Germania
History

©Susan Foster
Germania is a small Muskoka village that got its start as a small lumber and farming community. First settled during the 1860s, some of the early settlers who left their mark included the Thomsons, Gilberts and the Wieszmillers (later changed to Weismiller). Many of the early settlers originated from Germany.
They formed the first school section, S.S. #2, in 1868 however residents then discovered they had a small problem. There didn’t have a schoolhouse. In May 1869 they rented H. Hyndeman’s house for a six-month period and hired their first teacher, Miss M. Spence. Accordingly, in 1872 they built a permanent schoolhouse on the Thomson property, located on Lot 11, Concession 5. The total cost for the small log building was $114.00.
For a time Germania was one of the busier crossroads hamlets in the Muskoka region. In 1875, residents constructed the Gilbert Lutheran Church, a striking and unusual log structure that still holds occasional services. By 1884, John Weismiller opened a post office. The community also added a Methodist church. William Tait ran the general store and Thomas Tait, a sawmill. P. Herman was the village blacksmith.
By the mid-1880s, Germania’s population had grown to around 100 and by the late 1880s had swelled to 150. Things were booming. Thomas Tait expanded his business to include a shingle mill and Charles Tingey opened a second general store. Although the log schoolhouse served the residents well for 16 years, by 1888 it was time for a new school. They built the school right in the centre of town which must have been a great relief to both the parents and pupils. They no longer had to trudge 2 kilometres up the road to Thomson’s Corners in the middle of winter. The total cost for the school, which included a large playfield, was $405.
Muskoka’s short growing season did not lend itself well to large-scale farming and Germania began to decline by the end of the 19th century. Although Henry Weismiller had taken over the saw and shingle mill in the 1890s, records show that in 1898, the village’s population had shrunk to about 75. The lumber mill continued to operate into the early part of the 20th century. Germania’s post office finally closed in 1957. The school lasted a bit longer, until 1960.
Germania is among those proud communities that remain in an arrested state of decline. Due to the growth of nearby centres, such as Orillia and Bracebridge, Germania has managed to hold on and even attract a few new residents. After turning the schoolhouse into a community centre, they now have a place for residents to gather, socialize, and enjoy weekly card games and other community events. They’ve managed to keep the interior in a pristine state of preservation. Various artifacts, such as a framed handwritten sheet with the names of all the schoolteachers from 1911 to 1960, are on display. Services still occasionally take place at the church. Germania’s residents remain committed to rebuilding the old town and maintaining a vibrant and active community.