It does not matter whether you are an artist, photographer, writer or just a once in a while visitor to Presque Isle, this temperamental beauty has a long history of providing inspiration to countless people. I have found observing nature on the park is like learning anew to use my eyes, ears, nose and even my finger tips to capture a fleeting moment in time. A friend recently revealed that since he had been on the park almost daily for more than a year, his camera
Night Heron on Presque Isle - Brian Berchtold
always in hand, he feels he has learned to look at the world from a child’s point of view. Everything now seems new, fresh and beautiful, because he has no pre-disposed ideas floating about in his head. He has learned to enjoy birds, flowers, sunrises and the thousands of other subjects he finds while roaming Presque Isle.
An example of what I mean by capturing the moment happened two springs ago on Graveyard Pond Trail. I was just out walking and observing that day. No real plan for anything special. At about 10 a.m., I watched a bad-tempered Blue Jay chase a rabbit. He scolded and dived straight at the rabbit. His beak was constantly ready to deliver a hurtful blow. All the time, he was loud and noisy as he chased the rabbit around the field. After about 5 minutes, the rabbit must have had enough of this whole adventure, because he made his way into some thick underbrush and was quickly gone. Only by using all my senses was I able to capture this special moment in nature. By using my eyes and ears, I was able to observe and enjoy a scene many would have just walked right by.
One morning recently I was kneeing along the shoreline of Horseshoe Pond with my camera, waiting for a heron to continue his morning fishing expedition in the shallows. My waiting paid off as he moved closer and actually grabbed a small perch with his quick moving beak. I was able to get a fair picture. As I was packing my equipment, a fisherman who was observing my efforts, asked, “What are you going to do with that picture?”
As I thought about his question, I realized that many people who have not taken the time to experience nature and the real Presque Isle do not truly understand the wonders of nature right on their doorstep. What most people do not realize is that many artists, photographers and especially writers keep notebooks or journals to record their special moments.” Notes, drawings, sketches, photo and notes get tucked away for future use or reference. In effect, these people become information “pack rats.”
North Pier Lighthouse
I have learned over the years that photographing and writing about nature is nothing more than adopting an attitude of seeking. Writing to me is all about seeking, observing and recording, in a notebook and with a camera, what I am able to see, hear, smell or touch within my adventures in the field. For me it seems, it’s the little things that seem to stand out as most important in my observations over the years. For example, how wonderful it feels in the warm calm of morning to watch a small pier emerge from a thick fog covering the lagoons. It seems to become an island of clarity in a tangled world.
When I say seeking, I am actually talking about simply walking, kayaking, waiting, sitting quietly and observing my surroundings. This is usually when the unforeseen happens. The creatures of the garden, woods, lagoons or ponds come out and resume their activities. They might just accept you, or as a friend tells me, he thinks they just forget we are there. However, it is truly amazing happens when you do nothing for 5 or 10 minutes in the wild. Do it once or twice and see the world comes alive all around you.
One evening last year, the continuous chirping of something I was unfamiliar with led me on a hunt in a small field slightly off Pine Tree Trail. The noise was loud and nearly constant. Whatever it was moved twice, and I, of course, followed. After about ten minutes, I caught up with it. There, perched on a wildflower, sat a Katydid. This was a new adventure for me as I had never seen anything other than a picture of one. They are really a different looking insect. They are quite unique.
My seeking has taken me on some unusual journeys. It is definitely random and can take me to the woods, swamps, water or beach depending upon what draws me in on a particular day. Maybe it’s a sunrise, a Katydid chirping, or seeing a Red Fox cross the road and scamper into the bush off Gas Well Trail. I have found random is good. By that, I mean that my best seeking usually begins and works well when something grabs my eye or ear and draws me in when I least expect it.
Presque Isle is full of natural adventures, and if you have children, I suggest you take them with you when you explore the park. Do not be surprised if they see and hear more than you. They have a fresh view of all facets of the natural world. They look it quite differently than you and I do. With or without children, whenever you walk, or even when you just drive on the park, observe what is going on around you. See the wildlife, the sunrise, the sunset and all that Presque Isle has to offer.
See you on the Park!!
Starting this Friday and also next week, this blog will be devoted to one of the most fascinating, attractive and familiar insects in the world. It is, of course, the butterfly. There are between 18,000 to 20,000 named species of butterflies, and more are being identified each year.
