Jimmy Logan - A Scots ex railway man who joined the merchant navy got off his Australia bound leaky ship in Simonstown, walked to Cape Town and got a job on the railways. This was 1876 and this lad was 19 years old. He become stationmaster at 20. By 21 he was married and superintendent up the line at Touws River. It was a bustling place connecting to diamond mines in Kimberley and later the gold mines of the Reef and there were not enough hotels and places to eat. There were no dining cars on trains so he spotted an opportunity.
He got himself a concession for railway refreshment rooms and a lease on the local hotel
He moved up the road to Matjiesfontein and built himself an empire with refreshment rooms, hotels and land.
During the Boer War this area there were 10000 British troops and 20000 horses stationed here and the hotel served as a military hospital
It developed into a victorian health and holiday resort for the wealthy but by the '20s Logan had died and it had lost its attraction. By the '50s it was run down and shabby.
Then along came David Rawdon - 1968 he bought the whole village - pumped a lot of money in and got the place back on its feet
It's basically a Victorian tourist attraction now
Dexter “I like the red bus and the pink house and the yellow museum. Have fun oh you little Nannies and Grandads” xxxxxxxxxxxx
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