HENRY AND ELIZABETH WILSON, WISTOWE ISLAND
The first buildings on what was originally known as “Island 50,” a ten-acre island in Lake Rosseau, were erected at the end of the 19th century by the Sanson family of Toronto. In 1897, the property was sold to Frank Philips of Toronto, whose family had been established for some time on the lake. It was he who named the island “Wistowe,” perhaps after a similarly named country house in Hayes, England.

The present cottage is thought to have been built in 1898 and the historic detail and grand proportions of the cottage, with its original yellow birch paneled walls and maple flooring, remain. The stair case, newel post, dining room, butler’s pantry and the core cottage, including the furniture, have been maintained almost exactly as they were at its beginnings. It is a true living museum, magnificently preserved, with the most discreet of updates to accommodate modern life styles added over the ensuing years.

Upstairs, each of the eight bedrooms contains a sink and an interesting screened ventilation system. The Whitcombs of Michigan bought the island in 1913 and built the 75′ long boathouse to house their antique yacht. That boathouse remains today, storing some of present owner Dr. Henry Wilson’s marvelous collection of antique boats. The existing dry boathouse precedes the 1913 boathouse by some years.

The property was given briefly by the Whitcomb descendants to the Episcopal Church of Michigan, which sold it to the Albert J. Wilson family of Toronto in 1954, and it remains in that family today. Since the Whitcomb tenure, the cottage has contained a fascinating Surstop automatic tetrachloride-based fire extinguishing system that has been maintained, for historic purposes only, by the Wilson family.

Sitting on the large south-facing verandah, which sweeps around three sides of the building, gazing down to the windswept point on Lake Rosseau, one can feel the true Muskoka of yesteryear. It was one of the properties on the Muskoka Heritage Foundation’s 2004 cottage tour and is included as one of the forty homes described in historian Liz Lundell’s book, Old Muskoka:Century Cottages & Summer Estates, (Erin: Boston Mills Press,2003).

CAROLE FRANKOW, SPRINGSYDE DOCK AND PATH
(Springsyde Cottagers Association)
One has only to visit this lively community and walk the mile long path between Put-In Bay and North Portage on regatta day, in this its centenary year, to see the dock and path in full use. The dock is the center of the regatta; the path across many cottagers’ properties is the means of access. Dogs and children roam at will; everything is absolutely cordial.

There are a number of historic communities on Peninsula Lake as identified in the Peninsula Lake Plan (2001) and in the books Penlake (1994) and Penlake II (1997). Springsyde covers the 38 properties along a section of the southern shore, east from Put-in Bay to a point just west of North Portage. Twenty-two springs traverse the path and are crossed by tiny, rustic bridges. The water in these springs remains, for the most part, potable. The very first cottage was built in 1903 by the Mansells and remains in the family 102 years later. Many of the Springsyde properties remain in the hands of descendants of original owners; the largest clan on the path is the Moffats. Many of the cottages have received only minor modifications in order to conform to modern requirements. The Springsyde Cottagers Association was formed in 1905 with eleven members and in 1908 it acquired Part 6 of the original ten lots subdivided in 1901 and still owns this property today. The Association was incorporated in 1912 and changed its name from the original Springbank, a name already taken, to Springsyde.

At the turn of the century a small, crude wooden jetty stood in place of the 1905 dock, which remains today (restored, 1994). In 1906, this dock became the point of call for the Algonquin, the steamer that travelled from Huntsville delivering mail and supplies because the area was, at that time, inaccessible by road.

Eventually, in 1922, mail delivery was removed to North Portage but the steamer continued to deposit passengers at Springsyde. The path was born from a friendly agreement among the cottagers of the area to allow access to their properties along the shore so that people could walk the mile from Springsyde to North Portage and back for mail and groceries. Each cottage remains responsible for maintaining its own section of the path, and access has been grandfathered ever since the creation of the path. Regattas have been held at the dock since 1914. Dock maintenance is the responsibility of the Springsyde Cottagers Association, which is committed to the preservation of its history and heritage. It is believed that Springsyde is the oldest cottagers’ association in Ontario.

ROBERT AND MARION WILSON, CEDAR NOOK POST OFFICE
The Cedar Nook Post Office is a well-preserved building, part of an original pioneer fishing camp/lodge operating on Six Mile Lake, Georgian Bay Township from the 1930s.

It was the only Post Office and store servicing cottagers who purchased crown land on Six Mile Lake (formerly called Crooked Lake and Mud Lake). It was licensed as a post office in 1937, serving as that until the 1950s when the function of Post Office was relocated to other lake locations where it continued to operate until 1977.

The building was water accessible only and cottagers had to reach the Post Office by boat. As the Post Office and store, it became a hub for seasonal residents and was the sight of the first Six Mile Lake Regatta, held on July 31,1948.

It is of pioneer construction made of local logs with chinking and was built by local tradesmen. Construction materials, other than those obtained from the local cedar forest and shoreline rocks, were portaged in. The central solid granite stone fireplace was the only source of heat; the original heatilator doors still exist but have been replaced with an airtight unit compatible with the fireplace design. Some updating, such as plumbing and electricity, has occurred but repairs have maintained the structural integrity. There is an open concept ceiling with exposed trusses, a full stone foundation and wooden window frames. The exterior and interior log walls have been preserved and are in excellent condition. Although it is built at the water’s edge, as many early cottages were, there is a buffer of natural vegetation enhancing the shoreline presentation.

The original owners, postmaster Oliver and Edna Cunnings became the de facto community leaders, contributing to the development of the regatta, community cookouts, square dances and weekend picnics. The present owners, Marion and Bob Wilson, are to be commended for maintaining the integrity of the cottage. The Georgian Bay Historical Society Artifact Committee and local cottagers are well advanced in their organization of a heritage display on Cedar Nook Post Office to promote appreciation of local heritage and to support local efforts to develop a written history of the area.