The Founding of Bracebridge
In 1862 the Muskoka Road, a colonization route built to open this region for settlement, was completed to the first falls on the north branch of the Muskoka River. A settlement, including a tavern, a lumber mill and a store, soon developed and two years later a post office named Bracebridge was opened. When regular steamship service began on Lake Muskoka in 1866, Bracebridge became the northern terminus and prospered as the distribution centre for the region. A court-house and a registry office for the district were built and by 1871 the village contained four large hotels, several mills and numerous stores. A developing tourist trade further encouraged the growth of the community and in 1875 Bracebridge was incorporated as a Village with over 750 inhabitants.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.