Zurich Citizens News, 1975-07-24, Page 17Page 18 -Zurich Citizens News, July 24, 1975
Cottage industry in Bayfield
A capacity crowd gathered in
the Old Town Ha11Monday
evening, July 14, for the regular
meeting of the Bayfield Histor-
ical Society and heard villagers
and summer residents relate the
"Hey -day of the Cottage Industry
in Bayfield."
Mrs. Ethel (Jowett) Poth told
of her grandfather, the late
Charles Middleton buying a
tract of land in 1861 which cons-
isted of the area from Deer Lodge
Park sideroad on the north to
the northerly edge of the Bay-
field River flats on the south.
In 1895, her father construct-
ed the first cottage on the same
property and people came from
all parts by horse and buggy
SHoPPEF C
FUN & SAVINGS 0
0
c
During
IT
This Week
Sidewalk Sale
GODERtCH
Doug, Janet, Marilyn,
Wendy and Edward
would like you to help them
celebrate the
25TH WEDDING
ANNIVERSARY
of their parents
Leo and Cecile
Meidinger
SAT., JULY 26
9-1
ZURICH ARENA
Music by
Mozart's Melody Makers
Lunch No Gifts
Provided
Please
and set up tents there. It was
known as "White City." There
were no modern facilities at that
time and the water for drink-
ing etc., was obtained from a
sandpointfar below on the beach.
The cottages grew from the one
in 1895 to 17, and this is the80th
year of operation of the Jowett
cottages. This year Mrs. Poth
said; the 4th generation of the
McTaggart family, originally
from Clinton were holidaying
there, and were one of the
first families to come to the
Jowett property.
Mr. Dick Moore, recalled on
cassette tape his youthful days in
Bayfield, from the age of 5
years when his family came from
Chicago to Bayfield in 1909.
They would come by train to
Brucefield and Mr. Jowett
would have arranged for a large
buggy to meet them and transport
they and their luggage to the
Jowett cottages. He made ment-
ion of the cottages with their
built-in beds, no ceilings and part
partitions, stating there was a
very little privacy then. The cook -
stove was on the outside porch
on a lean-to with three sides
protected from wind and rain.
The privy was way down the bank
and bathing was done mostly
in Lake Huron. Groceries were
ordered from Edwards Store in
the village and when an order
was delivered Mr. Edwards
would take back with him the ord-
er for the following week. He
mentioned that the cottages were
always occupied and that Mr.
Jowett also furnished the wood
for the stoves.
Mrs. Betty (Mustard) Burch
told of her father corning from
Toronto in 1910 to visit his broth-
er Bill and seeing Bayfield long-
ed for a place here to bring his
family to vacation. He purchas-
ed property on the River bank
on the north side and on the
property was a very old house.
There were no facilities and when
the family arrived by train to
Clinton and from there to Bayfield
by rented horse and wagon their
first chore was to take out the
mattresses and shake out the
baby snakes and baby m ice,
MARINE ART • PRINTS • PAINTINGS
Come and view our fine selection of nautical
prints and paintings by such noted marine rtists
as Homer and Sessions. Or maybe it's a
windjammer weather vane or a whaling harpoon
that would add that nautical touch to your rec
room or den. Whatever your notion see us at the
Captains Cabin on the River Road in Grand Bend.
85 RIVER ROAD.
GRAND BEND 111
and air out the house after
being closed up for the ten
months. She told of her mother
putting the familyh in a rowboat
and tying them to parts of the
boat so they wouldn't fall out
and rowing to the south beach
to swim. In 1920 her father
purchased his first car and the
next day they drove to Bayfield.
Mr. and Mrs. Burch recently
built their retirement home on
the same property.
Mrs. Bill Tillmann told of Dr.
Tillmann Sr., coming to Bayfield
to holiday and noted that his
signature appears in the Albion
Hotel register in 1904. He purch-
ased the property where they now
reside in the summer in 1920.
