overlooked the rapids, with “ice cream, fruit pies & cakes always ready,” and it still welcomes guests today.

From the Lower Wharf

In the mid twentieth century, there was an Esso station located at the foot of the lower wharf, where the canal rejoined Big Bob Channel. Compete with a diner, fishing guides often met customers at the site. For visitors looking to enjoy summer on the waterway, it offered everything they needed in one convenient stop—a boat, gas, lunch and knowledge of the best place to go fishing. The Esso Station burned down, and more recently Water’s Edge Restaurant operated beside the park. Gordon Boat Works (Gordon Yacht Harbour) is visible in the background.

Gordon Boat Works

Dr. S.H. (Stephen) Thorne set up a medical practice in Bobcaygeon in 1888 as a young, 25-year-old doctor. He loved boating, and built a dock in near his residence on Helen Street. In 1894, he converted his boathouse into a workshop and recruited brothers Gilbert and Charles Gordon who had previously made canoes in Lakefield. In 1909, Gilbert took over the business, passing it to his Charles in 1926—who named it Gordon Boat Works. Earl Gordon bought the venture, and subsequently passed it to Bill and Mary Jane. They renamed it Gordon Yacht Harbour to reflect the changing times. Colin Fernall purchased the business in 1975, and began a major reconstruction project in 1990, that was completed by its next owner, Charles Pitcher in 1999. From above, many striking changes are apparent. Covered slips now line the water, the former parking lot has been converted into lawn, while the neighbourhood has significantly developed.

Centennial (1976) and Sesquicentennial (2026) Parades

In 1976, Bobcaygeon looked back on 100 years since the village was incorporated as a volunteer committee planned events throughout the year. Festivities kicked off on New Year’s Day with a ceremony in the auditorium at Bobcaygeon Public School: the national anthem, prayers, poetry, and youth musical performances. Centennial Committee volunteer Joyce Poole was named Citizen of the Year. A winter carnival in February featured a torchlight parade, hockey, a snowmobile safari, giant snowslide, log sawing, beaver skinning demonstration, skiing, Saturday night dances and a chainsaw contest. On June 13, the village churches held a centennial service at the community centre, as part of a centennial week that also featured a community picnic, ball and horticultural show. For many residents, the most memorable event was the parade on June 17.

Being a centennial, many of the parade entries were historically themed and participants wore old fashioned costumes. Burritt and Mildred Kerr drove a Model T Ford and marching bands featured prominently. The St. Lawrence Starch Company of Mississauga provided their antique Packard truck, advertising Durham Corn Starch and Beehive Corn Syrup—brands that had been popular locally in the mid twentieth century. Many Bobcaygeon residents would long remember the sight of Jack and Ila Crowe pedaling down Bolton Street on a tandem bicycle. They both looked sharp—Ila in a dress and bonnet; Jack with a vest, bowtie and pipe dangling from his mouth.

Fifty years later, a volunteer committee once again spent years months preparing for Bobcaygeon’s sesquicentennial, with another parade through town to the arena, with bands and many interesting old vehicles. Organizers John Bick and Pieter Van Oudenaren rode in the WOOT, a single-cylinder 1902 horseless carriage made at Moore’s Waggon Shop (now CIBC). After the ceremonies at the Bobcaygeon arena, local bands played until midnight, including a well-attended dance. The volunteer committee created interesting exhibits on local history, while Sam Dickie’s new documentary on Bobcaygeon as a tourist destination premiered. It was a sesquicentennial that in many ways reflected the village’s celebrations of 1976.

The Fenelon-Bobcaygeon Road

The first European immigrants to the region tended to use the waterway (summer and winter) for transportation. But within a few years they began work on ground transportation routes. At the time, the settlement around Sturgeon Lake had many aspiring gentlemen farmers (being younger sons from wealthy British families who would not inherit the family fortune back home, they had to make their own way in the world), but relatively few ladies or labourers to do all the work that was required to facilitate the lord living a genteel life.

To the extent that there was local government, it was comprised of these aspiring young gentlemen, and the roads were built between their properties and estates. In December 1836, Thomas Need owned Bobcaygeon, and laid out a road to Fenelon Falls (owned by Robert Jameson and James Wallis) via Richard Atthill’s—similar to modern day Road 8. The next year, a road was added from Fenelon Falls (Wallis’) to Blythe (siblings John and Anne Langton, their parents and aunt). In 1840, John Langton laid out a route from his estate to meet the Fenelon-Bobcaygeon Road at Atthill’s—similar to Red Rock Road. That same year, Wallis laid out the main street of Fenelon Falls to meet the road to Bobcaygeon. By 1841, these principal routes were in place, which have persevered, with minor modifications to this day.

