HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-07-16, Page 55The Point Farm Hotel was a summer rural retreat
Romance, tragedy, and a young Dutch
baron's Huron land deals all form part of
the story of Point Faun summer hotel, but
it really came of a young Engjishznan's
dream about a pleasant rural retreat for
tired city people.
"So impressed was I, the first time I saw
it." wrote J.J. Wright, "with the location
and interesting surroundings of the place,
it appeared to me just the spot for tired,
rundown city people who desired a change
in every respect in home living, and I con-
ceived the idea of building a place that
could be called a home in every sense of
the word."
The hotel, at what was formerly called
Four -Mile Point, on the shore of Lake
Huron north of Goderich, undoubtedly fill-
ed a need, as Wright foresaw, and flourish-
ed greatly in its time. It died a slow death
as competition arose and the Motor Age
advanced.
In a joint issue published by the two
Goderich newspapers in 1889 it was said of
Point Farm that "its patrons extend over a
continent, while even from across the seas
parties seek rest and health beneath its
spacious roof."
Certainly thousands from Canada and
the United States found a haven there, and
its story, enriched by the founder's
reminiscences, deserved to be told.
The hotel was built in the 1870s on Lot 8,
Lake Road West, Colborne township. First
owner of the land (after the Canada Com-
pany) as well as the lots south to and in-
cluding The Ridge, was the Right
Honourable Vincent Gildemeester, Baron
van Tuyll van Serooskerken. His father,
Carel Lodewijk van Tuyll, had arranged in
the 1830s, with the Canada Company in
London, for the purchase of land in the
newly opehed Huron Tract. Whatever the
precise nature of this bargain, and its
documentation, if any, the fact is that no
deeds were executed until some years
afterward,'when the son came to 'Canada.
The deeds are dated in 1840 and 1841.
Baron Vincent at once mortgaged the
properties to the Bank of Upper Canada,
which seems to have been highly
vulnerable to the applications of titled
customers. On the lake shore lots, the
baron borrowed 1,293 pounds sterling.
Eventually the Bank got the lots back on
its hands and sold them to various persons.
Lot 8 became 'the property of Charles
Boulton Davies, a young Englishman who
had married Susan Ellen, daughter of
John Hawkins, a Port Albert pioneer.
Davies was the only son of Rev. Morgan
Davies, M.A., and a grandson of Sir Mor-
timer -Davies. His father had been station-
ed in India, and Charles was born at
Balgarrie, near Bombay, in 1830. The
family was from Flintshire, Wales.
Susan Ellen Hawkins was born in Lon-
don, Ontario. Boulton and his wife lived in
Goderich at first. The late William Camp -
)ell,, whose recollections usually were
dependable, said the Davies couple lived in
a stone house on East Street. The records
show that Davies never owned either of the
two stone houses on that street, but could
have been a tenant. At any rate, the family
moved to Colborne, where the lake shore
farm reportedly was bought for them by
• Charles' father in England.
Page 31
They had been on the property some
time, and erected a house and out-
buildings, when Davies,returning to
Goderich with supplies, was drowned in
Lake Huron, July 22, 1$56, "to the great
grief of his most affectionate widow," as
the stone in Port Albert cemetery records.
Mrs. Davies became a surety for ad-
ministration of the estate and m due
course received title to the property. The
Davies' only child, Thomas Frederick
Boulton, died July 31, 1855, aged 11 mon-
ths, and is buried at Port Albert.
In 1859, still only 25 years of age, Mrs.
Davies . was married to Joseph Joshua
Wright, 26. Whether or not through caution
on the part of the bride's father, the wed-
ding was preceded by the execution of a
quaint document setting forth that "a mar-
riage is intended shortly to be bad and
solemnized," and transferring to H.T. Pell
and Samuel Wright the 200 -acre farm,
"dwelling and outbuildings, household
goods and, chattels, cattle and farm im-
continued
"Servin
Colborne Township
for Forty-SixYe_g_rs!"-
*Local
and Long Distance
Hauling
*Livestock, Feed, Seed Grain
and Fertilizer
Have a great time at our Sesquicentennial
FROM. ALL OF US AT:
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