Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Mystery Solved

My little mystery is nothing really spectacular, it's just one of those little niggling questions that I've been unable to solve for many years.  I probably could've solved it years ago if I really thought about it, but I guess I just wondered off and on over this question without really figuring it out.
 
Years ago, while camping in Algonquin, I picked up a book by Roy MacGregor entitled "A Life in the Bush".  The book is a biography of the author's father Dunc MacGregor, and his time spent in Algonquin Park with the lumber industry.  I read the book right through while we were camping that year.  It must've been when my son was quite small and still taking afternoon naps, or I never would've had time to read an entire book!  In the book are a few black and white photos of people of importance in his father's life.  There is one photo of the author's mother Helen sitting on a rock outcrop at Lake of Two Rivers, and this location is where Helen's own father, Tom McCormick, had built a log home while he was Chief Ranger of the park.  There are quite a few references to the log home and the time that the author's family spent there.
 
I've always wondered where exactly this log home had been.  Lake of Two Rivers is a fairly large lake, and one year we paddled around a bit looking for the location.  There were a few clues in the book ... there was a cliff where the author's sister used to dive into the lake, there was a public beach nearby (which I took to mean the campground beach, but I was wrong), and the piece of land was on a point.  We couldn't find anything during our paddle that matched the descriptions, or the photo, and that was the last time we actively looked for the site.  But I've often wondered about it as we drove along the highway that runs through the park.
 
This year I suggested that we look again for the mystery location.  When I looked at the photo in the book again, I thought maybe the beach was the picnic area beach instead, so we headed there.  When we arrived at the beach and walked off to one side of it, we could see there was sort of a point out into the water, but I didn't see any cliffs there, it didn't seem like the ground was high enough above the water.
 
 
My son quickly found a path that led in the direction of the point, so we followed it.   We came out into a large clearing that was fairly hidden from the public beach.  There weren't any cliffs, but there was a rock outcrop on one side that could well have been where the sister used to dive into the lake.  But it wasn't until we saw the remains of the stone foundation of the home itself that I knew we had finally found the site!  
 
 
This home had been built by the Chief Ranger himself all those years ago.  The ground where the house had been was littered with broken bricks, bits of roof shingles and other rocks and concrete that had once been part of the home.
 
 
 
The home had been sold to an American years ago, and that purchaser had had the log home removed log by log to a new location.  It was at a time when the park was considering cancelling its leases with all the cottage owners which would force them to move their cottage or lose it.  This is an issue that continues today.  The cottages that exist in Algonquin are privately owned, but the land they sit on is leased from the park.  The park has been considering cancelling all the cottage leases because of the impact the cottagers pose on the natural ecosystem.  The current lease renewal for these cottages comes up again in 2017. 
 
Although the log home is no longer there, I found it rather interesting to see the spot that Roy MacGregor remembers so fondly in his book.  I found the exact rock where the photo of his mother was taken (below), and it made me think of her and the less than easy life this woman led. 
 
 
With her husband spending the winters in the bush with the lumber companies, and summers spent with her ageing parents and young children, it would've been a lonely and difficult time for her. 
 
 
It's quite a pretty spot with a good view across the lake.  On the far side of this lake runs a disused railway bed.  This railway line used to be the busiest in Canada.  The rail line has long ago been ripped up and is now one of two bike paths in the park. 
 
 
We also found what looks to be an overgrown flower bed. 
There was a wide swathe of Lily of the Valley ...
 
 
Along with some tiger lilies ...
 
 
There was only one lonely bloom on the tiger lilies ...
 
 
So my little mystery has finally been solved.  I've walked around the site that has been bugging me since I read that book!  Now I think I may just read it again and I'll be able to picture the log home's location perfectly :)
 
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 
Wendy

23 comments:

  1. How exciting to have solved the mystery. I bet the book will read a bit differently now that you've actually walked around there and have photos. What a beautiful area!

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  2. This was such an interesting story, Wendy. Thank you for sharing. I could really feel her plight. It would have been a beautiful place to live. I'm glad you got to go and figure it all out. :)

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  3. What a beautiful place and story you're sharing ! thanks ! xx

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  4. Oh, that's so cool! It's rare you can actually SEE a location that is in a book that you've read and liked. That is awesome that you were able to find it, and be there.

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  5. How great that you found this place and finally figured out the mystery! It is a beautiful spot, so it must have been lovely to have a home there in years gone by. It is a hard one about the cottage leases, the need to protect the environment, and those who live there. It is a difficult thing to balance isn't it. xx

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  6. Wendy, how satisfying that you found it! It's a shame that the cabin has been removed but I do hope it is in a safer environment now and protected. Enjoy reading the book again xx

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  7. So cool that you found the foundation!

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  8. That is so cool! I'm glad you found the location, too. It means so much more when you read a book to imagine the location. We have spent a lot of time near Cold Mountain, NC (we have property in that area) and it really makes a difference reading books about that remote region. Loving your beautiful photos my friend! Hugs, Diane

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  9. Fascinating discovery! The picture of the rock is almost haunting - I can imagine it would be for you having read the book...like a step back in time. Chrissie x

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  10. I really enjoyed this story too-and such a feel good moment to have found the spot-so cool-did you take home a momento? I would have had to find a rock or something to take back to my garden

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  11. Quite an adventure Wendy and very interesting how exciting to have found the site! such a beautiful place too. :)

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  12. So interesting. I would love to do that. What an adventure, We enjoyed some exploration of old farms around here. (in my Bluebell woods blog) I love the history and imagining what it was like for those people in the 1800s, Here in Michigan not a lot of really old history except for the Indians. I am from England so 200 years is not far back for me but its all we have. You though have that advantage of reading about it from the people who were there
    Janice

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  13. It was neat to find the site. It looks like a beautiful place to have a cottage or a summer home.. Lovely photos, thanks for sharing. Have a great evening!

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  14. That was fun! I can't imagine how tough life would have been living there...oh..the winters!!!
    Jane x

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  15. How fascinating is that!!! I am a sucker for things like this and would have probably been squealing with delight! To see a place that once held so many memories and stories! Well done Wendy! Glad you solved the mystery! Nicole xo

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  16. What an exciting discovery and such a beautiful location.

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  17. OMG, how fascinating and exciting that you could finally discover the place from the book♡♡♡ How wonderful as you said that you can just read the book again and I'll be able to picture the log home's location perfectly♪

    Sending you Lots of Love and Hugs to from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

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  18. Hi Wendy,

    So enjoyed your intriguing narrative about this stone house mystery! It is a beautiful spot and I can imagine the glow of amber from the autumn leaves on the lake, and across the entire region when the weather starts to cool, providing a spectacle of warmth for those living in such a secluded region. How exciting to have located the remains of such a structure, after being mesmerized by its description. Kudos to you!

    xx
    Poppy

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  19. What a beautiful place and story you're sharing ! thanks !
    orange media web design

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  20. I'm so glad you solved the mystery that has bugged you for so long Wendy, and what a very interesting story it is, thank you for sharing it with us. We have life easy these day don't we, when we put everything into perspective …. xoJoy

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  21. Fascinating story. What a clever Sherlock Holmes you are. 'Tis a glorious part of the world there!

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  22. That's cool that you were able to find the remains of the cabin. I think I have that book you mention although I haven't had time to read it. I must make a point of digging it out and read it.

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  23. aha! I did have to look around to see if you had mentioned the "mystery".... good for you tracking it down... it is a beautiful spot...

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Thanks so much for leaving a comment, it's nice to know when you've stopped by! :)

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