McCrea Bridges of the Kawarthas

John McNeely McCrea (IV)

April 16, 1865 - April 19, 1957

Born to John (III) and Jane McCrea in Omemee, Ontario. The fourth of eight children, he had four sisters and three brothers. Son of a furniture maker, John spent time in his father’s shop where he learned to use the tools and glue pot, but it wasn’t until 1934, at age 69, that he started the carvings in this collection.

John’s skillful and remarkable models were made to scale of ½” to 1’ for the larger models and 1” to 1’ for the smaller ones. He used birch and pine for the woods and brass was preferable to iron as it did not rust. He made the items by hand, often making his own tools to get them just as he needed, with no power tools. If he wasn’t happy with a model, he either remade it or destroyed it.

He crafted the tiniest of butter molds to the most exacting of bridges. What he loved and appreciated, the everyday life of families and his love of the Kawartha Lakes area, shines through in every piece. He often sketched out his pieces before setting to work. 

Omemee Schoolhouse

The Wesleyan Methodist Church

The models often reflected the history of John’s life, his childhood days in Omemee working in the shop with his father or on his uncle’s farm. School, church and later, his working life. He was a house carpenter (1891), a merchant (1903), an undertaker (1916), and cabinet maker (1921).

He was a soldier and served in Africa from Nov. 1, 1899 – Oct. 31, 1900 with the Royal Canadian 2nd Battalion and a further record of being a Major in the 109th Battalion for the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force in 1916.

He was a family man, marrying Elizabeth Roberts on the 4th of June, 1903. After becoming a widower, he married Frances Dagmore Morden on the 21st of December, 1920. They had one son, John Morden McCrea.

The Bridge Models

In an effort to capture the larger structures of transportation, John created a series of bridge models to reflect the different kinds of bridges in use in the Omemee area during his lifetime.

Brown’s Bridge 1875 (1952.1.19)

This bridge was on the boundary between the former Emily and Ops Townships, located near Mount Horeb. The bridge is made from roughly cut logs laid perpendicular to the bridge's supporting beams, while the bridge's piers are made of logs stacked in a square pattern where it crosses Pigeon River. Note the “corduroy” Floor. This style of bridge was very popular during this time, there were hundreds of these located in Old Ontario.

Image source unknown

Cowan’s Sliding Bridge (1952.1.18)

The bridge that this model is based on was located in the former Township of Emily, between Cowan’s Bay and Fee’s Landing. It was called a “sliding bridge” as a section of the bridge could be retracted to allow for boats to go through to the other side. In 1875, the steamboat “Ontario” was waiting to pass through and the rolling platform would not budge to open. 

The captain ordered the crew to get out the axes and saws to cut the timber through. After the incident, a letter threatening legal action against the county council if the bridge was not made passable by 1876. That was the end of Cowan’s as a sliding bridge. A fixed bridge has existed in its place between Cowan’s Bay and Fee’s Landing ever since.

Doube’s Trestle Bridge (1952.1.26)

The model depicts only a 1/22 section of the long bridge and is secured with tiny nails which was unusual for McCrea to use. It was in operation from 1883-1990 by the Grand Trunk Railway and Canadian National Railways. The bridge was 23m tall and tapered to 15.25m at either end. The trains that traveled this route carried both passengers and freight. This bridge became a direct link between Peterborough and Lindsay and facilitated industrial development well inland from the Lake Ontario shoreline. One of the benefits was that it allowed Township of Emily citizens to sell milk to Toronto businesses.

Image from The Last Trains of Lindsay, Keith Hanson, 1979

Doube’s Trestle Bridge, c2021, photo by Barbara Doyle

Pigeon River/Lake Floating Bridge (1952.1.22)

Constructed in 1869, it was located across the southern end of Pigeon Lake, north of Cowan’s Bridge. The bridge was 1.2km long and later destroyed by ice and wind in the 1920’s. The bed of the bridge would be at water level and the bridge 'moved' when a team of horses and wagon was crossing it, making for a dangerous journey, especially in rough weather. The ramps at either end allowed for the rise and fall of the water. The bridge had a wide section to allow traffic to pass, as well as a removable section to allow for the passage of boats and rafts.

Pigeon Lake Floating Bridge, c1910, photo by H. Hood. Published in A History of The Township of Emily in The County of Victoria.

Omemee Railway Bridge (1952.1.21)

This model depicts the bridge that was constructed in 1855 over the Millpond on the Pigeon River. White cedar was used for the piers with the king truss being white pine, the preferred timber for bridge construction.

As repairs were necessary over the coming years, piers were reinforced with oak piles and heavy Douglas fir beams were placed on the piles and the white pine king truss was removed. The bridge was altered to accommodate wide gauge rail traffic and later changed to standard gauge. The rails were removed in the late 1920’s and the bridge was used for regular traffic. It is now a part of the Omemee Rail Trail.

Omemee Railway Bridge, original source and date unknown

Omemee Railway Bridge, c2021, photo by Barbara Doyle

Old Mill Bridge - The Mary Street Bridge (1952.1.24)

The Mary Street Bridge in Omemee, often referred to as the 'the Old Mill Bridge' was originally made of log and built in 1825. Located at the site of an old grist mill, it can be seen from Highway No. 7 where it crosses Pigeon River. This model of the bridge, as of 1875, is to a scale of ½ in. to 1 ft. 

It was later reinforced for heavy traffic and replaced with a bridge containing several iron spans. The bridge underwent repairs in 2021.

Mary Street Bridge, c2021, photo by Barbara Doyle

King Street Bridge (1952.1.25)

This bridge is now used as a road bridge for Highway No. 7 but its origins start in the 1820’s, when Omemee was first settled and regular river crossing was necessary. It is the first recorded bridge in this location with built in sidewalks for pedestrians. 

The bridge was constructed out of wood until the late 1880’s, when it was converted to a steel truss construction with limestone piers. It was updated again in 1933 and converted to concrete and its current style.

King Street Bridge, c1880, photo source uncredited

King Street Bridge, c2021, photo by Barbara Doyle

The McCrea Model Collection encompasses more the 600 individual pieces. To view more of the collection in person, visit the Kawartha Lakes Museum & Archives to enjoy the newest exhibit Forest to Farm: McCrea Models Meet Their Match (May 2024 opening).

Curated by Barbara Doyle