Ludgate
Introduction
Old board bridge
©Copyright: Jeri DanyleykoLudgat's beginnings were modest. Settlement began with a small flag station built by the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) in 1908 to supply the lumber camps in Parry Sound Region.
Around 1917 James Ludgate, a timber contractor who owned a small mill, moved his operation over to the area, and established a small sawmill village. He also managed the Schroeder Mill and Timber Co. operations in Ontario in nearby Lost Channel.
At its height Ludgate contained a blacksmith shop, cookery, cabins for the railway employees, and eight dwellings for the mill hands. One of mill dwellings was later converted to a school. The settlement also included an office that was later converted to a store. The mill was conveniently located near the intersection of both the CPR and CN lines.
Today a number of people still reside in the area. Three original structures are still standing, an office, a home, and a bunkhouse. Permission is required to enter the former town site.