Have you ever heard of Dinky-Dooley Island? Dinky-Dooley is an island in Mississippi Lake and nearby to Two Oaks Point and Aberdeen Island coming into the third or Middle Lake King’s Bay, extending from above the Two Oaks cottage shore to the cottages of Squaw Point. I still have no idea after reading all that, but the map tells me the tale above.
Aberdeen Island was bought and named in 1893 by *Colin Sinclair, son of John Sinclair who came to Scotch Corners in 1822. It was Colin Sinclair who started his Carleton Place tailoring business in the early 1850’s. Sinclair also bought King Island. In the days of the early settlers it was considered best to have one’s location near a body of water. The marshes were full of fur-bearing animals and they would use a row boat to set the traps and check them daily.
King island was named for Colin King of the 1822 Scotch Corners settlement and called King Point and King Island, according to the government map. The official names of the point at the Two Oaks Shore, and the island beside it is commonly called Dinkey Dooley around the Carleton Place area.
So where did the nickname Dinkey Dooley come about? The nickname Dinkey Dooley was for Bill Saunders and *Charlie Morphy who had a camp there. One Sunday evening the gang decided to invite all their friends to a stewed chicken dinner. “The chef”, who was one of their friends was told if you added a teaspoon or two of Worcestershire sauce to the mix it would have a distinctive and pleasant flavour.
Dinky Dooley Island– Mississippi Lake- 1907- Frabk Robertson standing in doorway at right- -Photo from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
Okay, that maybe makes some sense to me, but not a whole bottle as “the chef” was instructed to add hoping small tasty wonders would make up to larger delicious ones. So “the chef agreed” and the whole bottle promptly soaked the chicken.
When it was all said and done, not one of them could eat that chicken, and even after they left it outside in the freezing temperatures they still could not eat it. Rumour was the complete blame was placed upon “the chef” and he was promptly fired. In honour of Dinkey Dooley I’m making some Worcestershire Chicken tonight. Recipe below.
Karen Dorman —The “Dinky” part of Dinkey Dooley island was my grandfather Bill Saunders. My father was also called ‘Dinky’ as a kid.
Julia Waugh Guthrie It’s also a great place to acquire poison Ivy which many a person can attest too.
Wendy LeBlanc- When Brian Costello was Mayor, he often entertained visitors to town by taking them on a boat ride around Dinky Dooley Istand. He then presented them with a certificate marking the occasion and noting that Dinky Dooley is located (a little bit more or a little bit less!!) half way between the Equator and the North Pole. I am sure that CP was awarded the coveted 5-Bloom award from Communities in Bloom because Brian took the judges on one of those circumnavigation trips. When I was Mayor, I kept up the tradition and my most prestigious guest was none other than the American Embassy’s cultural affairs attache. She loved it and I am certain her framed certificate has a place of honour in her office!
Gail Sheen-MacDonald I too succumbed to the poison ivy of that wonderful island. We used to row from out cottage in Innisville to it. It was a great place to picnic and swim, but there were consequences.
In January I wrote about Black Point where many local citizens such as Alex Gillies and Peter Peden in 1878 drowned. According to Howard Morton Brown the first recorded drowning in the lake was that of a pioneer settler, John Code who was drowned near here in 1849. It seemed most of the drownings took place off this shore and were from boats capsized in the rice.
Ray Paquette– Some years ago, possibly in the late 1980’s, while living in Carleton Place I was involved in the 1st Carleton Place Boy Scout organization with Barry Grainger and the late Doug Smith. Doug, who was familiar with that part of Mississippi Lake, came up with an idea of approaching the owner of the island to see if the Scout troop could come to some arrangement that would allow the troop to use the island as a semi-permanent camping location for our troop. The owner’s name at that time was Mrs. Robertson. Her son was a colleague of mine serving in the military. Barry Grainger and I met with Mrs. Robertson, who lived in a duplex on Woodroffe Avenue in Ottawa, and came to an agreement, which her son fully supported, to use the island as a camping site for the 1st Carleton Place Boy Scout Troop. Shortly thereafter, I gave up my position as Chair of the 1st Carleton Place Group Committee and don’t know to what extent was made of the agreement made with Mrs. Robertson.
*Colin Sinclair
Excerpt from the book We Are the Dead by Larry Gray also available at the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum.
*Charles Edmond Morphy, 1875 – 1950
Charles Edmond Morphy was born in 1875, to James Morphy and Jane Morphy (born Willis).
James was born on January 31 1843, in Carleton Place On Canada.
Jane was born on July 21 1853, in Beckwith Township, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada.
Charles had 3 siblings: Emma Maude Warren (born Morphy) and 2 other siblings.
Charles married Sarah Ellen Morphy (born Alexander) on month day 1912, at age 37 at marriage place.
Sarah was born in 1876.
They had 3 children: Helene Morphy and 2 other children.
Charles passed away on month day 1950, at age 75 at death place
Photo John Armour
Dinkey Dooley Chicken
- 4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Place chicken breasts in a glass baking dish. Pour the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce over them. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
- Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the juices run clear. If using frozen chicken breasts, bake for 1 hour.
- Serve with rice
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