Vintage Lake Simcoe Fishing Pics, Please share your knowledge

[Phish Head]

Seeing as were on a bit of a history lesson here, I stumbled across this document about Strawberry and the other Simcoe Islands and their history. Its a pdf so if you do a search for Thorah or Canise within the document you will find a few things.

There are some cool points:

The Indian Treaty and Surrender document of the Islands Pg. 6

Past and Present naming of Islands and bays in Simcoe pg. 10

Former Land owners of various places ... etc.

Here it is for download:

www.grapeisland.com/documents/strawberry_island.pdf

[ThorahGuy]

Thanks for finding that on the web. I have both an HTML and a text copy but was unwilling to post it as it is copyright. You may have noticed that I named my boat Canise, the name that Simcoe gave to what we know as Thorah today to honour a chief who was a good friend. Canise means "Great Sail".

[Phish Head]

Yes I did notice that, and only figured it out while researching just now. Interesting reading in there "CaniseGuy"

[ThorahGuy]

Vintage Pic 019

Fish hut operators used to take their clients out using bob sleighs, a cold ride at times . I'm pretty sure that's a VW Beetle in the distance. Since they didn't come to Canada until the fifties the pic can't be any older than that. The vehicle towing the sleigh certainly is though.

If anyone can provide any additional information, please do.

[ThorahGuy]

Re Vintage Pic 018. Bayliner's suggestion that the location was near Eagle Point got me thinking. I found this Pic of a spot we call Corin's Bay from 1910. It's a pretty good match don't you think John?

[Phish Head]

dead nuts

[admin]

4 points of similarity, see red arrows.... Spot on!
Even the funny white blemish (possibly a rock, to the right of the rod shaft).

[ThorahGuy]

Vintage Pic 020

This early "snowmobile", 1922, belonged to Dr. Smith of Beaverton. I believe it is a Ford Model T truck modified with an after market kit. Those kits cost about as much as the truck. I sent a copy of the pic to The Ford Model T Snowmobile Club seeking confirmation but received no reply.

If anyone can add anything, please do.

[ThorahGuy]

Vintage Pic 021

This "vehicle" is also said to have belonged to Dr. Smith of Beaverton. It is said to be a special order Model A Ford with solid rubber tires and an all steel rack. I do not believe it is the same basic vehicle as Vintage Pic 020 but . . . .

If anyone can add anything, please do.

Courtesy of dodgeman6497

This vehicle was owned by my father Mason Mitchell of Beaverton Ont.
This vehicle was bought in Timiskaming for the sum of one bottle of rye.
The cab on the back was built by Harry Page of Beaverton around 1964.
I do have 16mm movie pic of it on Lake Simcoe.

[Bayliner]

That sure does look like its south of Eagle Point Gord except its all white sand now. Decades later that could all have changed though.

The 2 truck pics, I'm pretty sure they're Model A Fords.

[ThorahGuy]

John, I don't really dispute that Vintage Pic 018 looks like it could be south of Eagle Point. I am however, absolutely sure the 1910 pic is of Corin's Bay which is on the East side of the Island. The skyline match is too good for the vintage Pic to be anywhere else.

As for the trucks: Dr. Smith was known to have two different such vehicles. I knew his son Bob very well and my son even worked for Bob during the summers as a teenager. The Historical Society, source of the first pic, has stated it to be from 1922 without qualification. To the best of my knowledge, the Model A wasn't produced until 1927. I readily accept that the second one is a Model A.

And no, it's not pick on Bayliner night, just a healthy exchange of thoughts, it's all good

[Bayliner]

I stand corrected

[admin]

Since we know Vintage Pic 018 is near Corin's Bay in 1915. Does anyone have the property lines for Thorah Island around that time. It may give the names of the owner(s)...

[ThorahGuy]

I have 1877 and 1895. 1877 may be copyright. Both are pretty crude. That said, the parcel that fronts on Corin's Bay has been in the Corin family since 1905. Three generations of the family currently go there and I knew one previous generation. Five generations in all are involved. Anyway, I'll put the 1895 map here. It's actually a picture I took of the corner of a township map that hangs on the wall at the Historical society.

[admin]

Updated information about Vintage Pic 005

Origin:
Yukon Historical Fishing Archives
Ice fishing, ca. 1930’s. (YA, Claude B. Tidd Coll., #7298)

http://www.taiga.net/reports/traditional_f...es/tradnine.htm