Ghost Towns Of Muskoka

The authors explore the tragic history of communities whose stars have long since faded, and the people who once lived, loved, and laboured in them.

Explore the remnants of vanished villages across Ontario’s cottage country. Crumbling foundations lost in the forest, weathered buildings leaning wearily with age, cracked tombstones jutting from the ground — all serve as haunting reminders of once thriving villages that have since been abandoned. Each of these locales has a distinct story to tell, stories that until now were confined to fading memories and grainy photographs. From the northern shores of Georgian Bay to the eastern reaches of the Kawarthas, Ontario’s cottage country is littered with vanished villages, including settlement-era farm communities, railway whistle-stops, and logging hamlets. Within these pages, readers will venture into Ontario’s past to learn how these communities lived and died and to meet the people who invested their hopes and dreams in them. Dozens of photographs, many historical and never before published, bring these ghost towns back to life. Join Andrew Hind in exploring over a dozen villages across the districts of Parry Sound and Nipissing, Muskoka, and the Haliburton Highlands.

Muskoka is a beloved region for summertime frivolity--a popular destination for tourists and cottagers. The region is also home to a remarkably varied and interesting history. This book explores stories that most people, residents included, likely know little about. Meet Dangerous Dan, a two-fisted brawler who fought his way into legend though countless lumber camps and booze-soaked taverns. Learn how one man's vision and hard work transformed Bala into the "Cranberry Capital of Ontario." Explore the history of Bigwin Inn, a lavish resort that was once the most luxurious hotel in Canada and that experienced a tragic and sad demise. Venture aboard steamships, into logging camps and elegant resorts, and through dense forests to the remains of ghost towns to unearth tales so much a part of the Muskoka experience...but overshadowed by the beautiful lakes and the endless opportunities for carefree enjoyment.

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Ontario is rich in ghost towns, communities that were once thriving but which have been reduced to mere shadows of their former selves. Nine villages -- including silver camps, fishing ports, crossroads hamlets, and farming settlements -- come alive on the pages of this book. The term 'ghost town' invariably conjures up images of fog-shrouded cemeteries, buildings with sinister visages, and of course, restless spirits of the dead. While often this is merely our imagination at play, in some cases, these ghost towns are indeed said to be haunted.

Volume 1 - Southern Ontario.