28-490: Wenonah II is a modern excursion vessel constructed to offer passengers the look and feel of the early 20th century steamships. She is homeported in Gravenhurst , Ontario , and is operated by Muskoka Steamships , which also operates RMS Segwun . Segwun is the last surviving original steamship from the fleet of several dozen that served the county of Muskoka, Ontario in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As
56-1182: A prisoner of war after parachuting to safety. (The "substantial remains" of Oberleutnant Steinhilper's Bf 109E were recovered in 1980 and are displayed in the Dowding Memorial Hangar of the Kent Battle of Britain Museum . ) In January 1941, he was sent across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada to be interned in Camp W (later renamed 100) in Neys, Ontario, or Camp 30 in Bowmanville , Ontario. He made his first escape on 23 November, remaining at large for two days before being recaptured at Niagara Falls, Ontario . He tried again several weeks later, managing to reach Montreal 's Windsor Station . On his third attempt, on 18 February 1942, he and his friend Albert Waller made it to Watertown, New York , United States, before being caught. He
84-489: A Marriott hotel for those looking to spend some time in Gravenhurst. Every year Gravenhurst has a winter carnival for the community to enjoy. There are events for every age at the carnival including donut eating contests, sno-yoga, ball hockey, a polar dip, and arm wrestling. The town has several dances for anyone ages nineteen and older as well as fireworks on Sunday for the closing ceremony. The fireworks take place at
112-507: A change of 6.9% from its 2016 population of 12,311 . With a land area of 489.11 km (188.85 sq mi), it had a population density of 26.9/km (69.7/sq mi) in 2021. Age Structure (2021): Gravenhurst also declares itself the "Gateway to the Muskoka Lakes" and has a large gate bearing this message hanging over Muskoka District Road 169, the main road leading into town from Highway 11 . The gate had been removed but
140-402: A modern replica, inspired by the original vessels, named Wenonah II , to supplement the historic Segwun . The modern replica was completed in 2002 and while she has the appearance of an early twentieth century steamship, she has modern conveniences, like air conditioning, and an elevator. She is larger than Segwun , and also carries sightseers and dinner cruises. The first passenger to board
168-567: A road network was built the steamships became less useful and were either broken up, or not replaced when they were lost. The final two ships, Segwun and RMS Sagamo were retired in 1958. Sagamo was destroyed by a fire in 1969. In 1972, volunteers started to restore Segwun . In 1981 she started to carry sightseers on the lakes, and to host dinner cruises. She is the oldest steamship in North America . Her cruises were so popular that Segwun ' s operators decided to construct
196-445: A set of stone steps leading down to the waterfront which can still be seen at Gull Lake Park today. They also built a light house in the park. The camp had its own gardens where the prisoners would grow their own vegetables and they were able to smoke sausages from the local animals. Some prisoners of war said that they became friends with the guards who sought to make the place as friendly as possible to avoid escapes. Many prisoners had
224-427: Is concrete pillars, a fire hydrant, and the outline of a fence. There is an information kiosk at the end of Lorne Street where visitors can go to get more information on the camp. The Town of Gravenhurst includes these original townships from the 1800s: In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Gravenhurst had a population of 13,157 living in 5,496 of its 8,271 total private dwellings,
252-479: Is located approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Bracebridge, Ontario . The Town of Gravenhurst includes a large area of the District of Muskoka, known to Ontarians as "cottage country." The town centre borders on two lakes: Lake Muskoka , which is the largest lake in the region, and Gull Lake , a smaller cottage-bordered lake. Another lake, Kahshe Lake , is situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of
280-783: The Muskoka Wharf. Located on the shore of Lake Muskoka since 1949 Gravenhurst had been home to the Ontario Fire College . The College was run by the Province of Ontario , under the Fire Marshall's Office, and offered training and education programs which were based on the Ontario Fire Service Standards. Courses were available to members of any Ontario municipal fire department, whether full-time or volunteer. The Ontario Fire College
308-699: The concept. However, Thomas Haig, an assistant professor in the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee 's School of Information Studies , wrote in the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing that the English term preceded the German, though he conceded that the latter "was the first to achieve any currency". Steinhilper tried to get IBM Germany interested in the concept, but without much success. In 1971, when
SECTION 10
#1732794197640336-503: The drawings were his own. All the different types of trees and shrubs of Muskoka could be seen at the school, as he transplanted many of the specimens from Muldrew Lake. In 1942 the Royal Norwegian Air Force moved their training camp (Little Norway) from Toronto to Muskoka airfield near Gravenhurst. The Norwegians remained in Gravenhurst almost to the end of World War II in 1945. Between 1940 and 1946 Gravenhurst
364-461: The ground at RAF Manston on 19 August, but it was not until 19 September that he got his first aerial victory, another Spitfire. According to one source, his other four aerial victims were two Spitfires on 24 September, another on 30 September, and a Bristol Blenheim on 4 October. Steinhilper was shot down on 27 October over Canterbury , possibly by fellow ace Squadron Leader Archie McKellar or by Sergeant Bill Skinner of 74 Squadron , and made
392-488: The idea finally began to be accepted, IBM gave him an Outstanding Achievement Award and a trip around the world in recognition of "having authored and promoted it." He wrote four autobiographical books. They were published in English. A Spitfire on My Tail , Ten Minutes to Buffalo and Full Circle detail his wartime experiences, while Don't Talk – Do It! covers his post-war life. The first three were also published in German. Ulrich Steinhilper died on 20 October 2009 at
