Paddon family history and legacy continues

The story of the Paddon family continues.  James  (Jim) Paddon carries on the historic legacy of the family through his artistic pencil renditions, of the family and community buildings, and that are now housed in the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre.

Paddon has drawn from the family legacy and history in Port Elgin to create historical images of life in a by-gone era.

Following a degree in Architectural Design and a career in commercial graphic design, on retirement James Paddon took up documenting his family and community history through pencil rendered drawings. He has a number of of drawings in the Museum and recently presented another of a drawing of the historic Paddon Huronic Lodges, where he and his nine siblings were raised and that still stands today.

       James (Jim) Paddon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From James Paddon writing surrounding the Lodges:

“Originally built as the residences of the Zinkan, Cress Tannery at Port Elgin Beach circa 1873 when Rev. C.N. Paddon and his wife Susanna Cassidy Paddon purchased the residences, accessory buildings and most of the surrounding land circa 1917. 

By the early 1920s they began taking in tourists from throughout Southwestern Ontario arriving b y train and by car and the Huronic lodge became one of Port Elgin’s earliest accommodations for beach lovers complete with lodging and a full meal plan.

After extensive renovations and additions, the Lodges were expanded to include annexes in each of the two main residences, another two story structure referred to as Tye’s and a double unit called The Rainbow Cottages.

In 1935, the While House was taken over by their son Reg and his wife Helen and continued to operate as Huronic lodge until 1947 when it became the summer home of his older brother, Hillis ‘Paddy’ Paddon and wife Bernice.

Rev. C.N. Paddon and his wife, Susanna, continue to take in tourists into the early 1950s and then divided much of the surrounding land into cottage lots for their 10 children.” 

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Today, the Paddon ‘compound’ continues to thrive – now into its 6th generation, with the richness of a long family history that has been part of Port Elgin’s growth through the decades.

Paddon has also created drawing replicas and postcards based on the historic scenes of early Port Elgin that are available at the Bruce County Museum.

To view his historic drawings visit: Paddon drawings