KAWARTHA LAKES-There have been many changes in Bobcaygeon since this original aerial photograph was taken, sometime before 1950. In the foreground, the old track at the fairgrounds, with the fair building at the foot of the hill at the west end of King Street have become a distant memory. Back then, the arena was east of Bolton Street on King Street (right in the picture). In 1955, a new arena opened at the fairgrounds, and the south part of the fairgrounds is now home to many trailers.
Just north of the fairgrounds in the original photograph is Bobcaygeon’s railway station, with the tracks heading to Lindsay, then Burketon Junction along the waterfront. The iron horse came to town in 1904, and for a few decades it was the fastest way for long-distance travellers to reach Bobcaygeon. By the 1950s, practically every family had a car and rail traffic dwindled. The last train left Bobcaygeon in 1957. Since then, the former rail lands have become Bobcaygeon’s beach park—redeveloped in 2024. At the time the original photograph was taken, many village residents would swim at the south end of Bolton Street or in the canal—which would be an offence today.
This photograph shows the Second Rockland House standing beside the canal and swing bridge. For generations, the Rockland House was a local landmark and one of the first buildings that boaters would see when they arrived in town—also prominently located right on the only roadway through town. In the mid twentieth century, many visitors would come to stay at a local hotel or inn. Bobcaygeon was famous for its fishing, and there was a sign beside the swing bridge listing the local guides. The second Rockland House burned on November 18, 1966. By then, there were many more cottages surrounding the lakes, and less demand for hotels. The New Rockland Motel would be much smaller than its two predecessors.
In the mid twentieth century, the swing bridge was the only crossing of the canal, as the Bobcaygeon by-pass had yet to be built. The swing bridge that is there today was originally designed for two-way traffic—but it was a tight fit, and occasionally vehicles would scrape their sides getting on the bridge. As vehicles became wider, it was reduced to a one-way bridge with a traffic light and today it would be unthinkable to have two-way traffic on this structure.
In the original photograph, Gordon Boat Works and the Boyd estates appear on opposite sides of the waterway, further east. For many years the Gordon family manufactured boats in Bobcaygeon, which lives on as Gordon Yacht Harbour. Situated behind dry stack stone walls, the Boyd’s Big House was a very conspicuous structure in the village, though one that few village residents visited. The former home of W.T.C. Boyd, Edgewood, was just to the east. In the mid twentieth century, it was home to Dr. Henderson, who was remembered for his yacht the Islamorada and for founding Beau Bobcage Ice Cream—a predecessor of the Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream that has helped made Bobcaygeon famous. The Big House burned on October 2, 1994, and has been reincarnated as Mishkodeh Centre for Indigenous Knowledge. Edgewood is now the site of Case Manor.
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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