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Charles Harold Hale in making comments on this book remarks of this page - He places the location of the lumber mill in the foreground approximately at the point of the refreshment stand at the entrance of Couchiching Park. Reference to the Park is made later. Couchiching Beach Park was originally called ‘Asylum Point”. The building was originally erected for a hotel by Henry Fraser of Price’s Corners. It was purchased by the Government in 1859 and enlarged and occupied by a “Convalescent Lunatic Asylum” to use the objectionable description of those days. The hospital was under the charge of Dr. John Ardagh. The name was later changed to “Orillia Lunatic Asylum for Chronic Patients”. This was later converted to “Asylum for Idiots” under Dr. Beaton. The Beaton family were very well known in Orillia. The building was then torn down after which the property was purchased by the Town for Couchiching Beach Park. The Price was $10,000.00. The present great institution for defective children was then erected on its present on Lake Simcoe. |
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1872 General view of Orillia from the Asylum Building. This picture shows the old saw mill that stood in the present park, also the old Presbyterian Church, the old English Church, the then newly erected Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, etc. This picture was taken before the railroad ran through Orillia to Midland. This mill was built and operated by Oliver & Sutherland and later by Budd Janes. Asylum Building stood near where the Champlain Monument now stands. |
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| Lumbering - Orillia - 1872 Follow-up of picture on previous page. |
| Contain old-time group pictures. Seemingly it was the fashion of those days to have such group pictures taken. | ||||||||||
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