KAWARTHA LAKES-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.
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.
This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum and was written by Glenn Walker.
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Maryboro Lodge Museum
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