This series of caches will take you to Road’s End! Hopefully there will be some sights to see as you cache along. Please replace cache as found for the enjoyment of others.
Here is a little history of the Woodroffe Road area as given to me by Beverly Woodroffe, a Granddaughter of Charles Edward Woodroffe.
“At the end of Woodroffe Road there was a lodge called Kensington Lodge built in the early to mid 40’s. It only opened for one year and then went bankrupt when the holder of the mortgage called back the mortgage as the owner couldn’t continue the payments. My grandfather - one of 11 children (Charles Edward) and dad (Charles Raymond) his only son, helped to build it. There was a large stone fireplace in the great room and a large kitchen for meal preparation. 2 long wings extended off each side. The rooms were small with single beds and a washbasin. It became very decrepit over the years. At one time there was road access out to the highway from the lodge property.
The old lodge was sold to a private family who used it as a family cottage for years. In the past 10 years, it was once again sold to a contractor from Toronto who has built rental townhouses mostly for his own clients. There was always a beautiful beach and view of the lake at the site. We continue to refer to the property as “the lodge”.
Grandfather also built the Bates’ cottage around that time. Grandfather purchased all the lakeshore and back property along the road and my Dad gradually sold it off. Grandfather originally lived with his family in Woodroffe Bay to the north and then built his own place in the bay and began his family. He then built the home where Dad is now in the early 20’s. This is where my Dad was born in 1924 (one of 4 children). Grandfather worked on the lake with his steamboat, the Voyager until it was sold just before WW 1. “Back in the day” most transportation and work was done on the lakes including cutting ice for the summer cottages, hauling tannin bark to Gravenhurst and logging. My great-grandfather started a sawmill in Woodroffe Bay.
There was always a footpath that ran along the waterfront both ways from my grandfather’s home. My dad would walk to his grandparents to the north and bring a bucket of cream back to the house. My Aunt Rose would walk to the south and swim from Steven’s Point to Foote’s Bay (with an “e”). The mail was collected at the post office at Foote’s Bay wharf.”
Woodroffe Road was named after Beverly Woodroffe’s Grandfather - Charles Edward Woodroffe and often the spelling is incorrect (Woodruff) but the new highway sign has it spelled correctly now!
Hope you enjoy this little history lesson of the Woodroffe Road area. Happy Caching!
