Washington Irving, William Dawson LeSueur and Bracebridge, Ontario

The association some would prefer buried in the quagmire of Muskoka archives

When I give the occasional museum lecture these days, and it happens to be on the topic of town names in the District of Muskoka, instead of explaining how, for example, Bracebridge was honored with its Post Office title, in 1864, the theme of the talk instead becomes a detailed description of “why Bracebridge felt dishonored” by a postal employee’s unwelcome intervention.
One of my all-time favorite research projects, I began this mission, first as a high schooler, to discover the truth about the naming of both Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst, located in the south-central region of Ontario’s District of Muskoka. It was back at Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School, during a research jag for a Canadian history course that I first discovered my hometown “Bracebridge” was named after a book written by well known American author, Washington Irving, creator of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The book was “Bracebridge Hall,” (circa 1822) and was set at a countryside manor in England, belonging to Squire Bracebridge. This would have probably been okay except for one, possibly two details.
In 1864 the residents of the hamlet unofficially known as “North Falls,” made a request of the Federal Postal Authority to endorse and register the same name, to adorn the newly granted post office. Having their collective hearts set on North Falls, a chap by the name of William Dawson LeSueur, the postal authority at the time, decided that “North Falls,” wasn’t significant enough, and instead granted the name “Bracebridge.” Local historians of the time and for many years after were fond of noting that he borrowed the name “from a book he was reading at the time.” This wasn’t quite true but close. It’s likely a copy of “Bracebridge Hall” was in his well stocked personal library but it is most likely fiction that he happened to be in the middle of the story when the application was stamped “approved!”
So the naming of Bracebridge got off to a bad start. Believe it or not, to this day (I know this personally) there’s a grudge harbored about the unanticipated name change. I found this out within a month of research into William Dawson LeSueur’s grossly misunderstood honor to the community, straddling the 45th parallel of latitude. Several well appointed folks in the town discouraged my plans to reveal more of the story but as I’m well known for kicking over stones, for the thrill of discovery, every criticism brought forth new ambition. What I couldn’t understand was how such a great tribute to the community, 1864 to the present, could ever be viewed as unwelcome intervention. I believed then, as I do now, that the association with Washington Irving, one of the best known authors in the history of literature, and being named by one of Canada’s intrepid, undeterred, brilliant historians, is nothing short of provenance extraordinaire. As a footnote to the above, there is very little evidence, if any actually exists, in publications etc. in the years immediately after the re-naming incident, to illustrate this apparent outrage regarding LeSueur’s liberality. I was led to believe this but nothing has been found in local archives material to suggest there were rallies or even letters of protest submitted, to the federal authority, protesting the name change, suggesting the majority of citizens couldn’t have cared less. They were just pleased to have a federal postal facility in their pioneer settlement.
While there was immediate chagrin about the nerve of this guy LeSueur, it took until the year 2000 before Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst, got their first in-depth glimpse at the man who made it all happen. I presented a full profile of the postal authority-author-historian in a book I published that year. I turned over a biographical text about LeSueur’s life and work, I had purchased, to the Gravenhurst Archives Committee, along with an 1880’s copy of the book LeSueur used to name the hamlet, entitled “Gravenhurst; or Thoughts on Good and Evil,” by William Henry Smith. By and large the response from Gravenhurst historians was both welcoming and appreciative of the reference material.
