page_title: District Municipality of Muskoka
section_title: European arrival
hierarchical_section_title: District Municipality of Muskoka / History / European arrival
caption_attribution_description: English: A lumbermen's shanty. Muskoka District, Ontario, Canada.Français&#160;: Cabane de bûcherons, district de Muskoka (Ontario, Canada).
context_page_description: The District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka or Muskoka, is a regional municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Muskoka extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching in the south, to the western border of Algonquin Provincial Park in the east. A two-hour drive north of Toronto, Muskoka spans 6,475 km². Muskoka has some 1,600 lakes, making it a popular cottaging destination.
  This region, which, along with Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, and Peterborough County is referred to as "cottage country", sees over 2.1 million visitors annually. Muskoka is an area populated with several villages and towns, farming communities, and lakeside vacation hotels and resorts near to golf courses, country clubs, and marinas. The regional government seat is Bracebridge and the largest population centre is Huntsville.
  Muskoka is geographically located within the Central Ontario region of the province, although it is treated as part of Northern Ontario by some government programs.
  Muskoka is a summer destination for Toronto residents and was the #1 most searched Canadian destination for vacation rentals in 2017.
context_section_description: Until the late 1760s, the European presence in the region was largely limited to seasonal fur trappers, but no significant trading settlements were established.  Following the American War of Independence, the British North America government feared invasion from its new neighbour to the south. The authorities began exploring the region, hoping to develop a settled population and find travel lanes between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay.  The first European known to  have caught even a glimpse of Muskoka or Haliburton was a French youth, usually identified as Étienne Brûlé, and the year was in 1610 or 1611. In 1826, Lieutenant Henry Briscoe became the first European man known to have crossed the middle of Muskoka.  The explorer David Thompson drew the first maps of the area in 1837 and possibly camped near present-day Beaumaris.
  Canada experienced heavy immigration from Europe in the 19th century, and Muskoka was no different. Large numbers of settlers from the United Kingdom, and to a lesser extent, Germany began to arrive.  As the land south of the Severn was settled, the government planned to open the Muskoka region further north to settlement. Logging licences were issued in 1866 which opened Monck Township to logging.
  The lumber industry expanded rapidly, denuding huge tracts of the area. Road and water transportation was developed and used later to facilitate town settlement. Road transportation took the form of the Muskoka Colonization Road, begun in 1858 and reaching Bracebridge in 1861. The road was roughly cut through from the woods and was of corduroy construction.  Logs were placed perpendicular to the route of travel to keep carriages from sinking in the mud and swamps.  This made for extremely rugged travel.
  The railroad pushed north to support the industry, reaching Gravenhurst in 1875 and Bracebridge in 1885. The lumbering industry spawned a number of ancillary developments, with settlements springing up to supply the workers.  Bracebridge (formerly North Falls) saw some leather-tanning businesses develop.  Tanners used the bark from lumber to tan hides, turning what would otherwise be a waste product to effective use.
caption: Lumbermen's shanty, Muskoka District (1873)
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