As they were originally built, roads were a strip of land (often with 90-degree corners to go around lots due to imperfections in the original township survey—in theory, they were to be straight!) where the tree stumps were cut low enough that the axle of an ox cart could pass over them. Mid nineteenth century travellers would take an axe with them, because road work was often necessary as their wagons mired in mud holes. In the late nineteenth century, the advent of broken (with hammers… later crushed) stone allowed the creation of the first Macadam (gravel) roads, which were a great advancement. Though many people complain about the state of the roads today, present day pot holes are nothing compared to the mud holes of the 1840s.

For generations, the state of roads has been a focal point of local politics. This original photograph was taken near home of T.H. Martin, who even as a boy took an interest in this issue. He would grow up to serve on Verulam Township Council, beginning in 1919. In his early years on council, he would have to walk to Bobcaygeon, to take the train to Lindsay to attend Victoria County Council meetings. He would live to see roads transformed into the paved motorways that everyone takes for granted today.

The Beehive – Eganridge Resort

In 1839, James Hartley Dunsford, a rector, vicar and justice of the peace from Gloucester, England arrived with his children James Wicks, Hartley, Augusta-Agnes, Lydia, Caroline, George and Martin to settle on the north shore of Sturgeon Lake between Fenelon Falls and Bobcaygeon. In the 1830s, a large proportion of the immigrants coming to this area were aspiring young gentlemen—typically bachelors, who were younger sons from wealthy families. They would not inherit the family fortune back home and were looking for a way to live as gentlemen in the new continent. In this social circle, the Dunsfords were unusual, because they emigrated as a family—bringing with them young ladies.

The Dunsfords named their 720-acre estate the Beehive, building what was a grand log house for its time and place. Ordinary folk lived in a log shanty. The house was symmetric, entered through a verandah into a central hallway, with a staircase ascending to the second floor. On the left was a bedroom and dining room, with kitchen and library on the right. Upstairs there were four bedrooms. In the 1830s, even for a wealthy family like the Dunsfords, children would not expect to have their own room.

Being backwoods gentry always had a degree of ridiculousness to it—for instance, one gentleman pretentiously ate with silver cutlery on a table formed of a door and two barrels, before enjoying the evening with cigars, snuff and fine whiskey. The Dunsfords were perhaps more conspicuous than the rest, bringing with them a piano, harp, carriage and driver. Neighbour Anne Langton remarked, “I hope that they do not forget to bring a good road too.” They even imported roses for their gardens.

The aspiring genteel farmers tended to hire labourers to do much of the farm work for them. Within a few years, it became apparent that managing a farm would not be profitable in Canada as it was in Britain. One by one, the gentry found other occupations. Because they had education, most of the young men became professionals or politicians. James Wicks became a politician; George and Martin became lawyers; and Hartley was a banker and the Land Registrar of Victoria County. Lydia married John Langton (Anne’s brother—Canada’s first Auditor General), Augusta Agnes married neighbour Henry Thomas Wickham, while Caroline married Mossom Boyd (Timber King of Bobcaygeon), after her first fiancée Morgan Jones drowned while crossing Sturgeon Lake to visit her. James Wicks briefly partnered with his brothers-in-law Mossom Boyd and John Langton in the lumber business, and was operating a shingle mill on Hawker’s Creek near the Beehive (Concession VI Verulam) that was said to cut 2,000,000 shingles in 1860. But even he would move on to pursue his political career. The young coachman who emigrated with the family, George Bick, stayed in the community, becoming a future Reeve, who was instrumental in the construction of the Methodist Church and his descendants remain in the area to this day.

The Beehive would become a farm with one of the cathedral timber-framed barns that were common in the region. In the twentieth century, the materials were available to build much more comfortable homes and by 1950 the Beehive had fallen into despair and was scarcely recognizable, by then it was covered with crumbling plaster—though some of its owners like Colonel Plummer and Edgar Watt had spent a lot of money on upkeep. By the 1950s, work was underway to turn the lands surrounding the old log home into a subdivision, the Beehive Estates.

In 1957, Mavis Fuller and Len Cary of Bobcaygeon bought the Beehive and converted it into an inn. They intended that the resort would bring together the luxuries of that era, with the feel of a pioneer estate. By 1967, it featured a nine-hole golf course, with the old log barn converted into a modern club house—while featuring the old stone foundation and axe-hewn beams. Unfortunately, in 1966, the business partners’ other property (Bobcaygeon’s Rockland House) burned, with little insurance. The original photograph dates from this era.

