As written by Barbara Sargeant
Map and Reference Number # 4 (LINK)
The Breithaupt family was in the tanning business in Kitchener, Ontario. Philip Louis Breithaupt (1827-1880) had 10 children. The family had five tanning factories including one in Penetang. Two of the sons, John Christian Breithaupt and his brother Albert Liborius Breithaupt became familiar with the Woods Bay area because they frequently visited in order to get tree bark for the tanning process. In 1903 the Breithaupt Leather Company started harvesting hemlock trees from the area. The hemlock bark was used to produce tannin for tanning the leather. The company continued up here until 1915 when a synthetic substitute for tannin was discovered. By that time, each of the above 2 brothers had married daughters of John S. Anthes (Island B 299). Between them they had 12 children. In 1907 John Christian Breithaupt and his brother Albert Liborius purchased Georgina Island (Island B74 ) At the time there was a very large hotel on the Island (built in 1880’s) that was an adjunct to the Rose Point Hotel in Parry Sound.
The Breithaupt clan including Martha Cunningham (Murphy) Breithaupt and William Henry Breithaupt (Margaret’s Mom and Dad) visited the hotel. Martha and William Breithaupt bought Craven Island (now Lucile Gille’s Island B69) from Dr. Joan Craven from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Iron City. Margaret Catherine Sargeant visited Craven island in the summers. After William died, Martha sold Craven Island to Lucille Pollack (now Lucile Gille) in Nov. of 1932. Margaret married Earl Sloan Sargeant and they rented a cottage at Cedar Point near Penetang for several years. Around 1946 Margaret and Earl rented Island B71 from the Blakeslees who also owned the Isle of Delight. Margaret and Earl bought island B71 from the Blakeslees on Nov. 18th 1948 for $3,200.00 Margaret kept the Island after Earl died and when Margaret died in May the island passed to her sons Timothy Sargeant and John Sloan Sargeant on Dec. 23rd 1971.
For tax purposes the island was valued as of that date. Gary C. Kingshott appraised the island as having a value of $26,000.00 and Price Taylor valued it at $15,000.00.
Tim and Sloan owned the island jointly for several years. Eventually Tim and his wife Barbara Sargeant decided that they wanted a cottage all of their own. They didn’t dream that Sloan and Betty would want to sell so they looked for another island. They put in an offer on the Scott Islands (Islands B 271 and 272) but at that time they had numerous owners and they never got a reply. Eventually they bought Island B 58 and Tim sold his interest in Island B 71 to Sloan and Betty Sargeant in 1979. At that time we had appraisals done and Garry Kingshott appraised the value of B71 at around $34,000.00 and Price Taylor at $43,000.00. Sloan and Betty Sargeant’s daughter Cathy died in an unfortunate accident and they did not feel that they could keep the island with its old memories so they sold Island B 71 in 1979 to John and Rosie Zuk, who are the present owners.
Woods Bay Community Association