It would seem that the earliest visitor with international recognition to the lake was the British short story and novelist Algernon Blackwood. Starting on May24, 1892, this specialist in horror fiction spent nearly 5 months in the three big Muskoka lakes. Before “the Canadians came up to their summer camps” in June, he “explored every bay and inlet of the lakes”. Included in the explorations with his friend, Kay, were “longer expeditions of several days at a time into the great region of backwoods that began due north” and then “westward to Georgian Bay with its thousand islands”. Thus both Blackstone and Crane Lakes were enjoyed.

Note: John Jennings or Henry Vankoughnett are …show more content…
Although he and his party fished for 11 days in Mill Lake he seemed to be envious on meeting these other fisherman from Crane and Blackstone. Mr. Beebe and company 's best effort was a 31⁄2 lb black bass. The articles title is “A Stranger 's Experience in Muskoka”:
W hile we were at Parry Sound we met two gentlemen who had been camping on Moon River for a couple of weeks and fishing Crane and Blackstone lakes. They reported excellent luck and the successful landing of a 20 lbs muscalonge with an 8 oz. trout rod.
In mid-September 1889 a party of four left Port Carling preparing for a fishing trip that would include Crane and Blackstone Lakes. After they left they discovered they forgot their tent and had to make do with the extra blankets as cover. Of special note is obtaining milk from “Van Colkins” very likely John Vankoughnett 's farm of which it seems is the earliest mention. After travelling down the Moon River to Georgian Bay they headed to Blackstone Harbour in the afternoon of Sept 14th. Here we pick up the story, titled In Muskoka – A Hunting and Fishing Expedition, as recounted in the Toronto Saturday Globe for October 19, 1889 the first Globe article mentioning the