• Surveyors of the Past

• Surveyors of The Past — — ------------------ --------- BY CHARLES FAIRHALL------------------------------ V. B. WADSWORTH Front and Wellington Streets, Toronto. Sound, which, if he found to be the best Colonization roads were to be developed navigable harbour for the Georgian Bay The narrative of a teen-aged surveying into Muskoka, Parry Sound and Nipis trade, was to be adopted as the terminal student on a survey party in Muskoka in sing he said. The only settlements there point for that road, and the lake-port 1860 and 1861 — V. B. Wadsworth, in 1860 were the very small ones at for the district. for whom Lake Vernon is named. Severn Bridge and Parry Sound. He said: “Thereafter a line was to be run Lake Vernon, near Huntsville, was “The Muskoka Road at that time from the north end of Lake Rosseau to named in 1860 for a teenager, Vernon was extended 12 miles from the crossing the mouth of the South River, falling Bayley Wadsworth, who as a surveying of the Severn River to where Gravenhurst into Lake Nipissing. This line was estima student, came to Muskoka with John is now situated. At Parry Sound three or ted at 80 miles in length and was to be a Stoughton Dennis, P.L.S., to assist in gov four small houses and a small sawmill theodolite line with explorations on each ernment surveys of importance to the were located, but no road thereto, nor mile extending for a distance of three later settlement of this part of Ontario. were there any farms or settlers in or four miles east and west of the main that vicinity. Nor indeed was there any survey line, and to locate by diversions The family of Vernon Wadsworth settlement from the Georgian Bay and the the site of the future colonization road still are remembered in Muskoka as Severn River northward to Lake Nipis where the main line was unsuitable. summer residents on Lake Rosseau. He sing, and northward beyond, excepting lived to be 96 years of age, and died in “These surveying operations were the Hudson Bay Company’s posts and very extensive, and required a more in 1940. He had a distinguished career in these are few and far between. surveying and business. timate knowledge of the district and the “To develop this large forested lakes therein than the Government maps As a pupil, Vernon Wadsworth was country, the Commissioner of Crown of that time disclosed. evidently highly regarded by J. S. Dennis, Lands of that time instructed J. S. Dennis “Mr. Dennis organized his surveying for when the latter retired from private to make exploration surveys throughout party about July 1st, 1860, hiring the practice and became Surveyor General the districts, and if the exploration sur axe-men, cook and packers at Penetan- for the Dominion of Canada (later Dep veys reached a country suitable for farm guishene, Indians and half-breeds—the uty Minister of the Interior), he handed ing settlement, then roads were to be best of men for such work. The staff over his business to Vernon Wadsworth opened to be based on those survey lines associated with J. S. Dennis were John “without compensation.” Mr. Wadsworth with outlets on suitable Georgian Bay L. Oliver; Milner Hart, student; V. B. formed a partnership with B. W. Gossage, harbors. Wadsworth, student, and MacDonald and later with Charles Unwin, who had to be store camp keeper, and he was suc done the original survey of the Muskoka “The instructions to J. S. Dennis ceeded by Mr. Gentle who overlooked Colonization Road up to Muskoka Falls. comprised the location and extension of and guarded the provisions etc. The men This partnership conducted many of the the Muskoka Road northeastward to the were to meet us at Orillia supplied with surveys of importance in Toronto and north branch of the Muskoka River with their axes, blankets, clothes and other Ontario for the <rovernment, railways and suitable bridge crossing over the Muskoka necessaries. industries including Muskoka sawmills. River, starting from the end of the located In 1867, however, Mr. Wadsworth be road at the Falls on the south branch of “Mr. Dennis and staff left Toronto, came inspector for the London and Cana the Muskoka River, and thence easterly travelling by the old Northern Railway, dian Loan and Agency Company and and northerly north of the Muskoka which then ran to Collingwood, passing later was general manager, retiring in River to the surveyed line of the Bob- through Allandale, and with a switch 1921. In 1910 Mr. Wadsworth had pur caygeon Road. from Lefroy to Belle Ewart on Lake Sim- chased a summer home on the shore of coe where we took passage on