Mill Creek Historical Walking Tour
By Norman Austin and Ed Kostuik
The following walking tour was developed as a
result of a summer student project, in 1996, to make a walking/hiking trail
along the shores of Lake Temiskaming that would link the downtown boardwalk
along the harbour to Devil's Rock and Buvke Park. The history along Mill Creek
is important to the early development of the area. C.C.Farr operated a saw mill
on Mill Creek that provided lumber for most of the early buildings in town and
the trail provided a connection between North Cobalt and Haileybury. The
Haileybury Heritage Museum hopes to have a walking tour booklet developed this
summer that visitors and local residents can pick up at the Museum and use it to
spend a leisurely afternoon exploring some of Temiskaming's past. From the
bottom of Albert Street, turn south on second road till it turns east. About 300
ft to the west there is the #1. "Old Clay Pit" or place where earth was taken to
make bricks for buildings in Haileybury after the Great Fire of 1922. The name
of the brick factory was the Ontario Brick Company. A.J. Murphy owned the
factory which was situated in what was then called Lawlortown. Remnants of the
factory were still around until the Town of Haileybury decided to make a
Centennial Park. The bricks were then picked up and discarded.
Following along the road east, you come to the lake; Turn right to cross a
creek and continue up the hill to the south. Just about at the top of the hill
there is a road that takes you west into the area of the #2. "Original
Haileybury Cemetery". It had been upgraded and a number of headstones have been
placed in a circular shaped cairn. There are still a number of unaccountable
stones in the surrounding area.
Travel along the road to the west and you come to #3."Mill Creek". that
originally had a bridge across it which took you to the easterly extension of
North Cobalt's Lakeview Avenue and to what is now called "Proctor's". The old
Argyle Mine on Lake Temiskaming is situated near this location. Coming back to
Mill Creek, the footings for the #4. "Bridge" were in evidence a few years ago.
Travelling southwest along the creek about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile brings you to
the #5."Head Pond" where logs were kept to supply #6."C.C.Farr's Mill" which
made the lumber for the building of the Town of Haileybury. After walking west,
turn south to where the elevation rises and to a series of rapids. It was on
these rapids that a #7."Log chute" was built. It was approximately 6 feet wide
and 200 feet long. Remnants of it can still be noticed along the bank of the
creek. Continue to follow the creek north, cross the South Lorrain Road and you
will come up where #8."St. Joseph's Boys Collage used to be.
Return east to the mouth of the creek were, at the head of the rapids, the
ground here levels off. Travelling south from Mill Creek (Farr Creek) on an old
roadway, is a scenic walk along the escarpment which ends at rhe #9."Argyle
Mine". Continue south along the escarpment brings you to #10. "Bucke Park".
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