Adopt an Item

• Kent Hotel built by Frank Kent in 1895 at the corner of Brunel and Main Street
• 3.5 stories tall, 50 bedrooms, fountain in the lobby, dining room, bar and two lounges
• Replaced in 1940 by a service station and in 1991 by Kent Park.

• Built by C.O. Shaw on Lake of Bays in 1920, Bigwin Inn was the one of the premier resorts in North America in the 1920s and early 1930s
• The Rotunda was the main reception area and contained many lounges for the comfort of Bigwin Inn's guests.

• Operated by the Shaw family 1891-1962
• Employed over 200 men and supplied most of the boot leather for the British Armed Forces in WWI

• Built by C.O. Shaw on Lake of Bays in 1920, Bigwin Inn was one of the premier resorts in North America in the 1920s-30s
• The Sumaro, or dining room, extended thirty feet over the lake, with a twelve-sided main room that could seat up to 500 guests.

• First telephone in Stisted Township, 1908
• Connected the Demaine house to the Demaine store and Ashworth post office.

• Huntsville swing bridge opened February 17, 1902, operated by George Selkirk, then John Hinton
• Allowed steamships to sail from Lake Vernon to Fairy Lake and beyond.

• Built by Tom White in 1905
• Grew to have tennis courts, bowling green, nine-hole golf course with a club house, dance pavilion, ski hill and curling club for 350 guests
• Plates were specially commissioned from Germany.

• Built by John Collins in 1920
• Decorated by Elaine Foster as a 1920s home.

• Surveying tool used to create the lots and concessions of the original 1850's townships
• Iron chain with 100 links and a brass piece on every 10th link to mark fractions
• One chain is 66 feet, 80 chains is a mile, and 100 chains is a concession.

• Early Archaic Period (7000 years ago), likely used as a spear head for large animals
• Indigenous people harvested seasonally in Muskoka for thousands of years.

• The S.S. Algonquin travelled between Lakes Vernon, Fairy, and Peninsula from 1908-1958
• This bell could be heard for miles
• Saved by Mayor Frank Hubble when the Algonquin was dismantled

• Charles Orlando Shaw and Jennie Lavinia Abbott were married Oct. 28, 1886
• C.O. Shaw was the general manager of the Anglo-Canadian Leather Company, founder of the Anglo-Canadian Concert Band, president of the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Navigation Company and owner of Bigwin.

• Used by J.N. Shearer at Huntsville Public School 1891-1897

• Signature heritage quilt created as a World War One fundraiser
• Names were embroidered for 10 cents
• It was won by Mrs. Dolmage in the raffle held once it was finished.

• Purchased from the F.N. Moyer and Company of Toronto for $77.00
• Installed by Salem Snyder for $65.00 on the red brick Huntsville Public School on Caroline Street in 1910
• Brought to Muskoka Heritage Place in 1967 when the school was demolished.

• Used to hand wash clothes c. 1900
• Metal and glass are two common types
• The McFarlane Manufacturing Company was based in Toronto

Thank you Bronze Sponsor: Shelia Dodd, September 28, 2026-2027

• John William Jennings was born in Wellington County and moved to Brunel Township in 1886.
• Charcoal portraits or crayon portraits are enlarged faint photographic prints which have been hand-coloured to enhance or personalize the image. 

Thank you Bronze Sponsor: Shelia Dodd, September 28 2026-2027

• Letitia Ann (Irwin) Jennings was born in Wellington County and moved to Brunel Township in 1886.
• Coffin Plates are decorative adornments attached to a coffin to identify the deceased. They were commonly removed and kept as mementoes in the late 19^th century.