CANADIAN NATIONAL AND CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY STATIONS -LAKE JOSEPH.
About 1903, the Canadian Pacific Railroad and the Canadian Northern Ontario Railroad decided to build lines to Parry Sound. The first built was the C.N.0.R. which went through Gravenhurst and Bala Park and up through along the edge of Lake Joseph. The second was the C.P.R. which by-passed Gravenhurst. through Bala and established a divisional point at MacTier in 1906, through Gordon Bay and on to Parry Sound. For a few miles the railroads ran almost parallel at Lake Joseph Wharf (Barnesdale) and Gordon Bay. From there they spread apart and wandered their routes to Parry Sound.
For a period of 45 years there were two railway stations at Gordon Bay, and both had the same station-master, James Meek Hatherley. The most important- was the C . N . 0 . R . C LATER THE C.N.R . ) as it ran closer to the water so it made it- easier for the summer tourists to arrive by-train and be met there and taken by private boats to their cottages. The station consisted of a covered wooden plat-form and a square "railroad red" freight- shed on one end and a waiting room on the other. The C.P.R. station was less than a 100 yards away, and it had a little waiting room with a bench and for the winter months there was a stove. Both were flag stations so it was necessary to hang out the green-and-white flag to stop the train.
Barnesdale (Lake Joseph Wharf) was about- 5 miles north of Foot's Bay and took its name from John-Joseph Barnes, an Englishman, who moved his family from Minett to Barnesdale in 1888. In 1906 the C.N.R. chose Barnesdale as its northern lakeside station which was christened the Lake Joseph Station. Here the trains could connect directly with the lake steamers. The dock to which many, many steps descended from the station is where the present CNIBdock is today.
J.J. barnes built- a hotel around 1900 and secured the post office. Barnesdale House could accommodate about 60 guests. J.J Barnes died in 1907 and the hotel went to F. J. Brady but in 1922 it was destroyed by fire. The pavilion for the CNIB camp occupies the sight of the former Barnesdale House.