- Michael's Bay
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Michael's Bay was a late 19th century lumber town located in Tehkummah Township on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada. The town was built on the location of a former Odawa native settlement that dates back to the 15th century.
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Robert A. Lyon and Associates
In 1866 the town got its start after Robert A. Lyon and Associates of Toronto were granted a timber license covering 200 square miles (500 km2) in Tehkummah Township. The license was originally purchased for a sum of $200.00.
The lumber mill originally employed 20 men and would grow to produce 2,000,000 board foot (4,700 m3) per year by 1868-69, as well as squared timber and lathes. The small settlement grew to include 60 residents that included mill workers, lumbermen, fishermen, a millwright, a carpenter, a lighthouse keeper, three coopers and a blacksmith. In 1868 the cutting rights were extended to 120 square miles (310 km2). In 1871 the town's lighthouse was completed. The firm again attempted to increase its lumber limits once again, but this time permission was refused. Debt-ridden and unable to continue, the company's license was transferred to the Toronto Lumber Co. in 1878.
Toronto Lumber Co.
After the takeover by the Toronto Lumber Co., the business climate appeared to have improved. A town plot was laid out in 1879. Production levels were flourishing. The shingle factory and sawmill were producing 3,500 board foot (8.3 m3) alongside 20,000 shingles per day. A road, running 23 miles (37 km), was constructed to Manitowaning, which reduced travel time to three and a half hours.
Michael's Bay Lumber Co.
In 1882, the Toronto Lumber Company was sold to the newly incorporated Michael's Bay Timber Co. Unfortunately, the small timber limit of 37.9 square miles (98 km2) was insufficient to generate long-term profit and by October 1888 the company was suffering from a serious debt load and folded. It is reported that the Michael's Bay Lumber Company had over $20,000 in bad debts at the time of bankruptcy.
Community
In its heyday, during the mid 1880's, Michael's Bay was a prosperous place containing an active lumber port, two stores, boarding houses, a hotel, taverns, a bakery, blacksmith shop, school and about 15 frame homes. However once the mill closed, there was nothing left to sustain the town. The community, that once counted 150 or so residents, and a seasonal population sometimes reaching 400, was doomed. By the year 1900 only a sparse population was left. The post office that first opened in 1872 finally closed in 1916 for lack of use.
What remains today
A series of brush fires finally claimed the majority of the buildings between 1910 and 1914. All that remains today is part of the King Street Bridge and a few foundations and cellars. The area is heavily overgrown. The townsite and surrounding lands is now owned by foreign investors. Great lengths by the Canadian Federal/Provincial Governments as well as the Township of Tehkummah and the Michael’s Bay Historical Society to acquire the town site land have been brought to a stalemate.
The Michael's Bay Historical Society
The Michael's Bay Historical Society [1] is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history and artifacts of the Michaels Bay ghost town. The MBHS’s mandate is to preserve the history and artifacts for all citizens and visitors to enjoy and to educate others about Manitoulin's first permanent settlement.
Their goal is to protect the town site, which includes several cemeteries from commercial or residential development.
References
- ghosttownpix.com
- Tavis Xavier
External links
Categories:- Communities in Manitoulin District, Ontario
- Ghost towns in Ontario
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