Compared to the Nortons and the Balls of the lake, we are relative newcomers. When we were shopping for a cottage in the mid-90s, we were looking for a place that we could eventually retire to and found what we wanted in the cottage of the late Paul Rhoads.

Over the years, we were told many stories about it's history. One tale was that it had been the former site of the Eddy Match company, who used the natural beach as a convenient ramp to haul logs up to a lumber mill located where the garage now stands. Another was that it was swamp land purchased by Frederick Rhoads (Paul's father) after an extensive search located the heirs of the original land-grant holder near Sarnia. He was then reputed to have brought in 5,000 dump truck loads of sand to fill it in and create the beach and a lot to build on. A third story was that Frederick purchased the land from Ernie sometime in the late 1940s or early 1950s on a handshake, but the deed was not actually handed over until his death in 1969.

Like many tall tales, there are bits of truth hiding in there somewhere. The land was purchased by the descendant of an original land-grant holder, but that person was Ernest Norton and it was part of the lands he bought from William Thompson in 1927 (for the princely sum of $25!) There was a quit-claim on title from persons in Essex county -- in 1936. There was even a saw mill in the mix -- but that was Frank Eastly's own mill  next to the creek to Ripple Lake (the site of Audrey Norton's current home), for power. The Eddy Match company never operated in the area, and never operated a lumber mill (they purchased scraps from local mills in their home town of Hull, Quebec).  There's a good chance that some sand was brought in to augment it, but historical maps show the beach was there naturally.

While there is evidence that Frederick made use of the land as early as 1959, it was sold to Bill Norton in 1964 "free from all encumbrances".  At the time, the Nortons were doing brisk business renting out cottages (see "Norton's Housekeeping Cottages", so it seems probable that Frederick was renting or possibly leasing the land from Nortons. In 1969, Bill subdivided the property, and in 1970 he sold our portions to Paul (Frederick's youngest son).  We purchased it from his widow, Gail, in the spring of 1997.

At the time, we purchased it as a family cottage, with the thought we might retire here eventually, but we soon fell in love with the area and in 1999 we pulled the permits for some renovations to make it suitable for year-round occupancy. We sold our home and unwittingly began the road to the Fall From Hell.

In March, the various tradespeople we hired all agreed to a schedule starting in July. By July, most begged off as too busy to start another job. By August the house-mover had the place up on cribbing, the excavator had dug out the basement and the concrete guy had completed the new foundations, but no framer was coming and the roofer wouldn't make it until November.  Our house was sold so we had to live in the construction site. There was no choice but to close it in ourselves before winter struck.

That's when it started to rain. Every. Single. Day. For 6 weeks, from the beginning of September into the middle of October if it wasn't raining, it was pouring. With the winds trying to tear off the tarp covering the open roof and pots and pails strategically placed to catch what the tarp failed to keep out, every spare moment was spent trying to beat Old Man Winter to the punch. We made it, but it was mighty frosty by the time the last pieces of siding where nailed in place!

Despite the inauspicious start, we soon settled in and became a part of the greater Huntsville community. What started as a vacation destination became a home. Our children went to school here, started their own families here and now have their roots here. From nieces and nephews to kids and grandkids, a host of children have come to appreciate nature around the lake and in the bush.

As retirement creeps ever closer and closer, we're glad we didn't wait.

Dwayne Verhey May 2019