As history would have, it appears that our descendants originated in Ireland. In search of a better life many shiploads of immigrants traversed the expanse ocean to come to North America. Most made land in a large Canadian or American port and then came by train to Barrie, ON. From Barrie they dispersed throughout Ontario. Although the date is unknown it appears that the late Mr. John O’Brien immigrated to Canada from New York, USA to the Sparrow Lake/Kahshe Lake area.

Below is a brief history lesson:

One of the earliest settlers was Alexander McDonald. He was a shipbuilder from Scotland. He heard of Canada as a prosperous country and decided to come and live here. He settled Sparrow Lake in 1860.

As this region was still covered in forest a lot of work needed to be done to the land before settlers could built their log cabins. Here is an unknown author’s story:

A little clearing was made by chopping down the trees and burning the stumps and grass. Then a little log shack was built. Alexander McDonald built his log cabin on Lot #25, 8th Concession. He had two hundred acres of hardwood bush. The settlers built their log cabins with only one room. Some had trough roofs and some had handmade shingles. The trough roof was logs split down their centre and hollowed out. These were laid bark down. Then over the crack was placed another half log. The hand made shingles were split by a frow and smoothed down with a drawknife. They were tapered at one end. In the house they had a fireplace built of stone and clay. The heat would bake the clay and made it solid.

After their house was built they had to clear enough land to grow crops. They did not have all the fine machinery so they had to get along the best they could. They planted potatoes around the stumps and some grain. The ground was so fertile it yielded excellent crops. After the trees had been chopped out, the ground was dug and harrowed with rough branches of trees. Everyone had to help at this, but while these crops were being grown the people could not do without food, so they hunted or fished for their food. Many almost starved!

They raised sheep, cattle, hens and pigs. They spun wool into yarn to make it into stockings, mitts, and sweaters. Some spun the wool in a single thread and then took it to a weaver to be woven into homespun cloth. The flax was made into homespun cloth also. Deer hides were used to make moccasins.

They baked their bread in a big iron pot among the coals in the fireplace. The pots and lids for cooking was made of heavy cast iron. They hung these in the fireplace when they cooked their food.

They threshed their corn using a flail. A flail was made by two pieces of wood attached together by a piece of leather. They whipped the wheat with this until the kernels fell out. Then they dumped it from one pail to another until the wind had taken all the chaff out. After this was done, some boiled grains whole, some ground it themselves and some took it many miles away to be ground. One woman settler was known to have carried a one hundred pound bag of wheat to Washago, to the grist mill, and she carried one hundred pounds of flour back while walking the Kahshe River on a log.

The settlers shot, trapped and snared animals and birds that they could eat. The grain, syrup, animals, birds and farm animals were their main source of food.

While tilling the soil the settlers would find many Indian tomahawks and hatchets which came in handy. Mr. August Shulz Sr. was an expert at making these into hoes or other tools.

The wild animals, which were plentiful, were great pests to the settlers. They killed their sheep and cattle and, in some cases, killed little children. Watch dogs were kept and doors were locked to keep away the savage beasts. Men almost always had to carry a gun when out in the forest.

If any of the settlers wanted to post mail, or get their mail they had to go to Severn Bridge to do so. There was very little communication carried on between settlers and outsiders.

As the years went on the settlers began to know one another and they would join and have parties of some sort. Some of their amusements were berry pickings, picnics and sometimes dances. Their music was to the tune of fiddlers, mouth organs and the howl of wolves in the moonlight.

In 1862 the first frame house was built on Lot #27, 8th Concession.

In 1863 the first church service was held. This was preached by Mr. William Roehl. It was held were Torpitt Lodge stands today. Sometimes circuit riders came around and preached. They passed through many times a year.

In about 1865 they started to make improvements on the roads. The Muskoka Road, now part of Highway #11, was planked with four inch pine planking. This did not prove satisfactory as the horses were real sharp shod and they split the planking as they went along. These stage horses travelled fast. The Muskoka Road, which was from Severn Bridge to Gravenhurst, was used the most.

The railroad went through in 1874 and, five years later, in 1879 the first store was built at Kilworthy. The first church was built in 1885. Around Sparrow Lake and Kilworthy (formerly Lethbridge) everything was pretty well settled.

In 1922 the Catholic Church was built.

There have been a great many changes since then. If our forefathers could see Sparrow Lake now they would find a vary improvement!