It’s Wayback Wednesday, sponsored by Pharmasave Huntsville!
All Highway 11 traffic once passed beneath this archway, which was located in Huntsville’s west end. At the time it was built, in 1932, the Department of Highways provided road signs identifying all the towns along on highways in southern Ontario, communities in Muskoka were left to their own devices. The idea for the archway came from Harold Briggs, chairman of the publicity committee of the Huntsville Board of Trade. Local families were invited to contribute stones for its pillars.
The archway was officially opened by Mayor J. Frank Kelly in July 1932. The inscription read, “Huntsville, Lake of Bays – Summer and Winter Vacationland”. The Town of Bracebridge objected to Huntsville calling itself the Gateway to Lake of Bays, claiming that it was easier to get to Lake of Bays via Bracebridge, but the the Grand Trunk and Canadian National Railways had already been advertising Huntsville as the Gateway to Lake of Bays.
In July 1958, a truck carrying a bulky load struck the heavy steel beam that joined the pillars and knocked it from its moorings. An oil company had been pleading with town council for years to widen the arch or remove it because trucks could not get through town. Following the accident, the archway was removed.
The Highway 11 bypass was officially opened November 27, 1959.
(Image courtesy of Muskoka Digital Archives. Details from Huntsville: With Spirit and Resolve by Susan Pryke.)
See more Wayback Wednesday photos here.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!
The following is a segment of a letter sent by Mr. Sid Davis to Mr. Bruce West, who most locals would know was a reporter for the Toronto Globe & Mail. The letter is dated Dec. 20th, 1959.
‘Dear Bruce;
Just to let you know how much we appreciate your new’s item in the Globe every day, especially when you bring up the subject of the ex-stone archway at the west end of Huntsville, being on the council when the arch-way was erected I had a finger in the pie, I certainly was dissappointed when it was wrecked never to be re-placed, I always considered it meant much to this district, the message on it was most appropriate.’
The original of this document, written by her father, is the property of Mrs. Jean Reynolds and I am most appreciative of her letting me share this little piece of history. It’s amazing what can be found in old boxes. Thank you Jean.