Mail Boat

This is a great card even though I bought it "As Is" because of the creases. As you can see, it shows a mil boat named "Cuba" that plied Sparrow Lake, which is located on the extreme south of Muskoka County overall.

Until I got this card a couple of months ago, I didn't even know that this boat existed, let alone being aware that it was a mail boat! This just added another bit of information for my Muskoka postal history.

As a point of interest, notice the very small 'paddle wheels' on both sides at the end of the boat. The little dog is just sitting comfortably at the top too <G>

To me, this is a gem.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Nice card. What about the reverse side (is there a legible postmark that dates the card?)

Found this reference in a web search:




And this link:

http://www.sparrowlake.ca/Slcurrnt/...wildecho.htm

Thanks for this information wt1.

In answering your question, unfortunately the postcard is unused and the publisher is unknown as well.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Bujutsu: after seeing that postcard I'm convinced you should start a thread called "Muskoka Steamers" and your pedal-powered mail boat should be on it as well as a full-blown image of your avatar and its 125 year history (hopefully I'm close with that date).

Correct Cynical. the steamer "Segwun", Ojibwe for "Springtime" was launched in 1887 and is now 125 years old and still operating. It was made into a floating musuem around 1959 but was refurbished and re-launched in 1981.

The scans here show a special card front and back.

I could easily do a thread on Muskoka steamers, but, I would think that a lot of our SCF members might get bored with one topic, that plus the fact a great majority of them may not know tha area at all. I could be wrong - I hope

There might be more interest in the postal history aspect of the are??

BTW - are you familiar with the area Cynical? You knew how old the steamer is so, I was wondering.

Chimo

Bujutsu




(As it appears today)

Bujutsu: here is a link to a great post card put on here by Lithograving and if you go down to near the end of the thread you will see a comment as to one of the reasons for my familiarity with the area.

https://goscf.com/t/10594&SearchTerms=helicopter

Yes, I remember when that thread was active. Sorry I forgot about your connection here.

I have a great memory but very short

Regarding the Segwun, I think I have been on it at least a dozen times. In 2004, we were nearly grounded due to a very severe storm. A funnel cloud was coming down, and, thank God, went back up again. We had nowhere to runm being on-board :( The winds were quite severe and the thunder and lightning quite heavy. I noticed after the storm had subsided some that the steamer "Wenona II" was only a couple of hundred feet behind us. I guess they kept close to each other in case one of us needed any assistance. Thankfully, both steamers arrived at the Gravenhurst Wharf ok.

Chimo

Bujutsu