Fire insurance maps of Muskoka's three main urban areas show a snap-shot in time of early settlements
The maps shown were published from 1888 to 1929. Continue scrolling to try the interactive maps.
"Fire insurance plans are a unique and very detailed form of mapping that existed from approximately the 1870s to the 1970s. At the time of their creation, buildings in cities were mostly made of wood and fire fighting techniques were rudimentary. Cities were growing rapidly as a result of the shift from agriculture to industry, and so, their urban cores were becoming very densely populated. As a result, small fires could quickly grow out of control and spread, destroying large portions of the city. Many North American cities suffered just such a fate..."
This image shows a historical fire in Gravenhurst Ontario.
September 22, 1887 - the Great Gravenhurst fire destroys 50 businesses and leaves 45 families homeless
"In response to these disasters, companies such as the Charles E. Goad Company in Canada, and the Sanborn Company in the United States, were established. These companies produced very detailed plans and atlases of every major city in North America, showing every individual building in the built-up urban core. Colours and symbols were used to describe every aspect of each building's structure, from the materials used in its construction, to the presence and location of hazardous materials on the property. Insurance companies eagerly purchased these plans as it enabled them to estimate the cost of insurance for a client without having to go to the expense of sending their own employees to the site to make an inspection and assessment. The plans also allowed them to simultaneously see all the adjacent properties, which meant they could now factor in any potential hazards posed by these neighbouring structures as well. By the early 1970s modern building materials and methods, as well as improved firefighting equipment and techniques, had reduced the risk of fire dramatically making the production of these labour-intensive, expensive to produce, fire insurance plans cost-prohibitive."
This image shows a historical fire in Bracebridge Ontario.
Bracebridge Manitoba Street Fire 1908
"Today the plans are no longer used for fire insurance purposes but, instead, are used as a highly detailed historical record of the city’s evolution over time. Engineers, environmental scientists and biologists use them to determine whether particular properties within the city may have been contaminated in the past based upon former land use. Archaeologists, genealogists, and historians use them in their research. Heritage planners restoring historical buildings use them to determine the structure’s original size and form as well as discovering at what times additions or alterations may have occurred. Human geographers use them to study socio-economic changes within a neighbourhood over time. The size and type of buildings as well as their construction materials can suggest whether the neighbourhood was home to the working class or the wealthy. It can reveal whether it was primarily residential or commercial, thriving or in decline. The types of neighbourhood businesses, schools, and places of worship can be clues to its ethnic and religious composition."
This image shows a historical fire in Huntsville Ontario.
Fire at 77 Main Street East, Wardell Building, Huntsville, Ontario, December 28, 1911
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Gravenhurst
"In the 19th century, Gravenhurst was home to numerous lumber operations and was known affectionately as Sawdust City as it was the epicentre of the lumber industry in Muskoka. As the logging industry began to decline, the tourism industry started to see a growth with more and more people flocking to the area to see the newly discovered wilderness.
Being the first incorporated Town in Muskoka, Gravenhurst became known as the "Gateway to Muskoka Lakes" and in honour of this moniker, built a welcoming arch on the main road into town."
"Bracebridge was incorporated as a village in 1875; by 1889, when it acquired town status, the population had risen to 1600 and industries included two large tanneries (using local hemlock for tanning hides), a grist mill, a woolen mill, a flour mill and a sawmill - all taking advantage of the ample water power.
In 1865-66 the first steamboat, the Wenonah, was built, and there was stagecoach service to Parry Sound. The railway first arrived in 1886."
"Settlers took up land in the area after surveys of the township in 1862 and extension of the Muskoka road to the site in 1870. Captain George Hunt, for whom the town is named, first visited in 1868 and settled here in 1869. He was superintendent of the road, the first postmaster and opened the first store. The railway arrived in 1885 and, with a population of 400, the village was incorporated the following year. The export of local white pine supported 6 sawmills in the town at one time."
In collaboration with local libraries and historical societies, the District of Muskoka has collected all available fire insurance maps for our area, including the towns of Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, and Huntsville. These hard-copies were then digitized and georeferenced. Georeferencing is the process of taking a picture of a map, and adding geographic information to the image so that mapping software can 'place' the image in its appropriate real world location. Doing this allows us to see the state of development at a point in time, as well as offering the ability to compare old maps to how things are today. Use the four sections below to explore these fascinating maps.
Gravenhurst Fire Insurance Maps 1888, Revised 1904
The key plan is an overview map that shows the areas covered by the fire insurance maps. The key (aka legend), which is inset on the key plan, shows how to interpret the maps.
This image shows a key plan for a fire insurance map.
This image shows a legend for a fire insurance map.
The interactive map below allows you to explore the Gravenhurst 1888 fire insurance maps.
Zoom in to an area and drag the map with your cursor to pan left/right/up/down.
Use the slider bar to compare the old maps to the current air photos and roads.
Use the basemap toggle to switch between the Google air photo base to the Muskoka 2018 air photo base.
Use the magnifier to magnify features.
Use the bookmarks to zoom to preset areas of interest.