Mrs. Agnes Parker told of her
parents, the late Mr. and Mrs.
Charles R: Will of London answ-
ering an ad in the paper in
1918 for a cottage for rent in
Bayfield. They had no idea where
Bayfield was and had to get a
map to locate the village. They
spent five years at the Rankin
cottage and eventually bought
their own on Delevan Street.
Mrs. Parker said that one big
event was the whistle blowing at
12 noon from the Mustard saw-
mill. She recalled the wonder-
ful tines at the dance pavilion at
Jowett's Grove, the golf course
and said that every Tuesday
was ladies day at which there
was.a luncheon served.
Mrs. Jean Cook related that
when her family first came to
Bayfield to vacation they also
stayed in the Jowett cottages
and in 1922 purchased property
and built their own cottage. She
said as the family expanded so
did the cottage. When a baby was
born a new little alcove was built
and so it went until it is quite a
large cottage today.
Mrs. Mellisa (Truitt) Kurtz
told of her parents belonging to
a Baptist Church group in Detroit,
Michigan, of which there were 12
couples. One of the couples came
to Bayfield once and from then
on the wives along with all of the
children would come early in
the spring and stay until fall.
She recalled that one of the
couples was Mrs. Lois Lance's.
parents. Their parents were
friends and the two families
have carried on the tradition ever
since.Mr. and Mrs. Lance and
Mr. and Mrs. Kurtz now own
their own properties in the village
and spend as much time as they
possibly can here. Last week 23
relatives of Lois and Melissa
gathered on the beach for a party.
Mrs. Dick of the village Guild
said her family started to come to
Bayfield in the 1930's from
Detroit, and their first cottage
which they rented was on the
Metcalf property. They later pur-
chased the cottage above the
Malta "King Bluff." She said a
really big event then was to save
up enough gas coupons because
gasoline was rationed to take a
trip to Grand Bend for the. day.
Another exciting time was when
the Airforce boys came over from
Clinton. She also mentioned the
dances at the Pavilion and said
that it was 28 years ago this
month that she had introduced
her husband to her parents.
Mrs. Marg (Bauer) Lauden-
bach, came to Bayfield in 1939.
She said her mother was not very
well and Dr. Tillmann had rec-
ommended that they come to
Bayfield,
Mrs. Gwen Pemberton the
Society chairman then carried on
the business part of the meeting
, OPEN EVERY NIGHT
fifilStAliieliVACTg
WED TO SAT JULY 7]. 71. 77.
The Second Yd
stest
%'.
% .:`
PLUS
]L
Fk1er i n theWorlcl
�cn
IN A(401161 HOL HILLII8
9HAl
ter.
Zei
0fltii
i6iP[�
ADULT ENTERTAINMENT
VTHE FRONT
f:
ji'r Y I
SUN MON JULY 77. 78
11os.iskr
HE FAIR '
8 LOWpIN1FflV4710#4L M^.Nh[
„
TT]eV9g..8their atfor tttete ,iI
Ai
. j.
_ *1111 p�
erieader
4-
TOES WED THURS JULY
'the most Illagnihrenl
wr,, - r
I ti �
r ,
',.,'
7F. 10 11
piclure ever!
nnwnosvRehs
"GO NE
INITITH
THE WW
(LUth 6.U11,F, ,1t
V111EN LEIGH 1.HI.
I,ESU1 IIO\\;Ui1)
1{OiAlklICILWIl,L.N1)
V G ... :,:v•.> Vetoed 1.01
ProQramt Subject ra Cha qe Without Notice
ZURICH LIONS CLUB
SUMMER
JAMBOREE
ZURICH ARENA
Y, JUL 25
UOUS DANCING
ALL NIGHT
9 to 1 A,M,
TWO BIG BANDS
"DESIARDINE" ORCHESTRA
AND
"JOE" OVERHOLT
pleieriMitil