Places of Interest
Foresters Falls Village Self-guided Tour
Welcome to Forester’s Falls. The first non-indigenous settlers began to arrive in these parts not long after the American Revolution in 1776. A Scot named James Ross established the local Township, which he named after himself, of course. So no, the falls and the village are not named for the loggers who played such a large part of the local economy, but for pioneer, Oliver Forester. He built his mill at the falls about 1840, and became the first village postmaster a couple of years later.
Below are some of the interesting places in our village.
Bell Store
Elliott’s Quarry
The Williams’ Stopping Place, Foresters Falls
When the lumbermen from the Shawville area were on their way to the lumber camps they found that a days journey from their home was about Foresters Falls, and a good place to stay for the night was at the Williams Stopping Place.
The Old Grist Mill, Foresters Falls
This mill was built in 1888 by William McLeese, an early settler and millwright.
The Grant Settlement Self-guided Tour
The Old Railway Bridge, Millers Corners
The Gibson Lake watershed creek ran through Foresters Falls and on to the Ottawa River. It was later called McNaughton’s Creek after Mr. McNaughton, a surveyor at that time.
Sawmill Creek
Laughlin Curry, son of George Curry and Catherine Mathieson built a sawmill on Sawmill Creek near Foresters Falls in what is known as Grant Settlement.
The Jamieson Lime Kiln
Lime was an important item in the building trades as it was used in every type of mortar for brick and stone wall construction. The lime was hauled to Pembroke with a tandem team of Clydesdales and a huge wagon filled with lime.
The Carding Mill
Farmers brought their sheep’s wool to be carded and made into small rolls to be spun with spinning wheels into yarn from which they made clothing. Often wool was brought back to the mill for dyeing and home woven flannel was brought back for fulling.
The Old Ottawa River Settlement
The age of this community is not known but it is thought to predate European intrusion. Access from the shoreline to the open field is quite good and there are signs of minor excavation and earth workings around. There is also much poison Ivy, testament to man’s continued usage. Access to this area is by kind permission of Wilderness Tours.
The Canal Slides
On the Ottawa River in the McLaren settlement, about a mile or so north of where the present hydro dam is located and about the turn of the century was what was called the McLaren slides on the Ottawa River.
The McLaren slides were about 50 or 60 feet wide and about 200 feet long with a steep incline on the bottom. Bunches of square timber of 25 pieces were bound together and steered toward these slides and went through the slides with a steep incline at a tremendous speed.
Cobden and Places of Interest
The Cobden Sun building, Cobden
On February 21, 1913, the Cobden Sun was destroyed in a fire that destroyed an entire block of businesses along Main Street.
The Sun was resurrected in 1918. The printing office on Crawford Street was demolished in 1989 and replaced with a new building for editing, as printing was no longer done at this site.
The Bennett family “Toronto” Windmill
This is a “Toronto” windmill, a name brand which was popular at the turn of the last century. It was used by Joseph Bennett on his farm at Foresters Falls.
Westmeath and Region Places of Interest
St Mary’s Church, Westmeath
Nestled in the small village of Westmeath along the historic Ottawa River, St Mary’s is Gods house to a few dedicated residents. It was built in 1898, completed and dedicated on January 8, 1899.
The Lookout, Lookout Road
The simple octagonal lookout building, set on a small elevation high above the winding road near Prettie’s Hill was designed Mr. Wright’s youngest son, John.
Beachburg
The Beachburg Agricultural Hall
Nestled within the small quaint community of Beachburg, Heritage Hall has graced the fair grounds since 1931 on land donated by Joseph Beach, a descendent of the Founder of Beachburg.