The 1950s Archives | "Are We There Yet?" Highway-Based Tourism In Kawartha Lakes

A Shell of its Former Self: What Comes Next for Coboconk’s Abandoned Shell Station?

Built not long after the Second World War, this abandoned two-storey wooden Shell gas station stood well into the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Operated by […]

The Dangers of Excessive Speed: Ontario Department of Highways Advertisement

This dramatic advertisement was developed by the Ontario Department of Highways in 1957 to warn motorists about the dangers of excessive speed. The ad was unique in that […]

Working Together for Safer Roads: Victoria Branch Garage Operators’ Association Safety Check Advertisement

The Victoria Branch of the Garage Operators’ Association organized yearly Safety Checks through the 1950s. Motorists who lived in Victoria County (now Kawartha Lakes) were encouraged to have […]

Keeping Kids Off the Road: Gate Separating Falcon Lodge From Highway 46

This gate was used to keep children and pets staying at Falcon Lodge from darting out onto busy Highway 46. “Remarkably as a kid, I took it for […]

Making Road Trips Faster and Smoother: An Ontario Department of Highways Crew Spreads Mulch Pavement on Highway 46 near Lorneville

In 1914, a gentleman named George H. Payne wrote a letter to the editor of the Lindsay Post urging municipalities to purchase a grader for use on every […]

Business Card Issued by Graham Beach Camp Grounds, Cottages, and Cabins

Chester Graham operated a private campground on Lake Dalrymple, about 20 kilometres northwest of Kirkfield. In addition to camping, Graham offered cottages, cabins, and boats for rent as […]

Kim Tuckett Remembers the Trip to Falcon Lodge

Recorded at the Kirkfield Museum, February 12, 2022 Interviewer: Ian McKechnie Videography: Ekaterine Alexakis Duration: 1:29 Kim Tuckett sitting in front of white wall. Text on screen reads: […]

“Bingo! I Spy a Hardtop Cadillac!” Car Games Kept Kids Entertained

Games such as Magnetic Car Bingo, manufactured by the Norbert Specialty Corporation, kept young travellers occupied on long road trips. Players were to look out the window of […]

Before GPS and Google Maps, Tourists Depended on the Ontario Motor League Road Book

Travellers making their way into northwestern Kawartha Lakes during the 1950s benefited from publications issued by the Ontario Motor League. These booklets, complete with maps, showed drivers the […]

Ready to Hit the Road Again With Full Stomachs, Courtesy of Kirkfield’s Alexander Restaurant

The Alexander Restaurant, pictured here in the mid-1950s, was located just west of downtown Kirkfield and served both locals and tourists making their way east and west along […]

Motorists Stop in Downtown Coboconk for a Bite to Eat at the Kawartha Tea Room & Restaurant

The Kawartha Tea Room catered to both locals and tourists travelling through Coboconk on Highway 35 in the 1950s. It sold full-course meals, cheeseburgers and hamburgers, soft drinks, […]

Relaxing at Falcon Lodge, Balsam Lake

Lakefront lodges appeared throughout northwestern Kawartha Lakes during the 1940s and 1950s. Most featured a main lodge house surrounded by several smaller cabins. The main house at Falcon […]