Another problem area, was in the fact Bracebridge historians had committed an early and continuing error whenever they would discuss or write about, by happenstance, the naming of Gravenhurst in context to LeSueur. For whatever reason or misunderstanding, the long held belief was that Gravenhurst was a name used by Washington Irving in the text of Bracebridge Hall. I had to prove this as fact. First I asked for the assistance of Washington Irving historians and scholars. I read both the earlier Sketch Book, when the Bracebridge family is first introduced, and then Bracebridge Hall. Not only didn’t the title “Gravenhurst,” appear anywhere in the book “Bracebridge Hall,” but there’s nary a mention in any other of his many texts published over a lifetime. What we did find out however, in the next stage of research, was that LeSueur had access to a copy of a philosophical text recently published (prior to the town’s naming in 1862), by poet William Henry Smith, using as a title, “Gravenhurst.” The problem in large measure was that all historians to date had misunderstood the interests and accomplishments of the chap behind the post office desk. LeSueur was a highly skilled author, historian, literary critic, and Canadian man of letters, who was revered for his contributions to some of the most prestigious publications in North America and the United Kingdom. He was friends with many of the most talented writers of the time period. The fact he was a Postal Authority, was a day job. The confluence between the role of civil servant and author-historian, occurred with his honorable meddling with post office names. Bracebridge and Gravenhurst are the only two at this point I’ve studied. He certainly wasn’t cavalier, as some historians have suggested, about pulling a name out of the air for a town commencing its future. Instead he selected important names penned by important authors. It is however, quite truthful to say, he selected names of books he liked. If he had disliked Irving’s work, he simply would not have even considered the name Bracebridge, let alone Smith’s book, “Gravenhurst.”
Call it a lack of communication, consultation, negotiation but the failure was quite simply, LeSueur’s lack of full disclosure. Offering the citizens the reason why he felt his “titles” were better than ones put forward by respective hamlets. He never fully offered an explanation of this although he did answer a local newsman’s question about the naming of Bracebridge, in the 1920’s, a short time before his death. LeSueur admitted the name came from Irving’s book of the same name. He never afforded the same explanation for Gravenhurst, although this information was known and published several times before I got to the story in the late 1990’s. The difference with Gravenhurst was that I was able to quash the Irving connection, and give William Henry Smith the full marks deserved.
William Dawson LeSueur was a brilliant man and certainly one of the country’s important historians, his work still referenced in this new century for its insights and accuracy. Knowing the full measure of LeSueur’s accomplishments, the town has ever since, missed the true significance and honor of association with his name. I believe the town has equally failed to fully recognize and celebrate the great tribute bestowed upon it, to be kin to the name of Washington Irving, and his famous Sketch Book, of which the Bracebridge family is penned within.
One of the great traditions of the Bracebridge Hall story, as told by Irving, is the elaborate Christmas celebration. Irving was particularly concerned that Americans were severing important motherland connections and traditions following the Revolutionary War, and he made it a mission to study the “old ways and customs,” by spending time traveling in England, and Scotland with fellow author Sir Walter Scott. Irving lodged at Scott’s estate known as “Abbotsford.” As a matter of interest, it has long been assumed Abbotsford was the model Irving used to create the fictitious Bracebridge Hall. In literary context, the description of Christmas festivities at Bracebridge Hall, is as well known as Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol.” Many communities with a vested interest in Washington Irving, have annual Bracebridge Hall Christmas dinners in commemoration of the author’s bid to save historic and cultural traditions. There have been Bracebridge Hall dinners held in Bracebridge, Ontario but only a few times in the past century.
Most recently I submitted a letter to the editor to the local press, which contained a small but significant section about William Dawson LeSueur, and the importance of being respectful of our historic connection officially recorded in July 1864. When it was published, every mention of LeSueur was unceremoniously hacked off the submitted copy without my permission. Could it have been the letter was too long, and LeSueur unworthy of inclusion? It was at any rate a poor way to treat this local historian who has a pretty fair memory. Yet it was an example of how difficult it has been to sell the good graces of the town’s link to not only LeSueur but to both an internationally acclaimed author and a hell of a good story.
The full text of the above history is available in the Muskoka collection of the Bracebridge Public Library.
One day I believe the town chamber of commerce, or the local municipal politicians, possibly even for commercial gain, will find some greater significance to fully recognize the provenance attached to LeSueur and Irving, and a hometown named with affection, “Bracebridge.” Thanks for joining this historical blog by Currie.