Butterflies and moths are closely related. They both belong to the scientific order Lepidoptera, which derives from the Greek words for scale (lepido) and wing (ptera). This comes from the fact that their wings are covered by tiny scales. Only about 10% of the known Lepidoptera are butterflies. Although butterflies get most of the attention, moths are much more common and extremely varied. There are over 220,000 species of moths in the world.
Monarch in Flowers- E. Ware
Presque Isle is my favorite area for butterflies other than right in my own backyard where my butterfly garden draws them and hummingbirds all summer long. It is currently estimated that over 73 species of butterflies live or visit Presque Isle each year. The best time to see them on the park is from mid-morning until the late afternoon. Butterflies are sophisticated insects that like warm temperatures and keep very civilized hours, rarely flying before 10 a.m., and settling down late in the afternoon right around 5 p.m.
What is a butterfly?
Butterfly is the common name for a specific type of insect. They are relatively large and eye-catching, and for this reason are familiar to most people. Many cultures throughout the world use them as symbols of such things as love, spring, freedom, or even rebirth and renewal. In some countries, they are considered good luck. In France, a common saying is, “Love is like a butterfly; it goes where it pleases.”
Why are they called butterflies?
Clouded Yellow Butterfly
The name butterfly had its origin over 700 years ago in an old English glossary. The original word was buterflage. It was a combination of two words “butter” and “fly,” and was used to describe a butter-colored flying thing. Many people believe that the Cabbage Butterfly or the Clouded Yellow Butterfly, which were common all over Europe, may have been the inspiration for the name.
How long does a Butterfly live?
The answer to that question almost always refers to just one stage of the insect’s life, and that is the adult stage. Once the butterfly or moth emerges from the pupa, the adult, depending upon its species, can live from a few days up to a few weeks. During this short life, it eats, pollinates plants, flies around looking beautiful and mates and lays eggs. The diet and environment of a butterfly can have a major effect on its lifespan.
Does a Butterfly have bones?
Unlike us, butterflies, moths and caterpillars do not have bones or any form of a skeleton inside their body. They do have a fairly hard covering on the outside of their body. This is called the exoskeleton. This outer covering is made of a chemical that somewhat hardens when exposed to air when the butterfly emerges from the pupa.
How many legs does a butterfly have?
This is a bit of a complicated question. A caterpillar has eight pairs of legs. The three front legs are attached to the thorax and become the adult butterfly’s legs. The rear sets of five pairs of legs are attached to the caterpillar’s abdomen. When the adult butterfly develops, these legs are discarded.
How does a caterpillar become a butterfly or moth?
All butterflies and moths pass through three life stages after they emerge from the egg. The stages are the caterpillar, the pupa and the
Caterpillar - - E. Ware
adult. The process is called metamorphosis. Almost all caterpillars are voracious eaters, growing quickly to as much as 1,000 times their birth weight and have six pairs of very simple eyes. Even with all these eyes, their vision is very poor. They are actually just eating machines with legs. Richard Buckminster Fuller, author, engineer and theorist, once said, “There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly”.
What dangers do butterflies face?
Hundreds of thousands of butterflies are killed by cars and trucks each year as they swarm along highways in warm weather. Both butterflies and moths in both the caterpillar and adult stage are food for birds. Many other insects plus mice, frogs and toads and even some monkeys in India dine on all forms of butterflies and moths. In addition, drought, winds, fire, floods, pollution and viruses also take an appalling toil on them.
What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?
Luna Moth
Yes, they are closely related, so are very similar. Yet, most people think that moths fly at night and butterflies during the day, moths are small and butterflies much larger, and moths are dull in color and butterflies colorful. While somewhat true, some moths are actually very large and incredibly colorful, and some butterflies are tiny and dreary in color. Also, there are many moths that are active in the daytime.
The best way to tell the difference is to look at their antennae. Almost all butterfly antennae are straight and slightly thicker at the tip. Many moths have antennae that are feathery or bristle-like and come to a point at the tip. Other moths have a hook or curve at the end of the antennae. Even today, there are arguments between experts as to which are which among the various species.
What is a skipper?
A skipper is a type of butterfly. Normally, a typical skipper has a hairy, stocky or thick body and small wings. Some have a smaller head and hooked-tip antennae. Currently, there are nearly 3,500 species of skippers. They have a habit of darting back and forth during flight. Many experts consider the skipper a moth, and just as many hold that it is a butterfly.
