Historic plaque located on Big Bay Point road in Innisfil. The plaque bears the logo of the Town of Innisfil, as well as an image of a school house with a church in the background. The sign reads: "Big Bay Point (Also known as Point Endeavour and Peninsular Park) - Irishman Francis Hewson and his family, the first settlers in Innisfil in 1819, made their home here having received a 500-acre land grant. This was a strategic location, as the boat traffic passed by here on the lake. In 1825, Sir John Franklin stopped by on one of his early expeditions to find the north-west passage. As the population increased, so did the number of buildings: a church, a school (1860) and a post office (1881-1905) which was located inland to serve more people. The steamers on the lake stopped at the wharf on the north side of the point to serve the growing tourist trade, including patrons of the Peninsular Park sixty-room hotel. The lake steamer Otonabee burned here in 1916. Later this area became a prestigious cottage location." The plaque is currently located near the site of the former Big Bay Point school, some 5 km west of the actual point. The church was not built until c. 1930 and the first Big Bay Point post office opened 1 August 1912, closed in 1919, and reopened 21 July 1930. There was no school located on the point, and the wharf described was actually a pier located on the east side of the northern portion of the 30th Sideroad. Additional information and corrections provided by Bill Warnica.
