Walking Along Our Roads

One of the joys of receiving the large number of photo albums is all the pictures that people have taken looking up and down the roads.  This summer the MacMillan family shared this 1901 image of Lake Avenue looking east towards the Lower Warf. I love the three children playing under the tree.  Originally the hotel would have been through the trees on the left but it had burnt down three years prior.

The same family also shared this image of walking east on Lake Avenue west of the Upper Warf.  The water pump was located in front of the Britton House – this was the local haunted house until it had to be taken down.

The Brown family shared this image of looking up 5^th Street.  The little girl was Ida May Brown.

This image shows Lake Avenue west of the Upper Warf.  The driveway onto Lake Avenue indicates that the image was taken before the driveway to Forest Road was put in. And yes... there is still a chow chow there...

The Rutherford family shared this image of Gratton standing at the intersection of Forest and Irene looking north up Forest Road.

Gavin Lucas wrote in his booklet A Short Historical Sketch of the Village of Sturgeon Point:

"In 1904 First, Second and Fourth Streets were underbrushed and opened sufficiently wide for driveways… $50 was granted to gravel Lake Ave., the gravel coming from Mr. W. Needler’s shore.  Mr. [John] McDonald was requested to remove obstructions on the hotel property roadway as it had become a public right of way.

In 1906… Irene Avenue was graveled partway… The hotel property was bought by Mr. J.W. Flavelle of Toronto and an amicable arrangement was made respecting the right of way along the shore. … Sixth street was opened up the same year.

… Fifteen oil streetlamps were installed in 1910, maintenance to cost 40 cents per light…  Henry Street was opened as far as Clerk’s at a cost of $100.

In 1917 consideration was given to opening Irene Avenue to the Fenelon Road [from 1^st Street] but on account of expense nothing was done… the first oiling of the roads was done in 1924 when at a cost of $248.60 Lake Ave. was oiled from Knowlson’s to Cedar Spring.

In 1926 Henry Street was opened to Graham’s Landing.  Roads were oiled in 1927, 1929, and 1931 at an average cost of $300.  Irene Avenue was opened to the Fenelon Road in 1933, a project long delayed.  By decree of the municipal Board thirteen acres of Wm. Graham’s farm in Fenelon Township were annexed by the Village making the total incorporated area 247 acres and a new street, Forest Road, was made through the woods connecting Irene Ave. with Henry street at the rear of the cottages.  This is 1938.  The cost of land and construction of this half mile avenue was $1500.  It was designed to take the traffic off lakeshore road, too narrow in many places for two cars to pass and also to enable nervous drivers to avoid some danger spots adjoining the high banks."

And here is Forest Road in 2010.