Are there any tips for photographing butterflies?
The new digital cameras make capturing good butterfly pictures much easier than in the past. Presque Isle is an excellent place to try your luck. While you might get a few good shots with a simple digital camera, a digital DSLR will give you the best results. They are available in all price ranges.
Since butterflies are small, a good macro lens will most likely be necessary. The best butterfly photos should nearly fill the frame and produce a life-size image. I have found that even on a fairly bright day, a flash can be helpful to freeze the action by using a very fast shutter speed. Last of all, if you want to improve your images and focus, you need to get parallel with your beautiful subject. Remember, butterflies prefer warm, sunny conditions, and you will find many more of them fluttering around during the middle part of the day.
As more and more of our beautiful friends begin showing themselves, pick up your camera and see what you can do. Remember, Presque Isle is an excellent place to give it a try. See you on the park!!
White Pelican - -Presque Isle Bay
Spring is the time of year when I wish I knew just a bit more about the birds that visit Presque Isle. You guessed it! I am not a certified birder. What is it they say? I know just enough to be dangerous. Every single year, I learn a bit more about the birds and add a few new birds to my personal list of favorites. Within the last few years, I have found that there is something refreshing in learning about a living creature so removed from my own day-to-day pursuits.
One important lesson I have learne is that in nature, birds perform daily chores just like our own, except with more unusual and sometimes entertaining variations. Spring’s migration at Presque Isle has always been a learning experience for me. Each year my birding friends seek to make me at least sound slightly intelligent when I talk about our feathered friends. They are, of course, only somewhat successful. For me, this spring has been great. I think I now can identify at least six new birds (A record for me). However, more important, I have been able to enjoy the birding side of this spring much more than in the past.
Presque Isle had three slightly unique visitors this spring. They have all been here before. In spite of this, most residents of Erie have only seen pictures of them. The visitors on the park this spring included a White Pelican, a few Great White Egrets and a bunch of Bonaparte’s Gulls. Thanks to my friend and photographer Brian Berchtold, I have wonderful photographs taken recently on the park of all of these. I hope you enjoy his great works.
Let’s talk a minute about the White Pelican that suddenly showed up on Presque Isle Bay. This is a very large bird that for some reason is a long way from his normal habitat. A Pelican can weigh between 18 and 28 pounds and have a wing span of eight feet or more. He uses his huge wings to commute large distances and exploit the thermals along ocean and lake shorelines. They feed mainly on fish and use their large throat pouch to catch and hold them. They are exceptionally strong swimmers and have short webbed feet. This year, and three years ago when I saw one, the Pelican took refuge in the western corner of Presque Isle Bay.
Great Egret - -Presque Isle Bay
Each spring Presque Isle becomes a stopping off point for a number of Great Egrets. Some people call these wonderful birds Great White Egrets, White Herons, or White Egrets. They are a member of the heron family with pure white feathers all year long. For a large bird, they are quite graceful in flight. They are 3 to 3.5 feet in height and can weigh as much as 3 ¾ pounds. In their local habitat, they roost in mangrove branches and spend much of their time squabbling over perching positions. Their diet consists of fish, frogs, insects and even at times small mammals. A few of them stay the summer on the park, so keep an eye out for them when you visit.
The last bird I will talk about today is one that I have seen a number of times, yet had no idea exactly what it was. I knew it was a gull of some sort, but seemed awfully small. It is the Bonaparte’s Gull. No, it is not named after Napoleon. It was, however, named for his nephew who was a zoologist.
The Bonaparte is a small gull, larger only than the Little Gull and the Saunders Gull. The mature gull has a black head and short black bill with bright orange legs. Its color is white to a very light grey. Unlike other gulls, the Bonaparte is not a scavenger. Some of these birds will most likely stay the summer, but most will move on to the Niagara River area. They gather by the thousands along this river. They are a very interesting bird.
Bonaparte Gulls on Presque Isle
Spring on Presque Isle is always a haven for the birds. It is really worth it, to take the time to slowly walk the trails and paths, relax a bit and see a whole new world on the park. Buying a pocket bird book will help you identify the birds you might see.
See you on the park!!
