Cottage 81
From Bruce Beach Wiki
History of Cottage 81
F.E. Knowles (No.81)
In 1920, my father, Thomas E. Morgan of Ripley, heard of a young minister who had started to build a cottage at Bruce Beach but could not complete it because he was called to a new parish. The property, therefore, was up for sale and our family decided to buy it for the asking price of $375. My two sisters and I each put in $100 and my father added the balance of $75 to purchase No. 81.
The outside of the cottage had been completed and to finish the inside we bought furniture at local auction sales. Our mattresses were ticks filled with straw from Billie Cameron's barn. Our quilts were made from old 'overcoats, etc. and although they were heavy, they certainly were very warm.
Gathering driftwood on the beach was a daily chore; toast made between two wire holders over the coals of a wood fire never tasted better!
After breakfast we had chores to perform—wash dishes, make beds, sweep the floor, clean lamp chimneys. Almost all of Saturday was spent baking for the weekend. Before local merchants came to call on us, we would bring from town 100 lbs of flour, 50 lbs of sugar, a large tin of soda biscuits and a wooden box of cheese. Sunday was our big day and often there were as many as twenty-five people at the cottage.
We made our own fun—huge bonfires and square dances, a Snowden playing the violin. Decades later I learned that one of our neighbours wasn't allowed to join our "den of iniquity". What fun that person missed!
During Labour Day weekend in 1979, a fire broke out and our cottage was burned to the ground. Thanks to the Ripley firemen, none of the others were affected.
All being well, we hope to rebuild very soon.
F.E. Knowles (No.81)