The Multi at the Mill Multi-cache
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(regular)
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This is a 6-stage, multi-cache that will give you the opportunity to visit the O’Hara Mill Homestead Conservation Area, near Madoc, Ontario (visit link) The stages must be done in order, as each stage will give you the coordinates to the next. Additionally, at each of FOUR stages (stages 2, 3, 4 & 5) you will receive PART of the coordinates to the FINAL cache (in order; assume N44 and W77).
The final cache is along a loop trail which is a combination of “The Lois Wishart Way” (named after a long-time supporter of O’Hara Mill) and the McEathron Trail. The loop begins behind the Visitor Information Centre, near a sign with an arrow that says "Walking Trail". Follow the red trail markers. After crossing the creek (the first time), you will take the right-hand branch of the trail (newly re-named the "McEathron Trail" - dark green trail markings). This scenic trail will loop you back around to the Lois Wishart Way and on to the parking lot, so do all the exploring you want before setting off on the final leg of your journey! Please stick to the trail (it is very well-marked). *** The spring waters can be quite high, so please be aware that you may have to retrace your steps depending on the height of the water in the creek!
Final cache container is a regular-sized twist-top, and contains the usual starter swag, a log book with pencil, (3) TB’s to start, and a treat for the FTF. Any spoiler pics or logs will be removed by the cache owner. Please remember to trade even or trade up, and practice “Cache In, Trash Out”! There are ponds and streams on-site, so please WATCH KIDS CAREFULLY! There are over 5kms of trails, a rich history, and several picnic benches in the area, so bring your lunch and spend the day! Enjoy this wonderful little gem, and HAPPY CACHING!
*** CONGRATULATIONS to kayakers2 on the FTF on a misty moist morning!!! ***
** Please note: The coordinates for the 2nd stage may be approximately 8m (25 ft) off due to large tree coverage overhead. If you are having difficulty, please use the clue!
O’Hara Mill Conservation Area
Where nature… meets history.
Step back and experience the life and times of the early settlers in Hastings County…. in a setting of natural beauty.
NATURE
SEVEN walking trails meander through this 34-hectare site. The variety of trails allow you to explore floodplain, stream, and wooded upland habitats. A picnic shelter is provided near the mill pond. The short trail follows Deer Creek from the sawmill to the service road just south of the O’Hara homestead. Chance encounters with rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks abound, as do opportunities for birding in this charming historical setting …
Trail maps can be found on the front porch of the Visitor's Centre, or downloaded from the link on the O'Hara Mill website: (visit link)
Please remember when out on the trails: Cache IN - Trash OUT!
…where nature meets history.
HISTORY
James O’Hara, later called “Squire”, was 21 when he married Mary Healey. In a ledger entry dated July 30, 1877 he noted, “it is 54 years to the day since I arrived in Madoc.” Mary, James and four-year-old Elizabeth arrived in Madoc Township in the summer of 1823. Once the family settled, they planted strong roots and never moved again. In a few months Harriet would be born and three years later, James O’Hara Jr.
One of the founding families of the Madoc community, their buildings and properties were passed through the years from children to grandchildren over a span of four generations.
Constructed in 1848, the O’Hara farmhouse was built by James O’Hara and his brother-in-law, Ben Lear. The house illustrates the evolution of a pioneer homestead from it’s more primative stages, to the elegance of Victorian Canada and then later in 1938 to a modern day house complete with electricity.
In May of 1850, James O’Hara Sr. and his son James O’Hara Jr. entered into a partnership. The father agreed to erect and build a saw mill, while the son agreed to supply the site with timber as well as water privileges. This was the beginning of the O’Hara Mill.
Although, the partnership was to lapse after twenty years, the mill continued to cut and - sell lumber up until 1908, some fifty-eight years later.
The O’Hara sawmill was a typical small country mill. It employed an ‘English Gate’ or ‘Frame Saw’ technology in which a massive wooden frame stretched the saw blade taut while both the frame and blade were driven up and down by water power. Water also powered the log carriage towards the moving blade. Located on its original site, the mill illustrates the first technological advance over the “two man pit saw”, a saw that was labour intensive and very uncomfortable for the sawyer in the pit. The saw is reputed to be the only such water powered ‘Frame Saw’ left in Ontario.
The saw mill and the house were but two of the buildings on the farm. As many as nine outbuildings dotted the farm landscape, mostly to house livestock, machinery and hay.
In 1954, the Moira River Conservation Authority (Quinte Conservation) purchased the mill and the adjoining land. A park was developed and enlarged in 1965, when the homestead was purchased from Minnie O’Hara Maines.
To this day, five of the original buildings; the farmhouse, sawmill, carriage-house, shed and woodworking shop remain in a restored condition, thanks to numerous volunteer hours and generous donations from individuals and businesses in and around the community.
Since 1965 the pioneer village has expanded with the addition of relocated buildings from the surrounding area. A log cabin originally located at the Sheffield Conservation Area, now houses a blacksmith’s shop. An original schoolhouse dating back to 1861 was relocated on the site from Elzevir Township. The latest addition to the area is a rebuilt log house (erected on the site of the original homestead), cerca 1850.
O’Hara Mill Homestead and Conservation Area is a local treasure. It is an opportunity to relive the day to day hardships and rewards of early pioneer life in Ontario.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[Stage 1] – fvta onpx
[Stage 2] – guvf puvc bss gur byq OYBPX zvtug ernyyl PENPX lbh HC!
[Stage 3] – guvf bar zhfg’ir orra cnffrq bire sbe gur zvyy n ebggvat ybat gvzr ntb
[Stage 4] – zntargvpnyyl raretvmrq
[Stage 5] – abg gur FPUBBY ubhfr!
[Stage 6 / FINAL] – orgjrra n ebpx naq n …