Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book, Postcard Memories Orillia.
This postcard view of Bass Lake was published around 1950.
Titled 'Home of the Little Guilds, Bass Lake, Orillia,' this photo shows a shady cove with a rowboat on the shore. There is a raised wooden bridge over a small channel and both sides of the channel are protected by fencing made of birch poles.
Mary Lauer recalls her parents renting a small cabin here from owner Bill Ritchie when she was a youngster. It was located off Highway 12, just past Wainman Line.
A laneway next to the Ritchie home and gift shop led to the waterfront cabin. Ritchie had dug a lagoon with a small island next to the lake to create a park-like setting.
The 'Home of the Little Guilds,' surrounded by tall pines, birch and cedar trees was a favourite place to cottage for many years.
Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie took pride in their property and published several postcard views to sell in their small gift shop.
In later years, the small cabin that was enjoyed for many summers by the Lauer family and others. It was also used as a warm-up cabin by the snowmobile club called the Bass Lake Snowrunners.
