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- -D\!~' t» STOKES BAY AREA MILLS By Helene Scott ln early days of the Bruce Peninsula when timber was the mar, :ash crop of setters and mill owners, there were man). such miils in and around Stokes Bay, a small hamlet on the shore of Lake Huron. One of the first mills to Operate at Sbkes Bay was built by The ClUfi family at the mouth of the riv’Er, near where the Fbrnjer Harvey Kirk family home now stands. While living there, the Clutt- tamily experienced a great tragedy when their snn was drowned from a small sailboat in the Bay, (This is thought to be the only drowning incid‘Ent in Stokes Bay's history i , ln dates varying from l878 to 1892, the first mill built on Tamrack lsla1'ld, near Stokes Bay, was built by two men named Bible and Chisholm, This company built the dock and the bridge that connects Tamrack Island with the mainland, and also the tramroad which ran from Tamrack lsland to Mud Lake, or Dunâ€" can’s Lake as it was once called, on the other side of Burley's CornErs, now Clarke’s Corners, A Mr. and Mrs. Duncan lived there in the very early days, and this is why it was knewn by their name a: that time As a great timeâ€"saver and work-saver, the tramroad was built, arj a wooden .railiroad track was laid Alas, tor the best laid schemes of millmen, the engine was too heavy, and the wooden rails spread out He matchsticks when the big engiine footed anc set but, A person who was working there at the time the ilate Murdock Martin, said the tracks ware rounded and the engine wheels r'enged, and when the engine started, it immediately jumped the tracks. There ended the Penin5ula’s we and onlv railroad‘ The next tenants cf the Tamrack Mill were the Lion’s Head Lumber Company Other names mentioned in connection with this mill .vere Malcolm Ferguson Jake Wolflev and a Mr. Deering. ln E399 the Tamrack Mill was baught by the Knechtel Corn- pany of Hanover, who were in the furniture manufacturing bus»- ness. This company was hoping to find a ptentiful supply of hardwood on the Peninsula, and rebuilt the mill and put it in ope eration under the management of Henry Klienscroth until l9li‘ By this the all the suitable timber had been Cut, and many mills were torred to Cltse dcwn, as did the Tamrack mill. ln '?‘.3 Tamrack Island was srld to a group of sportsmen, whn ton-ed a hunting and shctting club, This club is still in ope Ertion 2rd is known as the Tamrack Island Club. The boarding house -':_ch mcéifiedl and the mill building are still intact and wed b\ : ab member: as d‘nin" hall and sleeoing quarters Arrr’ner early mill at Stok‘Es Bav was built by the Cranstgns The site i‘.‘ i'his mill was where the B:b Goldens built their home in 1894 Cranstan also built several clams. acrOSs the "Big River” 22 ' 7‘ ’ l C“ ' a i ,. . E” ,,‘ .1. a. a $2.1 _ < a r 1' ~ " who We ‘r'xvfi‘rr