FOCUS - JUNE 2017 29 PROUD TO BE To add to the celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary the Lake Scugog Historical Society is reprinting two important local history books: On the Shores of Scugog and Steamboats on Scugog. Both books have been out of print for many years. On the Shores of Scugog is a popular anecdotal history of the communities surrounding Lake Scugog and was first published in 1913 by Samuel Farmer. He revised the work and published a second edition in 1934. In 1969, the Lake Scugog Historical Society reprinted the work as the third edition. Samuel Farmer was the owner/ publisher of the Port Perry Star from 1907 until his death on April 30, 1948, a period of 41 years! Young Samuel came from England in 1886 and began his newspaper career at the Uxbridge Journal before he moved to Toronto to work at The Toronto Saturday Night, a popular weekly magazine. While in Toronto he met and mar- ried Emily Grace Abernathy. The Farmer family moved to Port Perry in 1907 after they had purchased the Port Perry Star. His love of this community compelled him to write a detailed history of of this part of Ontario and On the Shores of Scugog has been a popular reference work on local history ever since. The Society has reprinted Farmer’s book again in 2017 to meet the demand of those inter- ested in local history. Lake Scugog Historical Society president Paul Arculus wrote Steamboats on Scugog. It is an illustrated history of the steam- boats that plied the waters of Lake Scugog from 1851 until 1930. The book was first released as part of Canada’s Millennium cel- ebrations when the LSHS hosted a highly successful steamboat fes- tival at Port Perry’s waterfront in July 2000. The first steamboat to appear on Scugog was the 110 foot long Woodman, built at the Port Perry waterfront and launched in 1851. It was taken out of service in 1864. The largest steamboat was the Crandella at 122 feet long. It could be seen carrying tourists around the lake during the last decade of the nineteenth century. The Crandella was one of eight vessels longer than 100 feet that were used on Lake Scugog. During the Steamboat era, 45 steam powered vessels appeared on Lake Scugog. Steamboats on Scugog documents each of these vessels from this colourful period of our history. The book has been in demand since it went out of print in 2005. On The Shores of Scugog will be on sale for $19.95 and Steamboats on Scugog will cost $29.95. Both books will be available for sale in time for Canada Day and will sold at LSHS events and at Books Galore and More, 175 Perry Street in Port Perry. All proceeds go to the Lake Scugog Historical Sociey. LOCAL HISTORY BOOKS REPRINTED FOR CANADA’S 150th 905-985-0439 162 Reach Industrial Park Port Perry from Dave and Susie Parkinson Port Perry Port Perry RUST CONTROL Canada R E A D S BOOKS GALORE 175 Perry Street, Port Perry 905-985-8645 booksgalore@powergate.ca