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.
One of the first realtors in Orillia was T. B. Mitchell.
Mitchell moved to Orillia from Toronto in 1871 and shortly after opened a furniture store on the northwest corner of West and Colborne streets and called it the Toronto House.
He expanded his business by opening an undertaking department and manufactured custom coffins as well as providing a horse-drawn hearse. He retired from the furniture business in 1888, selling his store to William Swinton who continued to operate a furniture store in downtown Orillia until 1947.
Shortly after selling to Swinton, Thomas Mitchell purchased the Moffat property, comprising 170 acres between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. This rolling land with an abundance of gardens and pasture was laid out into building and park lots.
This undated photo was used by Mr. Mitchell to promote these lots and the photo was taken by G. E. Whiton, an Orillia photographer who moved west in 1897.
Taken from the hill at the bottom of Regent Street, it shows Oxford Street looking west towards Gill Street.
