| The glory days of Muskoka are back again at Bigwin Island Once billed as North America's largest and most luxurious summer resort, Bigwin Inn's history is inextricably entwined with the history of Bigwin Island itself. The Early Days  Named
for the noted Ojibway warrior and hunter, Chief Joseph Big Wind, the
island attracted both native hunters and white traders back in the 19th
century…both groups drawn by its rising cliffs, beautiful bays
and golden sand beaches, located mid-channel in Lake of Bays.The island's first European settlers appeared in the 1870's. With no soil for farming and limited logging potential because of its rocky terrain, some settlers opened their homes to tourists. These first "wilderness hotels" soon turned into a burgeoning hotel and hospitality industry by the turn of the century heralding, and what soon would become, the glory days of Muskoka.  C.O.
Shaw, a wealthy Huntsville tycoon purchased Bigwin Island, and set out
to build the finest resort on the continent, realizing the steam boats
that brought tourists to the area would continue to tempt vacationers
in ever greater numbers.
In 1915 he hired designer John Wilson and began
building on the natural curve of the south-east shore of the island.
The Inn's design was a uniquely eclectic combination in which Wilson
mixed elements of Classical, Mediterranean, Tudor and Victorian architecture. The Golden Era |
It
quickly became the resort of choice for socialites and the upper class
who congregated in the grand hall known as the Indian Head Room and
the Rotunda with its huge stone fireplaces and large open verandahs.
The temptations were all plainly evident - the fine dining and entertainment…the
water sports and summer recreation…all with the rugged beauty
of the Muskokas as a backdrop. 
The
golden era for Bigwin Inn started to fade with C.O. Shaw's death in
1942. The Inn went through an ownership change, some cosmetic improvements
were made, and then the property was sold again in 1948. 
