So, how does all this apply to Rosebank Farm's 400 acres and specifically that part of it known as Birch Haven? It seems likely that the amount of water on it was a reason for its large size although if the original owner had sons, some of the acreage may have been for them. Whatever the reason, he didn't waste any time in selling out and moving to Manitoulin Island once he had up on the land and gotten its title. That part aside, the lot on which Birch Haven stands crosses under the river with a small portion appearing on the west side. But part of a lot on the west side of the river, which belonged to the Bastedo family, was on the east side adjacent to the northernmost side of the Rosebank lots next to the Langton House. When both homesteaders obtained title to their lands, they did exchange these two small areas for convenience.

While this large tract of land may have been a great boon because of its timber, there was still a great drawback to productive farming and that was the great shelves of rock as are found throughout much of Muskoka. We have our blue lakes and there can be no doubt of our rocky shores. The land on which Birch Haven stood contains an excellent example of this rock which caused so many to give up on Muskoka farming. Looking eastward from its buildings the land rises gently at its southern end (north of Birch haven road as it comes off the highway) but becomes much higher as it extends north to end abruptly on the Curran property. It is a piece of rock, similar to that throughout the north which has made farming difficult. A strip of it crosses the Mary Roberts Road at the north-east corner of the Curran land covering a good portion of the land owned by Mr. Murphy.

On all sides of this rock, when Mother Nature ruled the land, there was swamp land which found its way, both from its west and east sides, to a creek which still runs through the Curran land. Much of the land on the west side has dried up and a large swamp on its southwest side has disappeared. The east side still drains northward. It crosses under the Mary Roberts Road and passes into swamp land east and north of Mr. Murphy's land where it eventually enters the creek that flows to the river through the Curran property.

While much of Rosebank land contained similar outcroppings of rock and swamp, the stretch along the river was reasonably useful for farming although it was comprised mainly of sand and gravel. The major productive land was the stretch upon which Birch haven now stands. It was cleared from its northern edge where it abuts the Curran land to its southern boundary and beyond toward the village of Baysville and a big area across the highway. On this land there were once large fields of wheat, oats and barley and hay was cut from it to feed the stock raised by the procession of owners. Both cattle and sheep were raised at Rosebank as well as hens and ducks. Although oxen were used early in the area, it seems that only horses were ever found at Rosebank.

Rosebank sat on four 100 acre lots. Three of them were on concession 8 and the fourth on Concession 9. From the north end:

• The Rosebank House and gardens and later Curran Mill.
• Curran house and Birch Haven
• South end of Birch Haven to the Creek just before Baysville.

These lots went from the river roughly eastward to the Echo Lake Road. Lot # 4 was on the different concession to the north-east of # 1. It extended both sides of the highway almost to Winders Bay Road.

The ownership of the farm changed several times from approximately 1875 when the first settlers arrived. About 1896 it was purchased by the Deakin family who held it until they retired to a house in the village of Baysville about 1919. It was then purchased by Mr. John Roberts and his son Lea Roberts. In 1921 Mr. William Curran built a sawmill on the river on the north side of the creek. He purchased the part of the # 1 lot and part of the # 2 where he built his house and outbuildings for the mill. After the 2nd World War, cottage lots were sold along the river on this lot. During the war, a piece next to the Currans, extending over the existing land to just south of the steps to the water, was sold to a Mr. Gemmel. His home still stands to the left of the steps looking out over the river. It was the first Birch Haven building. Around 1960, Mr. Buick purchased this parcel and much more of the land and developed the resort which he originally called Birch Glen.

This land, that now comprises much of Birch Haven, was the productive farming part of the Rosebank Farm. Over many years it captured many of the prizes given at the Baysville fall fairs. Due to the expertise and perseverance of its owners it stayed farmed until the end of the 1930's when Mr. Lea Roberts dispersed with its farm stock and kept to market gardening. While it remained, most other farmland which had been settled, were abandoned and reverted to their original state.

However hard the Rosebank farmers looked, it was always a struggle and in the 1890's Rosebank began taking tourists during the summer. Several other large farmhouses in the area did likewise. This was the start of the tourist industry.

Across the river on the farm of Burleigh and Marie Bastedo, there was Burlmarie. At the Narrows was the farm home of the elder Deakin daughter known as Idylwyld. The 100-acre lot of Roseback on the separate concession was deeded to the younger Deakin daughter when she married John King in 1901. Their large farmhouse became known as Langton House and accepted tourists. It was badly needed supplement to the living gained from the poor farmland.

The original use of the land you are now standing on known as Birch haven was part of a much more lucrative industry however and this was the logging industry. Large and small companies bought the rights from the government to log parcels of land although they did not own the land per se. This of course was of great help to the farmers who would have been faced with a gigantic task otherwise. One of the land conditions was that the farmer could only clear the land he wanted and take what he required for his use. Rosebank's second owners were a family called Ruggles. There were eight boys in the family (no girls, poor woman!). The two eldest were out of school and while the farmer and second son appear as farmers in the census, the older son was a lumberman. It would seem likely then that this young man was instrumental in clearing much of the Rosebank land that made up the farm although as late as the Deakin's time, timber rights are shown on the Registry office copy book as being given to a local lumbering company. (Note: before land was filed on the government gave out timber rights. Thereafter the farmer granted these.

Originally, there were no sawmills in the area. It seems it would have been easier to move logs than lumber since there was no road to Bracebridge, only trails. Many people travelled by steamboat from Huntsville.

Logs were cut from as far up as Dorset and floated in great rafts down the lake of Bays and the river (the south branch of the Muskoka River) to mills at Bracebridge. Early in the 1870's the dam was built at Baysville to raise the water level and facilitate these drives which began as soon as the ice went in April and finished late in June. But still, the river as we know it was jammed side to side all during this period. Much of our area is now at least second growth timber. This branch of the river flows southward to Fraserburg and eventually passes under Hwy. 1 1 south of Bracebridge at Muskoka Falls where the hydro dam can now be seen. When the logs reached this spot, it became very dangerous because they would pile up sky high and lives were lost freeing these log jams. Consequently, a chute was built to the side to let them pass safely. If you drive down below Hwy. 11 at this point you can see where this lay as the Hydro still uses it for their purposes.

At a point on the Birch haven waterfront closet to Baysville, there used to be a cleared spot known as Bastedo's Landing. The Bastedo family crossed the river to this point and walked the rest of the way to Baysville. It saved them many miles over the current route along the Burlmarie Road.

Rosebank has been part of many changes in the area. Originally the road to Dorset was by way of Echo Lake. When the great depression hit North America in 1930, many work projects were initiated by the governments to give men work. One of these was the construction of the highway to Bigwin as we know it today.

One last bit of history which few of today, even old-timers ever recall, goes back to pre-white man's days when only the Indians lived in the area. Most famed of these was Chief Bigwin of Bigwin Island. They had a trail which crossed the Rosebank property from Langton House, along the creek and up a cut into the Birch Haven land where the water once drained between the previously mentioned rock and the "big field". The trail followed the Birch Haven road to its corner and then cut across at an angle, coming out behind where the marina now stands. This route was commonly used until the highway was built because the only government road was on the far side of their lands away from the habitation.

Thus, as land belonging to Rosebank was sold, rights-of-way went on the books giving access to the old route. Some of these still exist on the Registry Copy Books and legally can never be blocked in any way until they are closed.

In closing, may I remind anyone reading this that in Grandad's day we got our food from his farm and in Dad's day it came from his garden but in our day we get it with a can opener. Mr. Deakin had a farm, Mr. Roberts had a garden, but you and I have the can opener.