The best nature photography is a process of elimination. One rule of thumb to should consider using in your work is the way you frame your nature shot. When you are framing a shot, be on the lookout for what does not fit. You probably know what I mean. That telephone line or an ugly rock. Get rid of them. Find an angle that eliminates them from the final shot. Sure, sometimes this is difficult. I have even had someone hold a clump of beach grass in the foreground to hide an unpleasant feature. This way, I could shoot around it. Identify your photo’s main elements and remove all the distractions to distill the final image down to what you see as its essential elements.
Presque Isle Turtles - - Brian Berchtold
Use supporting elements
Once you have a central element and eliminated the clutter, try to find secondary components to support your main subject matter. For example, if you are shooting a small boat tied to a dock at sunrise, wait for that gull to fly into or out of the picture. Don’t be afraid to add some interest. Perhaps you could add a fishing buoy leaning on the piling of the dock, a minnow bucket sitting on the pier, or maybe the silhouette of a boy fishing. You may need to add a point of interest to improve the final image.
Don’t center the subject
The best nature photography is more interesting when the dominate subject is not centered in the frame. That is because when you center the subject, you create the bull’s eye effect. When you do this, it makes it difficult for the viewer’s eyes to easily move around the image.
Watch for crooked horizons
Sunrise - - Brian Bertold
This is my wife’s number one bug-a-boo in my personal photography. Many times, I am in a hurry to get that great shot and pay little attention to the horizon line. All I can say is thank God for Pica by Google. This free photo suite has the most wonderful straightening feature I have ever seen. I keep telling my wife that the bubble level was home in the garage when I took the picture.
While we are discussing the horizon, do not center the horizon right through the middle of the shot. Similar to centering the subject, a centered horizon makes for a boring picture. A 60/40 or 40/60 ratio is usually a good idea.
Not so perfect Sunrise
Fill the frame
You should avoid leaving empty space near the edges of the picture’s frame. Of course, like all rules of thumb, this one can and should at times be broken. Sometimes “space” contributes to the composition of the image. It should be your general goal to make your images more engaging by filling the frame with subject matter. This is even truer when you are shooting close-ups of such things as butterflies or flowers. Anything on the fringes of an image that does not contribute to the total scene is a distraction.
Match the orientation to the subject
When the main subject has a vertical orientation, a horizontal orientation will look out-of-place. In photography, there are two orientations: Portrait and Landscape. You need to learn to match your photo’s basic framing orientation with the scene.
Watch your directional perception
Many pictures in nature have some form of directional flow. For example, if your photo includes an animal, there is usually an implied direction to the image. Another subject might contain a tree branch that points strongly in one direction or the other. Streams flow only in one direction; use this to balance your image. For instance, streams flowing toward the camera or diagonally across the frame are usually more interesting than away from you.
It will also be good to remember that the most important feature of directional perception is the need to leave plenty of room in front of the direction’s natural flow. This adds interest and does not allow the views eyes to go out of the frame.
Presque Isle Turkey
Finally, the optimum way to get that perfect image is to take many, many shots. This will help you to find, which is the very best. My rule of thumb is just one in twenty is worth saving, and merely one in fifty will make the final cut.
Keep on shooting, and I’ll see you on the park!!
Many years ago, naturalist Henry David Thoreau wrote the following: “A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful feature. It is the earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”
In North America, there are literally hundreds of thousands of lakes and ponds, so everyone reading
Sunrise at Presque Isle Marina - Brian Berchtold
this blog can easily visit one without too much effort. Most people tend to use the terms “pond” and “lake” interchangeably, calling a small body of water a pond and a large, a lake. In many cases, this description would be correct. However, we, here near Presque Isle, have four bodies of water right in our own backyard. When we talk about Presque Isle, we need to add two more bodies of water due to the peninsula’s unique makeup.
First of course is Presque Isle Bay. A bay is defined by Webster’s dictionary as an alcove and a wide inlet of a sea or lake. Our bay certainly fits greater description, although it is actually larger than many lakes have visited. It seems that a bay can be as small as Misery Bay or as large as the Chesapeake Bay on our Atlantic coast.
The other is Presque Isle Lagoons, which are nothing more than a series of shallow ponds connected to Misery Bay. At one time, these were actually isolated individual ponds. Back in the 1930s, they were dredged together into one continuous waterway, and since that time have been known as lagoons. Webster defines a lagoon as a shallow sound or channels connecting to a larger body of water.
