Hooking into the Past

Charles and Mary Anne, who visit us from Cleveland, have a long history here on the Lake of Bays. For over 50 years, they summered in the Lockman's Lake Cottage at Dorset, carrying water and traipsing to the outhouse. Now, following multiple sales of the old property, they come to stay with us at Bondi (potable water, and indoor plumbing).

While here, they indulge their hobby of rug-hooking -- Mary Anne working with a particularly difficult format, that -- you can see in the close up -- is quite spectacular. And Charles boldly tackling a rug the size of a small nation.


We hadn't realized just how rich their history on Lake of Bays was until this week, however, when they dropped in at the Dorset Heritage Museum. This is a great little museum that will easily fill up half a day or more, with exhibits on pioneer life, logging practices -- including a scale model of the amazing Gilmour Tramway, artifacts, photographs and host more items.

Four of those "more items", it turns out, are ceramic bells. They are in a case with some miniature tea cups, and other ceramics, and they stopped Charles right in his tracks.

"My mother made those bells," he said. And she did. The bells were crafted by Esther Wilson,also from Cleveland, and sent as Christmas gifts to the Lockman family in Dorset.

Esther got into bell making following a terrible car crash in California, on Hwy 1, following an earthquake, in fog. It's quite a story. In a full body cast, she was taken home to Cleveland by train, and became a celebrity at the local hospital, where she resolutely insisted on healing and walking again. As part of her therapy, she took up ceramics. Her husband, with foundry experience, created molds for her, and she began a sideline in crafting unique bells. She made hundreds, big, small, some with bells on the bells that became "family tree" bells. Locally, she was famous as "The Bell Lady."

How wonderful when the provenance of items is disclosed. Charles, Mary Anne and the Museum Staff gathered about the exhibit, took out the bells for closer inspection, and exchanged information that can only make the musuem -- and our Lake -- richer for the sharing of it.

Who knows? One day perhaps, these gorgeous rugs themselves will become museum pieces. Nancy has an historic rug from the old Bigwin Inn hanging on her wall...