‘SWEDETOWN’ INTERPRETIVE PANEL UNVEILING SEPT. 21 AT GULL LAKE ROTARY PARK

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — The Queen’s visit to Gravenhurst in 1959 has an interesting sidebar that will be remembered Sept. 21 when the Municipal Heritage Committee (MHC) will officially dedicate a panel commemorating “Swedetown” at an east entrance to the park down on Phillip Street.

The neighbourhood surrounding then Gull Lake Park, where the monarch’s visit took place in July 1959, was known in town for some Scandanvian residents, many of whom came from Sweden to work and build Gravenhurst.

An “Interpretive Panel” recognizing the Swedes was erected in October 2021. But due to COVID it’s unveiling was delayed until now.

And that will take place next Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m.

Archivist, member and neighbour Judy Humphries says: “We are hoping to have members of at least two of the families who came here over a hundred years ago from Scandinavia to settle in Gravenhurst as well as others who grew up on Phillip Street.

“I will do a brief presentation to capture of the history of Swedetown.”

It will include the history of many well-known families like the Grohs, Husselstroms, Pulfers, Hansens, Christensens and Fergusons, some of whom she said had their names changed when they came to Canada because someone at customs said their family names were too hard to pronounce.

“That’s crazy,” Humphries said today, as she prepared for Wednesday night’s walking tour of Lakeview cemetery.

Chair Michael Wayling will emcee next week’s unveiling, which will include a few nibblies.

See a related story here back when the panel was first installed last November: ‘MYSTERY’ WAR STORIES REVEALED TOMORROW ON EVE OF REMEMBRANCE DAY https://muskokatoday.com/2021/11/mystery-war-stories-revealed-tomorrow-on-eve-of-remembrance-day/

This follows another recent MHC panel installation last month at the Muskoka Wharf recognizing A.P. Cockburn.

Due to COVID, the MHC plaque that was erected Oct. 23, 201, will now be officially unveiled Sept. 21 at the east entrance to Gull Lake Park, off Phillip Street, at 2 p.m.

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