Travelling on the Waterways

Most local lakes had shared usage boats. Riven’s Lake, Horn’s Lake, Joe’s Lake, Clayton  and Taylor Lakes were known to have such vessels tied up to a tree on the shore waiting for the next person needing transportation across a body of water. Joe Baye was known to keep a few boats on the point where he lived for fishermen to rent. 

rowboat made by Joe Baye who lived on the shore of Taylor Lake

​According to Donald McNichol, when tall pine were abundant in the area, a boat would be made from a single pine log twenty six and a half feet long  and two feet four inches wide
It would be hollowed out with ends roughly hewed to resemble the bow and stern of an Indigenous bark canoe

This dugout boat was used by Jim McKay in the late 1800's at Samuel Lake. ​

​Dugout found in Clayton Lake in 2015 in the vicinity of the Joe Baye Trail

map showing where the dugout boat was found in Clayton Lake in the vicinity of the Joe Baye Trail

map of Lanark Township showing locations of Taylor and Mud Lakes

The Middleville and District Museum displays a dugout canoe made of basswood by Wallace Campbell in the early 1900’s. He trapped muskrat, fisher and mink on Campbell’s Creek as it made its way across his farm on its way to Mud Lake.

dug out canoe made by Wallace Cambell in the early 1900's

​One method of keeping mosquitoes at bay according to James McInnes was to cut four strips of cedar bark about three feet wide and bind these with three alder withes
Light one end with a match and then the bundle would be placed in the bow of the boat with the lighted end protruding just inches above the water’s surface. The bark smoldered slowly with fragrant smoke wafting over the canoe to discourage mosquitoes 

metal cresset used for holding pine knots lit on fire to provide light for night time fishing

A ​Cresset was an metal basket structure on a pole that could be attached to end of a boat or to a tree on shore Fishermen would light pine knots on fire in the Cresset to improve their visibility at night and also attract the fish. 

Be sure to drop by the Middleville and District Museum to view these relics of the local waterways.