Gravenhurst

By Guy Scott

Gravenhurst is the first major town on the Muskoka River north of the Severn River. It was originally called McCabe’s Landing and then (nicknamed) Sawdust City—both titles reveal Gravenhurst’s heritage as a lumber town. The town grew up along the shores of Lake Muskoka, about 10 miles south of Bracebridge where the Muskoka River flows into Lake Muskoka before flowing west into Georgian Bay. The arrival of the Muskoka Colonization Road in the late 1850s cemented Gravenhurst as a town. In the 1870s, the Northern Railway arrived at Gravenhurst, turning the site into a major industrial hub and transportation centre.

The Muskoka River did not run to the Lake Simcoe/Trent Canal corridor so the Road and the Railway was the link to the south used by settlers and lumbermen alike. Gravenhurst was also the southern-most point of steamboat navigation on the south Muskoka river system, and the wharf on the lake became the town centre. When it came time to select a name for a post office, a clerk was reading a treatise called “Gravenhurst Or Thoughts on Good and Evil.” He liked the name and voila Gravenhurst was the name chosen. By the 1850s, over 20 sawmills were working in the area shipping various timber products to the outside world. The old town was thoroughly burnt out in 1887 and grand Victorian structures replaced pioneer buildings.

Gravenhurst billed itself as the “Gateway to Muskoka” and even placed a large arch on the outskirts of town announcing that fact to travellers arriving by car. The town promoted tourism as the lumber industry declined. The many fine lakes in the area were dotted with resorts in the era before World War I and by individual cottages afterwards. The relaxing natural beauty also fed other industries. In the 1880s, the vicinity became the host area for tuberculosis patients. Lake Muskoka’s clear, clean air and restful atmosphere was highly recommended for those suffering from the dreaded disease. A number of hospitals and sanatoriums dotted the lakes. As T.B. declined, the industry shrank and the hospitals were turned to other uses. The most famous case of sanatorium recycling was Camp 20 Prisoner of War Camp during World War II. Also during World War II, the local airport was turned over to the Norwegian Air Force as a training base. Hundreds of Norwegian soldiers escaping the Nazi occupation of their country were sent to Gravenhurst to train for service. During the war years, these Norwegians taught many locals winter sports, especially ski jumping. In fact, the entire Muskoka Region was dotted with Air Training bases.

Gravenhurst is also the home port for the famous RMS Seguin. This old-time steam boat is the oldest steamer still in operation in North America. Tourists can steam the lakes all the way to the high falls on the Muskoka River at Bracebridge. Also in 1949, the Ontario Fire College was established at Gravenhurst on the site of the old Massey Hall.

Gravenhurst was very proud of its tourism and culture. After a major fire in 1901, Mayor Charles Mickle opened an opera house and new town hall, nicknamed Mickle’s Folly, in anticipation of a financial disaster. But the graceful opera house survived thorough the years, once being slated for demolition and operates to this very day. (Mickle also operated a sawmill in Fenelon Falls in partnership with Nathaniel Dyment, which later became Allen Wood Products)