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( EC ' fiefi'? at a :1) l fouls (1911 Davis Lock to 1900 Davis Lock is one of the _most untouched lock stations on the Rideau. Settlement in the area of the lock station has always been sparse - the lock staff and a few neivrâ€" O bouring farming families. About. m 1800, Walter Davis, an A.ericsn settler, arrived at Lot 9, Concession 2 in south Crosby Township. He erected a small sawmill described in an old source as a ‘orimitive stump mill'. (More complicated saw- ing operations were done in Ganonoque). Davis was the first settler in the entire region. His closest neighbour lived seven miles away in Bastard Townshi; according to an early history of Leeds 4 ,ounty. one story tells that when the family fire died out one evening, poor Davis had to walk r round trip of L5 miles to brinc back a new supply of l int COCLS. it seems unlikely though that the family did not own ; tinder box. The fiavis famil, consisted of one adopted son, “tom.s *ipley rd 3’ve“al “a ‘hte s. ipley 2 he ,4 sturx-- one if 137 here really ther women Sun? J o L. , Township of the Ueace =§lL some , "A ;_- w; m ..‘._..JL;'VV , , «â€" cantrao Jo, ' '3 :1 "Hui; 4-4 -_ an"; J .. H k. . . 2.9 id machine wheel to .e are of the lock , s rvers claimed that the machine was impressive but failed to ooerate. Iventual y, Eclever was Vired for mismanagement of his contract. hobert drummond, the cintractor at Kingston and drewcr's hills took over the work. By 1832, a eat little lock with one dam was ready to operate. John furcell, a stone mason, was agpointed as the k.:ster. He was supposed to have laid the first stone i '5 Lock. From 1:31 to 1857, oelheld the position until ne retired on the great sum of web a year. Hurcell was a friend of Peter oweeney, the leckmaster at Jones Falls, and took on Jweeney‘s son Tom, as a worker when his father would not keep him on the other lJCko Early maps and smetches of Davis Lock show that there were anywhere from ,hree to seven log buildings on the site. Three were probably occupied in the 1630's - one by the lockmaster, one by his heluer and the other by Davis Lockstation, 0 an unnamed larmer. during the l840's, a stone building was erected for the lockmzster's family. Like other lock houses it had gun slits and a tin roof. John Purcell was even given three muskets to defend the lockhouse in case of attack. However, nobody bothered to give him any ammunition. A small log watchhouse was also erected about t is time but disaopeared over the years like the other lag buildings at the lock. After 1657, Hurcell was reel; ed as lockmaster by John Johnston, a former lock worker from Smiths Walls. Johnston remained at oavis Lock for 1% years, out there is liotle information on him. In 1671, Alfred Foster, took over the locks. People began ,to cell the station ‘Foster‘s Locks‘ after a while. Foster seems t: have been a strong character. He was born in New- boro, the son of the lockmaster there. At the age of sixteen, he took over the Howboro Locks when his father died. a few years later, he was transferred to Davis Locks. when he first arrived, Easter had difficulties with a lockmdn who refused to obey orders. He promptly fired him. a few years later, he wrote a letter to the govern- ment complaining of his own low wages. He requested an increase of salary to 538 a month. Foster was even responsible for a law suit. In the 1880's, he accused local farmers of destroying he d m at Rock take. An investiga- tion was launched. When no in- :ormation could be found, one of the farmers sued for libel. foster left the lock in lo97. I have very little in- formation on the families near Davis lock at this time. Dick hahoney of dhaffey's Lock stated in an interview that his father, oennis, farmed and worked at the lock station in the late 1800's. a John deaver, husband of Kitty SWeeney, daughter of the lock- master at Jones Falls was also a lock worker about léSO. as well, the son of the first loclmister at ohaffey‘s, Nilliam Fleming married a Margaret Doyle and in 1870, built a house near Davis Locks. 'Captain Billy' was the captain of the 'D.C.West', one ;f the steambOats that travelled the dideau at that time. After 190 , a few cottages were added to the station and the chiracters changed but in aspearance the lock is very simili r to the way it was one hundred years ago. 1829â€"1832, by w. Clegg, PA( Page 3 Lockmaster Roger Gallerneault A Barrel of Gold Davis Lock is one of the few lock stations with a legend. There are at least five different versions - all about buried treasure. dith tne price of gold going up, it might be a good idea to take a bulldozer to Davis LOCK and start digging. One legend claims that Lr. Davis, the original land- owner, buried the money he received for his property, somewhere near the lock sta- tiOn. he HieQ before he could tell anyone where it was buried. another version states that the money was in a keg sent to gay the men building the lock. It was supposedly stolen by one of the workmen who died of mal- aria, uithout disclosing the hiding )lace of the gold coin Two of these stories involve darrel Joint on Lake Ooinicon. dome say a barrel of gold was buried on this point and that is n;w it got its name. nnother story involves pirates and a man caSting the gold overboard in the area of the point. and - according to one old timer - American businessmen during the depression actuafl, launched a business venture to find this legendary treasxe. yfl’