Old Photographs Carry A Lot Of Weight In Historical Circles

OLD PHOTOGRAPHS CARRY A LOT OF WEIGHT IN HERITAGE CIRCLES

DATED TOWNSCAPES, MAIN STREETS AND BUSINESS IMAGES FROM BYGONE ERA VALIDATE WRITTEN HISTORIES - OR THE OPPOSITE

     A PREAMBLE NOTE: I got a late start on today's blog for a number of reasons, some intimate to Currie family traditions. We like to punk each other and sometimes, at work, it does affect productivity. We are notorious practical jokers, and I've been known to slip apple cores and spent tea-bags in son Robert's shoes, amongst dozens of other pranks, like hitting him in the back of the head with pizza crusts, and chicken wings, amongst other items of a food characteristic. He retaliates by trying to distract me when I'm writing in his studio, because he knows it drives me nuts; I hate repetitive things, like taps dripping and finger tapping, as he will perform when he knows I'm most vulnerable. Sometimes forcing me to erase an hour's work because I've started to write three columns in one, none of them making sense. Today he began beating me senseless with the performer, "Psy's" big new rap techno "whatever" song, "Where'd you get that body; I got it from my daddy," and that old crowd pleaser, "Gangnam Style," and another one that involves the Teletubbies, singing something that sounds like "I Fink You're Freeky," which I have to tell you, was everything and more involving "freaky." I don't often surrender to my son, because that isn't cool. But by golly, the little fellow got to me today, and before long, I had to erase two half written columns. I had to beg him to stop. As much as I like the music, it isn't the kind of background you want, when writing short stories and heritage features. As if I had yelled out "uncle," he relented, and found someone else in the building to torture with music and Youtube videos. I will get him back when opportunity prevails, and it may involve some elaborate planning to get just right. So I'm sorry the feature today is a little less meaty than usual, but the stoic oldtimer get punked by his kid.
     The marquis "vintage" photograph today, from our personal archives, is the one published above, showing Reverend Joseph Ewing Reid, and his wife Maud, in their canoe, paddling most likely on Lake Joseph, where they first vacationed in Muskoka, before purchasing their small Browning Island cabin, on Lake Muskoka, shortly following the end of World War I. Reverend Reid was in charge of the Alhambra Church in Toronto at this time.
     Shown today above, are another three interesting photographs, from our personal archives, having Muskoka significance. The two urban scenes are of the Town of Bracebridge, one (with negative damage in mid-zone of the image) being a late 1800's view to the north, from area of the Queen Street hillside, where at one time the Victoria Hotel was situated, looking down on the rapids above the town falls, where the Bird's Woollen Mill was located. The hydro building throwing off water from the river, is still in this location today. At the bottom right you can see the heavily braced wooden walkway leading north, to the bridge across the rapids, but to the south, the walkway climbs the hill where the hotel was once located. The large building in the middle of the photograph with what appears a spire, is the Provincial Court House. Where the damage to the photographic image is situated, in the picture, would be the British Lion Hotel. Beside the road, at the bottom of the image, are strewn logs, stored above the rapids, which you can't see because of its depression below the rock of the embankments. There would be a log chute on the other side of the train trestle, to the left. Today you would see the trestle and the silver bridge from this same angle. In the area where the logs are visible is now a municipal parking lot. The open tower at the top, slightly north of the centre of the image, marks the location of the Bracebridge Fire Hall. This picture was taken well before the early 1900's completion of the federal building and clock tower, that became the town post office on Manitoba Street, which in this frame, would be prominent on the urban landscape at the far north horizon. Woodchester Villa, the estate owned by Henry Bird, Woollen Mill founder, was up this same hillside of the Victoria Hotel, convenient so that the proprietor of the mill could look down on his mill, from his home office, and catch the occasional glimpse of an employee sneaking an early smoke break.
     The second image of the business area of Manitoba Street, was snapped in the year 1947, and shows the federal building and tower, of which I was referring, and the Queen's Hotel, on the bottom left, which became known as the Patterson Hotel in my vintage of the 1960's, owned by Fenton Patterson. I remember the signage at the intersection of Manitoba Street and Thomas Street, advertising the direction north and east to Baysville, Dorset and Algonquin Park. Straight down the street, looking south, you will see the other side of the Birds Woollen Mill. It also shows part of the hillside, where the photograph, shown above, was taken back in the late 1800's. You will also notice that the vehicles on the east side of Manitoba Street, are park on an angle, while the cars on the west side, have been parked parallel. This is one of my favorite Bracebridge photographs, and with the exception of the angled parking in front of the federal building, this is much of what I remember of the way it was, when we moved to Bracebridge in the late winter of 1966. There were of course business name changes, and shop locations, in the nineteen years between the time of this photograph and our family's arrival in 1966.
     The third undated photograph published today, shows a railway crew, working on the replacement of ties, off a special cart designed for this purpose. These type of railway photographs are quite rare and are highly collectable. It was found in Muskoka, at an estate sale, but there was no identification on the back, of where it was taken, the year, and did not include any names of the railway hands working on this difficult task, of replacing damaged and rotting ties. With the hydro and phone line poles visible, and the overalls and hats worn by the men, it's likely the photograph was taken in the later 1920's to 1930's; possibly even a later Depression era photograph. We sure would like to know more about the image. As I collect railway related photographs and memorabilia, this one is from my personal stash of vintage flicks.
     Thankfully the images published above today's blog, weren't tossed out by either previous owners, or those who came to inherit them from the older generation. These are precious records to be enjoyed, first of all, and learned from, secondly. The fact the second and older Bracebridge photograph is dated, makes all the difference to us historical types, who make comparisons all the time in our research and essays regarding local heritage. I've made many references in previous blogs, to the Queen's Hill, and this photograph would have been taken from that hillside, where the Carnegie Library sits at the top. The hotel is on the east side of Manitoba Street. Bill Anderson's Barber Shop (and art studio), in my vintage as a hometowner, would have been on this bricked corner, which would have had large windows in the front. When Bill was running the shop, his was on the corner, and Mrs. Green's gift shop was in the adjoining space, a few feet north of his storefront. It was on this corner, quite a few years earlier, that my old friend Bill "Willy" Andison, and his chums, from his childhood prior to the Great Depression, snuck around in an undetected stealth move, in order to give them clear shots at the milk wagon horses, trundling up the steep incline, with their sling-shots. When several of the small rocks hit the horse's rear quarters, providing a substantial sting, it reared-up, lifting the wagon on its back end, sending a torrent of milk from tumbling large cans, raging down the hillside. The lads got their laugh and beat a hasty retreat behind the Queen's Hotel, where, according to Willy, they planned another practical joke on local citizens and delivery vehicles, that provided interesting targets for those same snappy slingshots. I can't look at this same building today, no longer a hotel of course, without imagining Willy and his mates, sneaking up from Thomas Street, weapons in hand, looking for an old nag to excite.