Utterson, Ontario

Why Utterson is Important to Me

After the Railway Was Built

Fun Cottage Memories

The reason I chose to do my project on Utterson, ON, is because my cottage is located on a lake in Utterson, called Skeleton Lake. My dad's side of the family has over 70 years of history in Utterson, and I would like to share it with you.

History of Utterson

Once the railway was built in 1886, groups of people would come to the lumber camps in Utterson for the weekend, to give an extra hand cutting wood.

The cattlemen would bring their cows to the railway station 2-3 times a year, to sell off cows to the people passing through Utterson. The conductors would stay overnight in Utterson, until all the cattle was loaded onto the train.

References:

http://www.cavillfuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/1980362/Clarke-Joice/obituary.php?Printable=true

In the early 1880's, before there were railways in this part of Canada, Utterson, ON was just a small rural town, that was well known for being on the main road that linked all the different muskoka communities together. Utterson was used as a rest stop, for people travelling to either Bracebridge, or to Huntsville when they couldn't make it before dark.

http://www.portsydneycoc.com/history-of-port-sydney-and-utterson

Utterson, Ontario

Late 1890's - Early 1900's

By: Joey Cooper

The Camp

G.W. Lankin Store

Family History

Over the years, the camp was torn down, and we just sticked to our own cottage. The main building for the camp is still there, and is rented out to people for a week at a time, to have some fun in the sun!

As time went by, and more people were coming to this small communitie, the people of Utterson decided if people were staying in town, they were going to need to have some sort of way to get food and clothing, other than trading and selling on the side. So the town opened up three general stores.

- G.W. Lankin Store (built in 1900 and owned by Mr. Lankin)

- Creasor & Son, General Merchants (built in 1897 and owned by Mr. Leslie Creasor & John Birmstead)

- Jack Clarke's Store (owned by Pat Clarke, also owner of Commercial Hotel and Cattle Farm)

My Cottage

When my nana was 1 years old, her mother and father decided to buy property on skeleton lake. They thought that to make most of the money back that they had spent on the property, they wuld build a camp. So that summer, the whole family went North to Skeleton Lake, and did just that!

Once our other family heard about us building a cottage, they got in on it too, and built a cottage right next to us! Since we had lots of other friends that were interested in cottages, my great grandparents bought other property along the line of our cottage, and sold if off to other people so they could build cottages of their own.

My cottage

Aunt & Uncles Cottage

Creasor & Son, General Merchants

Utterson Corner Store, Town Hall & 141 Cafe

This is an article I found on Pat Clarke's daughter Joice Clarke. She died on Nov.7/14 and this was a life story the funeral home wrote for her.

Unfortunately...

In Memory of

Joice Elizabeth Clarke

Life Story For Joice Clarke

Friday, 07 Nov 2014, in her 90th year.

Joice was born in the town of Utterson, Ontario, when it was a thriving lumbering community surrounded by farms. Her father, Pat Clarke, and family, built and owned the hotel, barn and general store which were the center of the business community. Joice and her 11 siblings lived in the hotel, along with her parents and the multitude of lumbermen, horse drivers and the men building the road through Muskoka to northern Ontario.

My Cottage Now

- The Commercial Hotel burned down in 1939

- The Central Hotel ran out of buisness and was torn down, but this is what it turned into...

Places to Sleep

Although my family no longer owns the camp, we still own our cottage nextdoor. The cottage is a great place to be! You're around all your family, we have so much fun and experience new things every summer! The cottage is our summer home, and I don't know what we would do without it!

Buisness on the Lake

The Central Hotel

in 1905

The next summer, buisness started running smoothly. In fact, it was going so well, my great grandparents had enough money to build a cottage of their own right next door to the camp.

The people of Utterson knew, that if more and more people would be coming to stay the night, they had to have accomidations. So the town got together and created 2 hotels...

- The Commercial Hotel

- The Central Hotel

Commercial Hotel