The Muskoka Collection
A collection of historical and current material, including
works of fiction, about Muskoka or by Muskoka authors.
Resources
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Print
collection consists of the histories of towns, townships, churches, schools,
post offices, buildings, steamboats, hotels, cottages and the lakes as well as
biographies and family genealogies. Cemetery transcriptions are recorded in
These our ancestors were.
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Atlases,
gazetteers and directories include Guide book and atlas of Muskoka and
Parry Sound (1879), Muskoka Lakes blue book, directory and chart
(1918), Who’s where on Muskoka Lakes (1975), and farmers’ and business
directories for 1866-67; 1872-73; 1884-1886; 1886-87; 1896.
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Newspapers
include The Herald-Gazette on microfilm from 1880s to 1996 and The
Bracebridge Examiner on microfilm and/or print from 1996 to date.
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Photographs include the collection of Bob Petry author of Bala : an early
settlement in Muskoka and Bracebridge : an early settlement in Muskoka.
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Vertical
File of newspaper clippings about people, places and events.
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Government
Publications include many federal, provincial and municipal government
publications pertaining to Muskoka. Minutes of the District of Muskoka and
Town of Bracebridge may be consulted.
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Vital
Statistics and Census include census on microfilm for Muskoka and Parry Sound
for the years 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901; the registers for the
Muskoka Mission (1865-1875) and the Uffington Mission (1884-1923)
copied from the records of the Anglican Diocese of Algoma; registers of the
Nazareth Lutheran Church at Germania (1873-1994)
Unpublished
Collections
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Redmond
Thomas collection of 7 scrapbooks of newspaper clippings (on microfilm)
and some ephemera and photographs.
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Dorothy
Coate collection of notes, photographs and clippings about people, places
and events in the Rosseau and surrounding areas.
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Lillie
M. Johnson collection on 2 microfilm reels consisting of clippings about
people and events (1933-1963)
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Gladys
Bennett collection of dramatic scripts and newspaper clippings by a
locally well-known newspaper columnist, teacher and world traveler.
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Working
notes for A Good town continues (2000) including material that was not
published.
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Tweedsmuir scrapbooks for Women’s Institutes of South Macaulay,
Bracebridge, and Haystack Bay (Lake of Bays)
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Woodchester Villa scrapbooks on the history of the Bird family and the
creation of the Woodchester Villa Museum.
Rene Caisse and Essiac
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A
collection of published and archival material about Bracebridge resident Rene
M. Caisse (1888-1978) and Essiac, her herbal treatment for cancer.
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Mary
McPherson, who worked closely with Rene Caisse, donated her own collection of
documents and memorabilia, consisting of correspondence, photographs,
clippings and patient testimonials.
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Consult
the Rene M. Caisse Finding Aid.
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Access to
some material is restricted.
Access to the
Collections
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The
Muskoka Collection must be used in the Library although some material is
duplicated in the circulating collection and may be borrowed.
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Staff at
the Reference Desk will gladly direct your inquiry and assist in identifying
items in the Catalogue, or in any of the Finding Aids.
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Equipment
is available for viewing and printing microform material.
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Reference
Department staff will endeavour to answer specific questions about Muskoka
history or genealogy. Contact us by mail, telephone or on the Ask a
Librarian form.
Internet Resources for Local History & Genealogy
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Ancestry® Library Edition an online reference tool from ProQuest. Includes more than 4,000 databases of genealogical data from the US, UK, Canada and beyond. Available only in the library on the public access computers.
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Helpful Websites for Local History & Genealogy.
Helpful Websites for Local History & Genealogy
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