More specifically, a pondis a small shallow body of water with an even water temperature throughout its
North Pier Light on Lake Erie - - Bria Berchtold
depth. A lake, on the other hand, is a much larger and deeper body of water, and because of this, it has different layers of water temperature. For example, in the summer, a lake in this area has colder waters at its deeper levels than at its upper levels, which are usually warmer.
Whenever I am on Presque Isle, whether walking, biking, exploring, photographing or just writing, most of my time is spent at a wetland area or by a body of water. Mornings, sometimes at the crack of dawn, might find me gazing over a fog-shrouded lagoon, Misery Bay, Horseshoe Pond or Presque Isle Bay, hoping to shoot one of the park’s stunning sunrises. I have always considered Presque Isle just one big wetland and pond region.
Most people making the trip out to the park find that their visit is a pleasant one, perhaps even evoking nostalgic childhood memories of swimming on Presque Isle beaches, walking along the bay at dawn or just fishing in the lagoons or bay. Whatever images are stimulated by thoughts of Presque Isle, visitor’s encounters usually center on the natural or recreational activities that the park offers. I usually find that most involve the lake, the bay, one of the park’s ponds or the lagoons.
Presque Isle’s diverse collection of wetlands has a powerful aesthetic appeal. Artists, poets, writers and photographers are drawn to the park’s ponds, bays and lagoons. There are thousands of locations on the peninsula that elicit their deepest sense of creativity. The wildlife, birds and other creatures found on Presque Isle can and do provide hours of exciting field encounters.
To me, it is difficult to imagine anything more alluring than a morning sunrise over a quiet Presque Isle lagoon surrounded by the stillness of a woodland setting. Sitting on a log at sunrise and candidly watching a canoe gliding slowly and effortlessly through the glasslike water of Misery Bay as a Blue Heron glides silently across its path, has a dreamlike quality that eases me into still another day. Over the years, I have found the special silence of morning on Presque Isle is an acquired form of freedom. Slowing down and letting nature guide my thoughts makes each day a genuinely beautiful experience.
Horseshoe Pond - - E. Ware
We are all fortunate to have this natural wonder we call Presque Isle right here on our doorstep. Take time to see parts of the park you have never explored. I think you will find a new world opening right before you.
See you on the Park!
Turtles in Sun on Graveyard Pond
It’s a bright and sunny Wednesday afternoon, and the temperature has just moved up to 55 degrees as a large lumber truck backs into the Graveyard Pond parking lot on Presque Isle. On board is all the lumber and material needed for the Presque Isle Partnership’s “Turtle Platform.”
When I first arrived, the only life near the floating log in the lagoons was two Canada Geese. As the truck arrived, Jack and Joe, from the partnership board were breathing a very large sigh of relief as three DCNR employees arrived to help unload and place the bundled lumber near the platform’s location. The two of them had even bigger smiles as the Frontier Lumber driver lowered a high-lift down from the back of the truck.
Wood delivery
It sure was nice to see the project get restarted after the long winter layoff. The turtles must have felt the same way because shortly after we arrived and the lumber was in the process of being unloaded, seven of them clambered up onto the log and chased the geese away. They must have been wondering what was going on. I looked over, and I swear I could see smiles on their little faces.
As most of you know, the “Turtle Platform” is a project of Presque Isle Partnership’s environmental committee. Two and a half years ago, the committee hatched the idea of building an area on the lagoon shore for people to view the turtles
Every Job needs supervisors
of the park in their natural habitat. After much planning and work, last June the project was approved. The Partnership, DCNR and volunteers from General Electric have adopted the project, and final construction begins Friday, the 27th. The supports were installed last fall and final plans approved in January. Many people have helped with the project, and as it progresses, I will keep you readers informed as to how it is going and who is currently involved. By the way, if you attended Discover Presque Isle and purchased a Frog Button, your contribution helped fund the platform and the partnership thanks you for your support.
We hope to have the platform open by Memorial Day. The walkway from the
GE volunteers at work Friday
parking area to the platform may and may not make that deadline. However, with any kind of luck, the platform itself should be ready to go. If you are out on the park, stop and take a look at the progress.
Until then,
See you on the park!!
