The Ida Burton honoured beloved mom of vessel’s house owners, brothers James Lindsay, Martin and George Burton
For a decade, from 1866 to 1875, the steamboat Ida Burton was a well-known sight on Lake Simcoe. It was a vessel with vibrant ties to the area’s historical past and folklore.
First, the historical past.
The Ida Burton honoured the beloved mom of the vessel’s house owners, brothers James Lindsay, Martin, and George Burton.
The sons of lumberman John Burton, the Burton brothers had been among the many most outstanding businessmen in Nineteenth-century Barrie and their attain unfold throughout Ontario.
Collectively, that they had a hand in a lot of the massive industries in Barrie and owned practically half of the close by village of Allandale (then a part of Innisfil, and now engulfed by Barrie). James Lindsay (J.L.) occupied most of his time with the Northern Navigation Firm, whose fleet steamed throughout the water of Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching, delivering mail, cargo and passengers.
The Ida Burton represented a part of the Northern Navigation Firm’s community of steamboats.
In 1875, James married Florence Thomson, the oldest daughter of lumber magnate Archibald Thomson. A yr later, Martin married Florence’s youthful sister, Emma.
The nuptials immersed them deeply into the lumber world they usually went into the enterprise by establishing Burton Brothers, with timber limits all through Parry Sound District and a mill at Byng Inlet. James and Martin later helped illuminate Barrie by establishing the Barrie Electrical Gentle Firm.
Now, the folklore.
There are two tales related to the Ida Burton that left native tongues wagging.
The primary occurred in 1869, when George Burton drowned after falling overboard. The county coroner, Dr. Llewellyn Oliver, labelled it an accident, and everybody moved on. However when George’s widow quite rapidly married the coroner, who was minority proprietor within the Ida Burton and who signed George’s demise certificates, folks started to whisper. Nothing was ever confirmed, however there was speak that foul play was concerned.
The opposite story concerned a strapping Scottish lad by the identify of Jimmie Reid, who was about to marry. The ceremony mere hours away, everybody was decked out of their best, eagerly anticipating the nuptials. Out of the blue, a gasping pal raced as much as the anxious groom with troubling information.
Horror of horrors, the bride, Nora McGlashen, was Irish Catholic on her mom’s aspect. Union with an Irish lassie was utterly unacceptable to Reid. He broke the information to the assembled visitors. There can be no marriage ceremony right this moment.
All dressed up with nowhere to go, lots of the visitors — and seemingly the groom as effectively — determined to have a celebration anyway. They piled aboard the Ida Burton for a raucous afternoon. Not amused had been fellow passengers, the Sons of Temperance, a gaggle that advocated for abstinence from drink.
In 1876, the ship, stripped of equipment, was unceremoniously sunk alongside the Orillia shoreline. Although the once-elegant side-wheeler ended up as the inspiration for a wharf, the necessary historical past and vibrant folklore surrounding her ensures she is going to proceed to be remembered.
