Historic Brunel Lift Locks

Historic Brunel Lift Locks. . , . This swing bridge replaced the 1879 lift bridge built to cross the new channel separating the sawmill and lumberyard from Brunel Road. The swing bridge was easier to operate than the original lift bridge. , . The S.S. Dortha began traveling through the Brunel Locks in 1906. She was rebuilt as the S.S. Ramona in 1909 and continued to use the locks until 1941. , . Nell Wolfenden, nee Amanda Ellen Hanes (b.1879 , d.1977), painted many pictures of early Huntsville. This scene of the locks was painted circa 1970 from a postcard scene of 1895 "Muskoka River above the Locks, Huntsville, Muskoka." , . Between 1881 and 1884 the locks were opened annually for between 262 to 369 steamships; 23 to 55 small boats; 10 to 16 scows and 2 to 19 cribs of logs, for an average of 378 annual openings. This photo appeared in the July 26, 1906 issue of the Huntsville Forester newspaper. , . The steamer "Northern" was the first ship to pass through the Brunel Locks in 1877. Here the S.S. Gem tug is waiting to enter the Fairy Lake side of the locks c. 1900. , . The first dam was built to run Fetterly's sawmill. This dam was replaced in 1877 by the Department of Public Works. The final concrete dam was built in 1931. A pier and boom was built on the Fairy Lake side in 1881 to guide the ships into the channel. A dyke was built on the Mary Lake side to prevent the river from filling in the channel in 1880. It now looks like part of the shoreline. , . This postcard, c. 1895, is one of the earliest known images of the dam and sawmill on the Fairy Lake side of the locks, , . The S.S. Joe was one of the many ships repaired while in dry docks at the locks, which often wintered here as well, c. 1918. , . John Fetterly built the first sawmill at the top of the rapids around 1873. By 1907 Benjamin Cottrill owned the sawmill which produced 10,000 ft. of lumber, shingles, siding and floor per day between 1920-1940. This longest operating, water-powered sawmill remained open until 1954. , . In this image, looking towards the dam, you can see the mills' swing bridge, as well as the horse barn and other buildings used in lumber operations next to Brunel Road on the right. , . The walls of the locks channel were repaired yearly for the first few years until they were reinforced by squared logs. The locks were rebuilt in 1890 and again in 1926. They were refaced with concrete in 1947. The current locks were reinforced with concrete in 1988 and reopened in 1989.