In 1875 Robert Fuller was issued the first timber permit on Lake of the Woods. This permit included all islands on the lake north of Dawson Narrows and various mainland properties. The permit was transfered to John Mather in 1878 and the Keewatin Lumbering and Manufacturing Company who built the first of several sawmills in the area. Another seven mills were in this area within ten years after that.

At first White Pine and Red Pine were the trees that were cut, than with the opening of the Canadian Pacific Railway a new market was established. Lumber for bridges, trestles, station houses, railway ties for the track was necessary and this area supplied all the timber.

In the early 20's the focus shifted to supplying pulp and paper mills that sprang up in North Western Ontario. In 1924 the first load of newsprint rolled off the machines in Kenora bound for the United States. The mill in Kenora has changed ownership over the years, but still supplies quality paper and is Kenora's major full-time employer.

Steam travel on Lake of the Woods dates back to 1870 with the completion of the Dawson Trail. The trail being the only link to the west, the settlers going their had to go via the lake. The first steamer began operating in 1872 in Rainy River. It crossed the large, shallow body of water called Big Traverse to the Northwest Angle. It towed York boats with settlers and their luggage and this increased the efficiency along some dangerous sections of land and water. The Lady of the Lake was commissioned the following year by the Canadian Government of that time and was the third tug to ply these waters.

This type of travel (steam) grew fast during 1880 to 1889 as mining, lumber, and the fishing undustries were developed. Some boats were used to bring supplies to the camps, and return with loads of fish or log booms for the sawmills. With the growth in population around the lake it soon came to pass that leisure activities was a possibility and many of these steam boats also took people on excursions, and acted as a ferry service. These boats/ship ranged in size from 30 foot to a 150 foot (the Keenora) which boasted 22 staterooms and accommodate over 100 passengers. The last steamboat to ply Lake of the Woods was the Mather which was de-commissioned in 1960.

Commercial fishing began on Lake of the Woods first in Minnesota and at that time had no restrictions on the amount or species and type of equipment that could be used. Commerial fishing came into effect four years later on Canadian waters. who dropped their nets in the north section of the lake. Some restrictions were in place but not enough to curtail what eventually happened. That was the wholesale slaughter of the Sturgeon population.

Lake of the Woods was one of the world's top supplier's of caviar and from 1893 to 1894 some 1.5 million pounds (fish?) was sold. By 1900 however in the 1900's the amount had drastically decreased to a mere 60 thousand pounds and within 15 years later reduced to only a few thousand. Even today sturgeon have never made a come back.

This wholesale slaughter did not help the aboriginal peoples who depended on fish to a certain extent for their food and to employ those in their communities. Besides sturgeon these commercial fisherman caught whitefish, lake trout, suckers, perch, pike tullibee, ling-cod, and no doubt muskie, however harsher restrictions were in place by then to prevent the same fate as what happened to the Sturgeon.

Today, NO commercial fisherman are on Lake of the Woods. Canadian waters. You will see test nets put out by the MNR, and these give a rough idea how the populations of the lake are progressing or degressing. Shoal Lake, and everything below the first set of rapids at Ash Rapids has been closed for over 20 years. Once again, due to over harvesting, sports fishing, and greed.