Redwater, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Redwater is a locality in the municipality of Temagami
in the Nipissing District
of Northeastern Ontario
, Canada
, located on the shores of Lower and Upper Redwater
lakes along the Ontario Northland Railway
. It is used seasonally and is the site of several cottages.
on the Northern Ontario Railway in 1903 when the railway reached the area of the Upper and Lower Redwater lakes. During this time a small train station
, telegraph key
, a siding and water tank was constructed. The several men that worked on the railroad either lived in the train station or in a bunkhouse and two houses. At least one of the two houses was used to supply bosses of the crew.
in the area. Its lumber yard
s were located adjacent to Redwater's train station so that the lumber would easily be exported by train. A bunkhouse
was created to supply homes for those that worked at the sawmill and subsequent houses were built along the railway. In 1916, a store and post office
opened and were operated by a customer named T.J. Baker. The Redwater sawmill ceased around 1928 but the community still remained populated. A railroad car
was used to supply a school from the 1940s up until the 1950s when at least five homes still existed.
in the 1960s and are still used today. Remnants of the early ghost town
of Redwater are buried under extensive overgrowth and include foundations where the houses were located and a few basement
s. An aluminum shed behind the site of Redwater's original train station is used by the Ontario Northland Railway.
Temagami, Ontario
Temagami, formerly spelt as Timagami, is a region and a municipality in northeastern Ontario, Canada, in the District of Nipissing with Lake Temagami at its heart....
in the Nipissing District
Nipissing District, Ontario
Nipissing District, Ontario is a district in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1858. The district seat is North Bay.In 2006, the population was 84,688...
of Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing and Manitoulin; and the single-tier municipality of Greater...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located on the shores of Lower and Upper Redwater
Upper Redwater Lake
Upper Redwater Lake is a narrow freshwater lake in the municipality of Temagami of Northeastern Ontario, Canada, located southeast of the former Rabbit Creek ballast pit along Rabbit Creek Road that comes out at Highway 11. The settlement of Redwater is located on the southeastern shore of Upper...
lakes along the Ontario Northland Railway
Ontario Northland Railway
The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario....
. It is used seasonally and is the site of several cottages.
Origin
The community of Redwater began its formation from a small request stopRequest stop
In public transport, a request stop or flag stop describes a stopping point at which trains or buses stop only on an as-need or request basis; that is, only if there are passengers to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, infrequently used stopping points can be served efficiently.Trains save...
on the Northern Ontario Railway in 1903 when the railway reached the area of the Upper and Lower Redwater lakes. During this time a small train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
, telegraph key
Telegraph key
Telegraph key is a general term for any switching device used primarily to send Morse code. Similar keys are used for all forms of manual telegraphy, such as in electrical telegraph and radio telegraphy.- Types of keys :...
, a siding and water tank was constructed. The several men that worked on the railroad either lived in the train station or in a bunkhouse and two houses. At least one of the two houses was used to supply bosses of the crew.
1909 tragedy
The newly formed settlement was the site of a murder in 1909 that began when two railway employees named Cornish and Morin attacked W.J. Dyston who worked as the Redwater telegraph operator. After the attack took place, Dyston had been badly beaten and had to struggle in order to get to the telegraph key. When Dyston reached the telegraph key he managed to call for help. Subsequently, Dyston collapsed onto the telegraph key after he sent an incoherent message and died. It was during this time the name Redwater retained a new meaning for the settlement.Formation and closure of the Redwater sawmill
A few years after the death of W.J. Dyston, the Redwater Lumber Company constructed a small sawmillSawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
in the area. Its lumber yard
Lumber yard
A lumber yard is a retail location for lumber and wood related products used in construction and/or home improvement projects. Lumber yards can also provide services such as the use of a planer and other large machines....
s were located adjacent to Redwater's train station so that the lumber would easily be exported by train. A bunkhouse
Bunkhouse
A bunkhouse is a hostel or barracks-like building that historically was used to house working cowboys on ranches in North America. As most cowboys were young single men, the standard bunkhouse was a large open room with narrow beds or cots for each individual and little privacy...
was created to supply homes for those that worked at the sawmill and subsequent houses were built along the railway. In 1916, a store and post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
opened and were operated by a customer named T.J. Baker. The Redwater sawmill ceased around 1928 but the community still remained populated. A railroad car
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
was used to supply a school from the 1940s up until the 1950s when at least five homes still existed.
Cessation of Redwater and later years
Because of the closure of the Redwater sawmill, the residents of Redwater only lived there for a time. The post office that opened in 1916 closed in 1942, and the houses were subsequently destroyed, the last burning down in the 1950s. In 1957, the Redwater water tower was burnt down. After this took place, a series of cottages were constructed on the townsiteTownsite
A townsite is a legal subdivision of land for the development of a town or community. In the historical development of the United States, Canada, and other former British colonial nations, the filing of a townsite plat or plan was often the first legal act in the establishment of a new town or...
in the 1960s and are still used today. Remnants of the early ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Redwater are buried under extensive overgrowth and include foundations where the houses were located and a few basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
s. An aluminum shed behind the site of Redwater's original train station is used by the Ontario Northland Railway.