In 1969, Allan Stanley retired from the Philadelphia Flyers. A nine-time All-Star and future Hockey Hall of Famer, this rock-solid defenseman played alongside Tim Horton when the Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967—one of his four championships. Allan and his wife Barbara, bought the Beehive, becoming notable local personalities as they toured around town in a two-seat roadster convertible. At the time, Fenelon Falls was home to the Byrnell Manor Hockey Camp, and Allan Stanley would organize his own hockey camp, recruiting professional hockey players to serve as instructors, including Rick MacLeish, Bobby Baun, Fred Stanfield and Dick Duff. The boys at camp stayed in one of six cabins, named after each of the original six NHL franchises. They were bussed into to town to play hockey at the arena or visit the theatre.

In 1988, John and Patty Egan, who made a career of developing well-known hospitality properties, bought the Beehive and renamed it Eganridge Inn and Country Club. They renovated the old log home, restoring the exterior and creating six large rooms inside—two that featured fireplaces. Offering high-quality dinners, swimming, tennis and golf, they marketed Eganridge as, “unsurpassed comfort and indulgence in a country setting… truly ‘AN ESTATE OF MIND.’”

The Beehive or Eganridge has a long history of being a high-class place to enjoy life by Sturgeon Lake. Since its conversion to an inn, many locals were married there, as its restaurant also maintained a great reputation. The old barn has been converted into a restaurant, and in 2001 was expanded to include a spa, ballroom, and hotel suites overlooking Sturgeon Lake. Since about 2008, Eganridge has been operated by the Windsor Arms Hotel Group. As a resort catering to weddings, corporate retreats and couples’ getaways, it in many ways still reflects the beautiful, genteel estate that the Dunsford Family built on the north shore of Sturgeon Lake in 1839.

Aerial with Fairgrounds in Foreground

There have been many changes in Bobcaygeon since this original aerial photograph was taken, sometime before 1950. In the foreground, the old track at the fairgrounds, with the fair building at the foot of the hill at the west end of King Street have become a distant memory. Back then, the arena was east of Bolton Street on King Street (right in the picture). In 1955, a new arena opened at the fairgrounds, and the south part of the fairgrounds is now home to many trailers.

Just north of the fairgrounds in the original photograph is Bobcaygeon’s railway station, with the tracks heading to Lindsay, then Burketon Junction along the waterfront. The iron horse came to town in 1904, and for a few decades it was the fastest way for long-distance travellers to reach Bobcaygeon. By the 1950s, practically every family had a car and rail traffic dwindled. The last train left Bobcaygeon in 1957. Since then, the former rail lands have become Bobcaygeon’s beach park—redeveloped in 2024. At the time the original photograph was taken, many village residents would swim at the south end of Bolton Street or in the canal—which would be an offence today.

This photograph shows the Second Rockland House standing beside the canal and swing bridge. For generations, the Rockland House was a local landmark and one of the first buildings that boaters would see when they arrived in town—also prominently located right on the only roadway through town. In the mid twentieth century, many visitors would come to stay at a local hotel or inn. Bobcaygeon was famous for its fishing, and there was a sign beside the swing bridge listing the local guides. The second Rockland House burned on November 18, 1966. By then, there were many more cottages surrounding the lakes, and less demand for hotels. The New Rockland Motel would be much smaller than its two predecessors.

In the mid twentieth century, the swing bridge was the only crossing of the canal, as the Bobcaygeon by-pass had yet to be built. The swing bridge that is there today was originally designed for two-way traffic—but it was a tight fit, and occasionally vehicles would scrape their sides getting on the bridge. As vehicles became wider, it was reduced to a one-way bridge with a traffic light and today it would be unthinkable to have two-way traffic on this structure.

In the original photograph, Gordon Boat Works and the Boyd estates appear on opposite sides of the waterway, further east. For many years the Gordon family manufactured boats in Bobcaygeon, which lives on as Gordon Yacht Harbour. Situated behind dry stack stone walls, the Boyd’s Big House was a very conspicuous structure in the village, though one that few village residents visited. The former home of W.T.C. Boyd, Edgewood, was just to the east. In the mid twentieth century, it was home to Dr. Henderson, who was remembered for his yacht the Islamorada and for founding Beau Bobcage Ice Cream—a predecessor of the Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream that has helped made Bobcaygeon famous. The Big House burned on October 2, 1994, and has been reincarnated as Mishkodeh Centre for Indigenous Knowledge. Edgewood is now the site of Case Manor.

From the Canal to Pigeon Lake

This image of downtown Bobcaygeon from the west was taken in the early 1960s, shortly before the second Rockland House burned, and also before the construction of the bypass. Since then, the trees on Juniper Island have been thinned. The forest in the foreground has given way to Riverwalk, as well as Regency Point and Sherwood Gardens, located across the canal on the main Bobcaygeon Island. Bobcaygeon is a much larger community than it was in the 1960s, with the addition of Port 32 on the former Boyd Sawmill property on the east end of Bobcaygeon Island and many other homes near water’s edge.