Coleman Hotel
Higginson McKinley opened a general store in this building in 1884 which was substantially enlarged to include a residence for his family; the business was later carried on by his son, Champion. Just after the First World War, Ray Hartley ran the store for a few years until it was purchased in 1925 by Robert Coleman and his wife, the former Mildred McAlonan. They went out of the grocery business and converted it into a tourist lodge catering to Americans who came here to fish. The store space was turned into a dining room for guest staying at the Hotel or renting cabins that they built on the property. It was known as The Colman Hotel for many years.
Gerry and Hazel Downs purchased it in the early ‘50s it was known for a short time as The Rideau Lake Inn and boasted modern rooms, cabins, reasonable rates, a la carte restaurant, home cooking, good fishing, boats, motors and guides as its attractions. They continued to cater to tourists and those who came to fish and also opened the dining room as a restaurant to the public. It became known as Gerry’s Motel and Diner.
The business was later sold and the main building and some of the cabins were converted into apartments.