420-560: The inaugural voyage of the Wenonah II was 9 year old Mark Timpson. Mark had followed the ship’s construction with great interest. He and his father lined up for several hours, so that Mark could board first. Mark was featured in the local newspaper as ‘First Passenger’ and was again featured for 10th and 20th anniversary cruises. Gravenhurst, Ontario Gravenhurst is a town in the Muskoka Region of Ontario , Canada. It
448-453: The new development was built, the wharf used to be used for lumber and boat building industries. It was also the entry point to the lakes. Years ago, a train would arrive at the wharf three times a day with passengers coming to Muskoka looking to settle. Today, the wharf is full of retailers and restaurants. The wharf hosts a number of events in the summer including Pirate Fest and the Gravenhurst farmers’ market. There are also condominiums and
476-561: The northern terminus of the Toronto, Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway. The town is positioned as the "Gateway to Muskoka". Nearby Muldrew Lake was named after the lake's second cottager, Dr. William Hawthorne Muldrew. He was the principal of the first Gravenhurst high school in 1894. In 1901 he published a book called Sylvan Ontario, A Guide to Our Native Trees and Shrubs . It was the first book published on this subject in Ontario, and
504-600: The opportunity to work outside of the camp and lumber camps and received a small wage as well as access to the outside world. Through this access to the outside world many German prisoners of war had love affairs with the local girls. Ulrich Steinhilper , a German fighter ace who shot down five RAF airplanes during the Battle of Britain before himself being shot down, was one of the prisoners here; he made at least five attempts to escape from various camps, his last two attempts being at Gravenhurst. Today, all that remains of Camp 20
532-623: The rest. His unit, now redesignated I/ JG 52 , was assigned to protect the Ruhr region in the west during the 1939 invasion of Poland in the east. Steinhilper saw sporadic combat in the Battle of France , flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter. Beginning in August 1940, he participated in the Battle of Britain . In two months, he flew over 150 sorties against England, seven in a single day. He became an ace. He destroyed two or three Spitfires on
560-470: The town. Gravenhurst was first known as McCabes Landing and later as Sawdust City. Gravenhurst was named by a postal official who was reading Gravenhurst or Thoughts on Good and Evil , a treatise by William Smith. Gravenhurst's economic prosperity stemmed from the construction of a colonization road in the 1850s. Steamboating on the Muskoka lakes began in the 1860s. The town was located strategically at
588-407: The use of radios, but most pilots were against the idea, among them Galland, considering the equipment an unnecessary additional weight and the concept a waste of their time. Steinhilper managed to demonstrate the advantages during a large training exercise commanded by General Hugo Sperrle involving a simulated bombing attack on Stuttgart, only to have the results dismissed by Galland and ignored by
SECTION 20
#1732794197640616-545: Was assigned to Jagdgeschwader (fighter wing ) 433, where he was Adolf Galland 's adjutant. As the youngest officer, he was also made the Staffel Nachrichtenoffizier (communications officer), a job no one else wanted (or even knew much about). Steinhilper learned that he was supposed to provide pilots with ground-to-ground and ground-to-air communications using two 1.5 kilowatt radio stations and two field telephone units. He tried hard to promote
644-581: Was closed by the Progressive Conservative government on March 31, 2021. Public education consists of Gravenhurst High School , and three elementary schools administered by the Trillium Lakelands District School Board . Ulrich Steinhilper Ulrich Steinhilper (14 September 1918 – 20 October 2009) was a World War II Luftwaffe fighter ace who made numerous attempts to escape after he
672-435: Was home to a German prisoner-of-war camp known as Camp 20. The camp is also referred to as Camp Calydor and Muskoka Officer’s Club. Many describe Camp 20 as a vacation for the prisoners of war. The camp had a swimming area fenced in on Lake Muskoka where the prisoners could bathe. By the end of the first summer, Camp 20 held 489 prisoners. They were taken around Gravenhurst to work on various projects. The prisoners of war built
700-535: Was rebuilt in 2009 and stands again at the south end of town. It is the home port of the RMS Segwun , the oldest vessel powered by a working steam engine in North America . Ontario Northland Motor Coach Services provides inter-city bus service to Gravenhurst along its Toronto to North Bay routes. The nearby Muskoka Airport has scheduled flights to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and also serves general aviation. The former Gravenhurst railway station
728-505: Was served by Ontario Northland Railway 's Northlander passenger train until the train was discontinued in 2012; it is currently vacant. Parts of the Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park and Torrance Barrens Conservation Reserve are in Gravenhurst. The Muskoka Wharf, located on Lake Muskoka, was completed in 2005. The project cost $ 170 million and spreads across 89 acres. Before
756-545: Was shot down and captured. As a post-war IBM typewriter salesman, he was an early proponent of word processing , considered by some to have either coined the phrase or even originated the concept. Steinhilper was born in Stuttgart , Germany, during a World War I air raid. His father was a teacher. In 1936, he was allowed to graduate early from high school after passing the test for Luftwaffe flight training. He earned his Pilotenabzeichen (Pilot's Badge) and in 1939
784-430: Was then transferred to Camp 20 in Gravenhurst, Ontario, where he made two further unsuccessful breakouts. After the end of the war in 1945, he was returned to Germany and released in late 1946. Post-war, he worked at several jobs before being hired by IBM Germany. As an IBM typewriter salesman, he coined the word " Textverarbeitung " ("word processing") in 1955. A number of sources even credit him with originating
#639360