The region where Sara’s and the campgrounds are today was at one time known as “The Head”. Its true name was Massassauga Point. In 1874, there were actually three hotels operating at the Head. In addition, there was a boat rental service, a small fishing village and a small general store located along the eastern
Danced Hall at "The Head"
shoreline of the Point. This area of Presque Isle bay was well known for the number and size of the Bass that could be caught just offshore from The Head. The most popular and largest of the hotels was owned by William L. Scott. It was the busiest of the hotels, and its name was the Massassauga Point Hotel. Mr. Scott had originally purchased much of the land encompassing The Head at sheriff sale and built a small hotel that he leased to John Baccus.
In 1879, Scott took back the lease and built a huge hotel, dance hall and resort there. It quickly became the destination of choice in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1880, he added a large covered picnic shelter and bandstand. Bands played at the picnic grounds from Friday to Sunday twelve hours per day.
Guests could go to the bars and the dance halls on the Head daily or could book a room or suite at the hotels for a day, a week or even the whole season. The resorts and hotels were busiest on Fridays and weekends. All the hotels were usually fully booked on weekdays. Scott, who was the largest individual owner of coal producing land in the world, also had three farms on the Point’s land. These farms supplied produce for the hotels on the point, and in addition, he raised horses at one of them.
Steam Boat Pier at "The Head"
Many visitors called the whole district “Erie’s Pleasure Ground”. The Head could be reached either by steamboat or by a rough gravel carriageway down the steep hill leading to the peninsula. At the time, it was called the Head Road. Today, it is known as Peninsula Drive. Scott built a wide dock to moor the pleasure steamers and ferry boats that would come to the Head from downtown Erie. Six ferryboats made eight roundtrips a day on the weekends.
Life in Erie was often a summer-long picnic for Erie’s party set during the period the Massassauga Hotel was open. Rumors had it that high-stakes card games in the third floor ballroom of the hotel took place each weekend evening. This was strictly against the laws, and the manager of the hotel had a person at the top of the hill with a long rope he could pull when the law was sighted. The rope rang a bell at the hotel and by the time the police arrived, there was no gambling going on.
The Head became a gathering place for all sorts of people, rich, poor and all those somewhere in between. From Friday until late Sunday evening, the resort bulged with picnics, political and religious rallies, reunions, weddings and hoards of pleasure seeks whose only objective was to party. Pictures taken at the time confirm that it also became a fashion show for the women of the time.
Massagua Point Hotel at "The Head"
Two very successful gas wells were drilled on the property, and beautiful gaslights were abundant all throughout the property. Scott and the other hotel owner made sure all grounds were tastefully laid out with walks, drives, fountains, shrubs and flowers. Two very pure water springs were found on the property and Scott had it bottled in ½-gallon containers and sold under the name of Massassauga Mineral Spring Water. Due to the dangerous quality of some of Erie’s water at the time, this bottled water sold very well.
On December 1, 1882, when the hotel was virtually empty, a tragedy struck the Massassauga Hotel. A fire broke out and within just eight hours, it totally consumed the huge hotel. It took three years for the old hotel to be removed, and a new one built. In the spring of 1885, a new hotel opened, and Scott added a roller coaster to the resort. At the time, it was the only one in this part of the country, and instantly became a big draw to the hotel and the Head.
The peninsula was still a wild wilderness at the time, so beach bathing was done primarily at the Head and the new amusement park at the top of the Head Road, which also had a beach area on the lake. Jake and Frieda Franz ran a large bathhouse with showers and dressing areas. They rented swimsuits and beach gear to families who came unprepared for swimming. Frieda was also known to take charge of some of the younger children so the parents could visit the other attractions on the Head.
Old Head Road 1895
William L. Scott died in 1891, after serving as Erie’s mayor for two terms and as congressional representative for one. His death marked the slow decline of the Head area. In 1888, a road from the town was built to the Head road at West 8th street, and in 1891, a trolley was added. This might have helped the hotels and other businesses on the Head, except the trolley company began the construction of Waldameer Park at the top of the hill. This plus a major breach of the lake over the neck of the peninsula into Presque Isle Bay marked the end for Mississauga Point’s recreational business. It would take only ten years until nearly all the businesses here would close their doors and disappear. However, the memories and stories about “The Head” live on.
I hope you enjoyed this slice of history. If you ever have more pictures or information on old Presque Isle, let me know and we can make sure that they are kept safe and help preserve them.
See you on the park!!
