Articles and Books
BOOKS ABOUT PENINSULA LAKE AND THE AREA
The intriguing narrative of pioneer life and early cottaging on one of Muskoka's most beautiful and pristine lakes may be found here. Penlake captures the essence of cottage life in its 150 antique pictures and meticulously researched text. This delightful compilation will reignite memories, arouse the senses, thrill and entertain everyone who has spent time in Cottage Country.
1. By Steam Boat and Steam Train - The Story of the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway and Navigation Companies by Niall MacKay, Boston Mills Press, 1982, ISBN 0-919822-73-8.
2. Reluctant Pioneer - How I survived Five Years in the Canadian Bush, by Thomas Osborne, Dundurn, Toronto, 2013. (See #3 for Original book)
3. The Night the Mice Danced the Quadrille, Thomas Osborne, 1934. (new title given to this book by Patrick Boyer to create the Reluctant Pioneer.)
4. Penlake - Reflections on Peninsula Lake, Peninsula Lake Association Historical Committee. A Boston Mills Press Book, First published in 1994 by Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, Toronto, Design and typography by Daniel Crack, Kinetics Design & Illustration. ISBN - 1-55046-096-X.
5. Penlake II - Along the Shores of Peninsula Lake, Penlake Historical Committee 1997, Published in 1997 by Peninsula Lake Historical Committee, Islington, Ontario. Design and typography by Daniel Crack, Kinetics Design & Illustration. ISBN 0-9682210-0-9.
6. Tattle Tales of Muskoka by Joe Cookson, 1976: Herald-Gazette Press, Bracebridge - especially Chapters.
7. The Boatbuilders of Muskoka, A.H. Duke and W.M. Gray, Published by W.M. Gray & Company, Toronto, 1985, ISBN 0-9692213-0-4 - Pages 139 & 140 speak of Will-O-The-Wisp (built for Lang Moffat) and Billy Bea II, 1936 built for Dr. Charlton (and named for their 2 children Bill and Bea Joy).
8. The Moffats of Weston (The Ancestors & Descendants of Thomas Lang Moffat & Elizabeth Bryce King - 1792-2002), Compiled, Designed and Edited by Robert Douglas Moffat - Self Published.
9. The Portage Railway, Jeff Young and Peter Foley, 2018, Published by Jeff Young and Peter Foley, and Distributed by The Credit Valley Railway Company Ltd., ISBN 978-1-77136-546-
Articles - Penlake and the area
"A Lake's History" - By Jennifer Brown, as published in the Huntsville Forester on July 6, 1994
"Book about Penlake by Association took 8 years to complete" - By Gay Jefferson
"Penlake - Reflections on a Lake" - Book review by Ev Van Duuren, Summer Passport, 1994
“The Law and Small Boats” - Published Ottawa Citizen -
“Stewardship Awards” - Janet Matthews, Pen Notes - Fall, 2016
“Train Trip Through from Toronto, through the Canal to North and South Portage” - Huntsville Forester, May 8, 2008
“The Village of Huntsville is Incorporated and Village Burns Down” - Unknown Publications of March 25, 1886 and April 18, 1894 respectively
“Historic Lodges on Peninsula Lake“ - Heather Moffat, Pen Notes - Spring and Fall, 2017
“Jim Moffat's Antique Fleet” - Nancy Scarth (Jim Moffat's daughter), Pen Notes - Spring, 2016
"Deerhurst Resort... Celebrating 100 Years of Hospitality"
Special segment, as published in The Muskoka Sun on July 25th, 1996
“Three Generations of the Waterhouse Family at Deerhurst”
“The Story of Deerhurst - Celebrating 125 Years of Hospitality”
By Orv Lyttle
"Tattle Tales of Muskoka” - chapter on Sailing Days on the Lakes
"Tattle Tales of Muskoka" - chapter on the rise and fall of the Flagship (The Algonquin)
By Joe Cookson
By Mary Campbell, as published in the Huntsville Forester in 1964
North Muskoka Lakes Association Brochure
Includes ad for the electric Moffat range
“The Algonquin was built at South Portage”
By Robert D. Moffat
By Tim DuVernet, as published in The Muskoka Sun on June 29, 1989
Letter written in 1972 to Tony Moffat by Janet Irwin
Portage Flyer
“The Portage Flyer - The Little Engine that Could” - Book Review, Heather Moffat, Pen Notes - Fall, 2018
"Jubilant homecoming for historic Portage Flyers"
Article from the Huntsville Forester, October 17, 1984
"Explaining North Muskoka's Unique Portage Railway"
Book review by Robert J Boyer of "By Steam Boat and Steam Train - The Story of the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway and Navigation Companies" by Niall MacKay, as published in the Muskoka Sun on May 19, 1983
"Remembering the Portage Flyer"
Published in The Muskoka Sun on June 14, 1994
"Portage Flyer Comes Home to Muskoka"
By Frances Kelly, as published in The Toronto Star on October 11, 1984
"Navigation played an important role"
By H.E. Rice, Centennial History Book of Huntsville from April, 1964, as published in the Huntsville Forester
By Gary Long, as published in The Muskoka Sun on June 29, 1989
Penlake Farms Golf Club
Penlake Farms Golf Club score card, undated.
Personal tidbits
“Moffat Reunion - 2017”, Janet Matthews
“Missionary Cottages”, Janet Matthews and Tony Moffat, Pen Notes - Spring, 2015
Published in The Muskoka Sun
“The Ballantines of Grassmere”
Published in The Muskoka Sun on June 30, 1994
Peninsula Lake is briefly discussed in this book by W. W. (William Wesley) Walker
Courtesy of Murat Vardar, Penlake resident at Hidden Valley
Pen Rock - The Eastmure / Pratt Cottage
Penrock - 100th Anniversary Celebration - Joan Pratt Speech
The Taylor / Hutchinson Cottage