Ottelyn Addison, "Wilderness Lodges and Camps", Early Days in Algonquin Park, 1974

One function for Algonquin Park, as outlined by the Royal Commission in 1893, was not fulfilled until after 1905. It stated that provision should be made in the Park for those seeking not only recreation, but also improved health. [...]

The railroad officials who came in to check the progress of the railway construction were attracted to the beauty of the Algonquin wilderness. Some brought their families to camp in tents, cook their own meals and generally have fun roughing it. Others took out leases on the lake and erected cottages. The family of Dr. William Bell from Ottawa was one of the first families to build a cottage in 1900 for health reasons.

Mollie Cox, a nurse from Ottawa, came to the Bell cottage in 1900 to improve her health. Once she began to feel better, she made enquiries as to the possibility of obtaining work. Mr. Bartlett suggested that she try cooking for the ranger staff, and Mollie accepted. She proved to be such an excellent cook that it wasn’t long before the railroad inspectors asked if they could get some meals at the boarding-house. Later, a few of the “tenters” (mostly families of the railroad officials) requested the same privilege. Mollie Cox could not cope with such an influx of extra visitors and suggested that there was a need for a hotel. The Canadian Railway News agreed to finance the project and the construction was started in 1906. At the same time a permanent Algonquin Park Station was erected. Both buildings were opened officially in July 1908.

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The first central winterized section of the Inn contained only ten bedrooms, which was not sufficient to meet the tourist demand even for the first year. The management erected several platforms and used tents for the “overflow.”

The right wing was opened in 1909. Even then it was not large enough to cope with the demand and it was necessary to build an equally large left wing which was opened in 1910. [...]

In the earlier years it seemed to be the custom for the men to go off fishing with their sons while the wives and daughters stayed behind at the hotel. Playing cards and chatting with the other guests appear to have been the principal pastime although, later, when the tennis courts were completed at the Highland Inn, many people made use of them. […]

The Algonquin Hotel, built by Tom Merrill of Rochester, New York, in 1905, was situated on a hill between the dam and railroad on Joe Lake. It commanded an excellent view over upper Joe Lake. Cedar siding, with the bark still on it, had been used to cover the outside of the building, giving the hotel a very rustic appearance. The tourist accommodation, without any sports offered, was open for six months of the year. [...]

Mr. W.W. Hinton, who was in charge of hotel expansion for the Grand Trunk Railway, planned to build two wilderness lodges, patterned along the line of the ones in the Adirondack Forest. The first one was located on Loon Point on the eastern shore of Smoke Lake which had been cleared in the summer of 1912. [...]

In January 1913 five railroad officials snowshoed into Island (now Burnt Island) Lake with Mark Robinson to choose a site for a second wilderness lodge. The site wasn’t far from the outlet narrows of the lake. The lodge, known as “Minnesing,” was constructed that same summer. […]