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This virtual exhibit deals with the riverboat era of Ryerson Township, specifically Burk’s Falls. The Magnetawan River flows through the town of Burk’s Falls, and in 1901, when the Magnetawan River Railway company built a rail line into the town, the combination of river and rail made Burk’s Falls an ideal site for tourism as well as industry. The rail and river system made the inland lakes of Ryerson Township accessible by a larger number of people who came from literally all over the country.
Included in this exhibit are photographs of Burk’s Falls Wharf where the ships docked, and also of the ships themselves, particularly the Armour and the Wanita. Logging was closely tied to the development of the riverboat system as it allowed lumber to be transported and land to be cleared. This industry provided many jobs and this exhibit displays many photographs of loggers, the ships involved, and the Knight Brothers Plant in Burk’s Falls. These images show the growth of Burk’s Falls into the thriving tourism destination it remains today.
