Maritime History of the Great Lakes

The Gildersleeves of Kingston: Their Activities, 1816-1930, p. 44

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These famed Ontario summer recreation and fishing districts were gaining in importance, and attracting the American public. Not only the resort owners, but all transportation lines were doing their share in advertising the attractiveness of these regions. The steamboat service across the lake afforded a most direct and convenient means of travel. The NORTH KING left Charlotte, daily except Sunday, at 9 a.m., reaching Cobourg at 1.15 p.m. and Port Hope at 2.15 p.m.; passengers for the Kawartha Lakes took the Grand Trunk Railway for Lakefield and Lindsay, where connecting steamers took them to their destinations, reaching same in the early evening. Returning, they left Port Hope at 2.30 p.m., reaching Charlotte at 7 p.m. The summer migration from the American side started with the opening of the Canadian fishing season on June 15th, when members of New York State and Pennsylvania State fishing clubs were largely in evidence. Cobourg was fast becoming popular with Americans as a lake side summer resort, a number of the more wealthy erecting commodious residences, while cottages and tourist establishments were numerous. The lake shore beach was most favorable for bathing purposes, and no railway line marred the water front. With the growth of the American summer colony, came the inauguration of the Horse Show, which was a widely advertised society event each year. This all helped to increase steamboat travel. Day excursions from Rochester to Cobourg were most popular with the public. It was considered the Bay of Quinte region also offered possibilities, both as regards movement back and forth of regular passenger traffic, for many of the younger members of families living in the Bay district sought employment at Rochester, and also as a convenient location for summer camps. In this region Gildersleeve advocated and encouraged the creation of camps and the erection of suitable cottages, at different points between 'Presquile (Brighton) and Glenora. There were many ideal sites available and the fishing, so alluring to Americans, was unsurpassed, both bass and maskinonge abounding. He believed that in the attractions of the Bay and the Thousand Islands centred future passenger trade development. To bring the Company's services and the regions served more prominently before prospective tourists, Mr. Gildersleeve engaged an expert photographer to go through the Kawartha Lakes, Bay of Quinte, Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes districts, to secure views of their scenic beauties and other features. These were used not only in the preparation of folders and other descriptive advertising, but in the making of a series of stereopticon slides for use of an agent in giving travel talks, during the winter season at Rochester and other places within one to two hundred miles radius of that city. Mailing lists were compiled for the conduct of a follow up advertising campaign, results from which proved the wisdom of the decision reached. **** To aid in making the new program successful, there had to be evolved a more frequent service than once a week from Rochester to the Bay of Quinte. A start was, therefore, made in 1897 to create a tri-weekly service by having the NORTH KING make a night trip to Brighton on Tuesday and Thursday, after completion of the lake day trip. At Brighton connection was made with the HERO, whose run had been extended west from Belleville -41-

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Lake Ontario AND Bay of Quinte Steamboat Company
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