Geographic location: Lot 4, Conc.11, McClintock Twp

Map point:  Approximate location within Lot 4, Conc. 11, McClintock Twp

According to Betty Card Bainbridge, the [first location of the] mill was about 2 km past Curv Inn on the right hand side next to the original Algonquin Park entrance. Her mom was the cook. Source: Facts and Fables of Oxtongue Lake, 2000 pg. 72

Current address:

Date range: 1949 -

Interesting facts: Excerpts Hubbel's Mill at Oxtongue Lake, submitted by Jack Hubbel. Source: Facts and Fables of Oxtongue Lake, 2000 pgs. 35-39

Urbane Hubbel ventured into the lumber business with his son Frank (hence Hubbel and Son Lumber Co). Around 1935 they tendered for government timber limits in Haliburton and, much to their surprises, actually won the tender. The limits contained two hundred square miles and included parcel of land in Sherborne, Livingstone, McClintock, Finlayson and Nightingale townships. Urbane and Frank built two mills before moving to Oxtongue in 1949.

Gate to Hubbel & Son's Mill, Oxtongue Lake 1948-59

The following is a partial list of folks who worked at Oxtongue and most of them lived there:

• Clifff Farnsworth was the mill manager and his wife Julia looked after the cookhouse with the help  of Mr. Chambers
• Alex Campbell was the steam engineer
• Doug Puffer was the fireman who fueled the firebox with wood
• Gordon Godfrey was yard foreman
• Bill Cassibo helped Gordon to scale millions of board feet of lumber
• Sam Baumhour acted as millwright and he also directed many of the logging operations taking place during the winter
• Lester Woodcock was the walking boss responsible for road building in the bush along with the overall cutting operation in winter. In summertime, he timber cruised for the next year's cut and determined the best road access to the new cutting area
• Morley Card operated the garage and carried out all mechanical repairs.
• George Godfrey was the sawyer
• Ray Creighton hammered away as blacksmith
• James Linn tooled all the leather harnesses for teams of horses
• George Lowry operated the large jack ladder which fed the mill with logs
• Wes Clarke, along with other drivers, trucked lumber over countless miles of highways.
• Other family names associated with the mill: Keown, Mackey, Vardy, Wilkes, Bruce, Hayes, Foran, Swithzer, Traves, Lockwood and Barnhart.

The mille at Oxtongue Lake was large and ahead of its time. The mill only ran for ten years, yet the output improved each year. The sawmill was a two storied structure, powered by a triple expansion steam engine. Separate from the mill itself was the two story bunkhouse complete with billiard table and comprehensive library.

Hubbel's Mill, aerial view, note the large area cleared on west side of Hwy #60 - 1958

Read Jack Hubbel's full account of HUBBEL'S MILL AT OXTONGUE LAKE. Source: Facts and Fables of Oxtongue Lake, 2000 pgs. 35-39

Property Ownership History:

• 1907 Patent from The Crown for the North 33 acres to Charles Nunn. Ontario Land Parcel Register - McClintock (Image 14).
• The original property - Concession 11, Lot 4 - was divided and sold to different owners.  Ms. G. Winifred Armstrong purchased Nunn's original log cabin, plus 2 acres, in 1923, for $750. In 1932 the remaining 31 acres were sold to his son-in-law James McClymont (husband of daughter Ethel) for $100. James McClymont subsequently sold a portion of the property to the Trustees of the School Section No. 2; portions to William Keown and Donald Seal; and an unknown number of acres to Frank Hubbel, which became the location of the mill.