Pine Grove Inn beach, Dwight, Lake of Bays, Ontario in 1920s.

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Description

Pine Grove Inn beach, Dwight, Lake of Bays, Ontario in 1920s. The boathouses at the top of the picture belonged to Victor Asbury (1889-1958) who had a boat livery.

Notes

From Dwight Memories 1875-1985 compiled by Dwight Women's Institute, 1989
Victor Asbury Sr. Family
Victor Asbury Sr. was born in Baysville, Ontario on January 8, 1889, son of Charles and Margaret Asbury. He moved with his parents to Oxtongue Lake in 1891, finally settling in Dwight in 1903. He purchased a boat building business from his brother Jim in 1910 where he operated a boat livery also repairing boats and building boats.
He married Ethel Robertson, daughter of John and Bella Robertson, Oxtongue Lake, on September 14, 1922.
Victor built a small home for his mother and sister Elizabeth (Lizzie), just in front of the old home. He and his wife Ethel lived in the homestead until after the death of his mother in August 1926, born 1854. His sister Rhoda came home for a short time and when she returned to Rochester she took her sister Lizzie with her.
Ethel was a great help to her husband in the boat building and operation of the business. They moved to the smaller home and used the homestead for building boats. They raised a family of three, Irene who married Bert Wright, Bruce who married Gladys Frost and Vicky.
They were very active in the community. Ethel was a member of the Women's Association and Dwight Women's Institute.
Victor 1889-1958
Ethel 1902-1974

Corbett Family
Harry Corbett immigrated to Canada at an early age. He lived with his Uncle and Aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Simon Corbett following the death of his parents. He was educated in Dwight. He married Helen Bradley of Minden Ontaro. They build "Pine Grove Inn" and opened the business in 1906 with six bedrooms and over the years steadily built the business up to accommodate 90-100 guests. Annex, two large cottages, ice cream parlor, with guest rooms upstairs, garage. Mrs. Corbett was a marvelous cook and for a period of time accomplished all of the cooking.
In 1922 Mr. Corbett installed a Delco electric light plant comprised of 90 lights. This worked very satisfactorily until hydro came in 1930-31.
The Corbetts were active in the community. Mrs. Corbett was a member of the Presbyterian Church, later the United. She was a charter member of the Women's Association and the Women's Institute. They to lent their dining room for the Women's Institute to hold many dances, socials, pie and box, to raise funds towards building the first Hall in 1914-18.
Boats at that time were the main transportation in the summer. Guest luggage was wheeled by wheelbarrow from the dock to the lodge. Only later were cars and trucks used.
Their family was made up of two sons, Charlie and Hugh. Charlie married Myrtle Quinn in 1920. He was with his parents at the Lodge up until he went to work with Ontario Hydro in August of 1931.
Hugh, the younger son, was also home until he went into service in 1945.
Hugh married Grace Hart of Emsdale. Mrs. Corbett passed away on August 12, 1940. Mr. Corbett ran the business until his death in 1954. His son Hugh and his wife Grace took over the business at that time for several years.
The Lodge has changed hands many times since Hugh sold it, but still operates under the name "Pine Grove Inn".
Mr. Harry Corbett 1875-1954
Mrs. Helen Corbett 1878-1940

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