the steam Lake Rosseau, in the village of Rosseau. “On completing this exploration for er “Morning” in charge of the late Cap road survey, an exploration line was to tain May, and proceeded to Orillia, In 1926 Mr. Wadsworth wrote a be surveyed westerly through the Indian touching at Jackson’s Point, Beaverton History of the Exploratory Surveys of Gardens, now Port Carling, from a point and Atherley and arrived at Orillia lohn Stoughton Dennis, Provincial Land about five miles north of the crossing of about 2.00 p.m. surveyor, in the Muskoka, Parry Sound the north branch of the Muskoka River, “There was a great storm on Lake and Nipissing Districts, 1860 to 1865, as and to terminate at the mouth of the Simcoe that day and it was very rough well as telling of his own career. It is Muskosh River, the outlet of Lake Mus and very difficult for the steamer to touch from this history, which was mimeograph koka on the Georgian Bay. at the respective points, and seasickness ed for private circulation, that we quote was common amongst the passengers. in this chapter. We acknowledge the kind “Failing to find the country traver ness of Bryan Vaughan, of Toronto and sed suitable for settlement on this last- “On our arrival at Orillia we took Lake Rosseau, in having a few years ago mentioned line, then the survey party rooms at Stafford’s Hotel and our men made a copy of this interesting mono proceeded to Parry Sound and ran an from Penetanguishene were there await graph available to us. exploration line easterly 50 miles or so ing us. The next morning we hired two to the intersection of the Bobcaygeon or three row boats and started up Lake Vernon Wadsworth became an art Road line, and thereafter to survey a Couchiching and duly reached the north icled pupil of J. S. Dennis, of Toronto, line from a point about five miles or so end, a 12-mile row, to the outlet of the in May, 1860. He was 16 and had that north of the crossing of the Muskoka lake, being the Severn River which falls April passed his preliminary Examina River northward to the north end of into the Georgian Bay on the north shore tions at the old Parliament Building, Lake Rosseau, and westward to Parry opposite Port McNichol. There are three 14 THE ONTARIO LAND SURVEYOR, SUMMER 1980 outlets of the Severn River from Lake (In this remark it is again seen how “Mr. Dennis with three men and a Couchiching. the accurate maps prepared in 1847 by birch bark canoe now commenced his David Thompson were then overlooked canoe traverse of the lakes and rivers in “We camped near the saw-mill, or buried deep in government files). that district, and passing up the Muskoka owned and operated by the late Quetton River he reached Mary’s Lake, Fairy St. George, and waited there for one “We had no canoes with us, and Lake and Peninsula Lake and discovered Harvey who with his team was to trans expected to obtain them from the Indian Vernon Lake and Vernon River, (named port our provisions and camp equipment, Village, which was about 25 miles north after the writer) and the tributary, East etc., to Lake Muskoka, distant about 12 ward (now Port Carling). Fortunately Sand River. He did not go to the Lake miles northward. our men found an old birch bark canoe of Bays, or Trading Lake as the Indians concealed by the Indians in one of the “The then travelled road, known as called it from the fact that an Indian, one bays, and having duly repaired same and Bigwin from Snake Island in Lake Sim- the Muskoka Road, terminated there, and made paddles, Mr. Dennis and two men the road was so unfinished that a loaded coe, traded somewhat with those Indians proceeded to the Indian Village of Obo- in that Lake. team could only haul about 800 pounds jawanung (now Port Carling) and re of provisions, etc. and consequently to turned in a couple of days with sufficient “On returning to our base store supply our party, Harvey had to do a lot canoes to transport the party and supplies camp at the Falls, Mr. Dennis then made of teaming to forward our supplies to across Lake Muskoka to the mouth of a canoe traverse of the shores of the con Lake Muskoka. the Muskoka River and thence up the necting lakes, Muskoka, Rosseau and Jos “We spent the day at St. George’s river to the first falls thereon, where eph, which latter lake he discovered and mills amidst the rattlesnakes which at Bracebridge is situated today. named after his father, at that time re siding at Buttonwood near Weston. He that time abounded there, some exhibited “The lake was calm and beautiful, in cages.

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