Bracebridge, Ontario Public Library July 2017- Henry M. Cist

I spent a number of days at the Bracebridge, Ontario Public Library in July. To my surprise I found a reference book that mentioned Henry M. Cist. I knew that his second wife, Jennie Bear was from the Pittsburgh, PA area. Many old time cottagers were from the Pittsburgh area. There is an 1890 map of the Muskoka Lakes region that lists the cottage that Cist lived in.  A special thank you goes to Louis Allen (Buzz) Carmichael for correcting information. Mr. Carmichael mentioned that it was the family of Jennie Bear that owned the cottage. I find this interesting because Cist traveled quite extensively during his life time. He grew up in Cincinnati, endured traveling to Georgia during the Battle of Chickamauga, during the American Civil War. He also traveled to Florida to a Cist family homestead what is now Thistle lodge on Sanibel Island, Florida.Then there is the cottage in northern Ontario. Why did he do so much travelling? It took days and/or weeks to get to a destination back then.

Beaumaris, by Patricia Walbridge Ahlbrandt, The Boston Press is were I found this information. Pages 139-40 discusses Bay Point were the cottage was built in 1897 by Peter Curtis. When Henry M. Cist died in Rome, Italy in 1902, the cottage was sold to the Willocks family. When Henry M. Cist died he made one finally trip from Rome, Italy to Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio. He is buried in the Cist plot.

The Cist family did not start the Dixie Highway system. They were a family that experienced the development of the Dixie Highway system that the U.S. Government built. Many other American families have used this highway system through the generations. I can imagine the conversations and daily encounters that Mr. and Mrs. Cist had with fellow travelers and possibly developed  new friendships. The Civil War ended over 150 years ago and the Dixie Highway system recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.

I will leave my readers with a possible connection question. In a previous blog entry, I wrote about the hot air balloon rides that Cist published in the late 1700's. The founding fathers had a long list of items on their agendas. Building the national road would be on the agenda for the next generation with the Louisiana Purchase.Could  Charles Cist (Philadelphia printer and grandfather of Henry M. Cist) had the foresight to use the hot air balloon rides to develop and map out a very early and primitive road system that lead out west? Did Charles Cist past down a desire to continue learning? Many activities during Charles Cist days were done in groups, so it was with others that Cist  was included working on a continuing plan to map a road system.

Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
August 10, 2017