information on history of westwood lake area

[truebluetara]

I have been trying to find information about west wood lake I was hoping someone could fill me in about the creation of the lake and before it was a lake this subject facinates me immensley as I was told there is an old farm house or barn still in tacked at one end. If anyone knows or knows where I could find out more information please let me know

[riverrat]

I think there's a little kiosk at the lake, where the trail starts to go left (east) by the main parking lot.

I've heard about the intact farmhouse, too, submerged beneath the water somewhere along the south end of the lake. Lakes are so much creepier than (our kind of) rivers.

So, the lake's manmade, I guess. I found this here:

The Nanaimo Electric Light, Power and Heating Company operated a coal-powered electric plant in Nanaimo built in 1888, primarily for lighting streets and homes. In 1904, the company, then owned in Victoria, built a hydro-electric plant and dam on the Millstone River. In 1907, No. 2 dam was built at Westwood Lake.

The dam/plant mentioned on the Millstone was right down from where the White Spot is now - at Barsby Park, just up the Millstone/Millstream from the highway bridge.

[alas]

Found my previous findings from another post:

A BRIEF HISTORY
William J. Westwood settled the area in the 1860’s when
Westwood Lake was no more than a shallow marsh. Back then,
electrical power was generated near the mouth of the Millstone
River, but summer flows were insufficient to support the growing
city. In 1908, Westwood Lake was created when a dam was built
at the head of Darough Creek, to hold water during the winter
and release it during the summer. However, as more reliable
power sources arrived, the Millstone power plant was abandoned,
and in 1957, Westwood Lake was dedicated as a city park. The
many snags in the lake are a legacy of its creation, and a
reminder of the history of this area.
from: The City of Nanaimo website

[CHUBer]

the story goes that two brothers had a goat farm where the lake is now. one brother went into town, while the other stayed. he was chopping some wood and he hacked off one of his legs. had no way of getting to town because his brother had the truck. he started to go mad and didn't know what to do. he waited and waited. brother didn't return. so he took one of the goats, hacked off a leg and used it to replace his. when the brother returned to the farm the next day, he couldn't find his brother. (remember in those days town was a long way away) he found the leg but his brother was no where to be found. a few weeks later, unable to look after the place himself, the farm was sold so the area could become a reservoir. the mad brother - or his body - was never located, but ... to this very day, if you go swimming in Westwood lake and you feel something touching your leg ... it's the GOAT MAN of Westwood Lake!

Don't let this story scare you, boys and girls. I was told this when I was about 12 and almost believed it. really, almost. well, i ran home as fast as I could after hearing that story, hair on the back of my neck straight as a ruler. and i was never sure if something might touch my legs while swimming in the lake. the lady that told it was a great story teller, let me tell you.

put the facts together. there used to be a farm. Was it a goat farm?

does it make sense? if someone cut off their leg why wouldn't they use their own leg instead of a goat's leg? how did he managed to cut off his leg while chopping wood? one swipe of an axe by yourself wouldn't chop off your leg. how did he managed to hop around on one leg, blud gushing everywhere, and catch a nervous goat? how did he afix the goat leg to his stub? why did the brother never find a dead goat with only three legs?

i didn't ask questions when i was that young.

[grommet]

That was great! Thanks for the chuckle.....

[yogi bear]

Hi all,

Out walking the wundermutt today, decided to take a different route on our walk off Westwood lake trail...this would be on the bluff on the north end of the lake (see attached map) I came across the ruins of looked like once was a cabin, but I noticed a few of these heavy-duty wood and steel bolt chunks around the area too...anybody got any idea what the remains are? Maybe old sawmill? Or maybe just remains from the transmission lines, not too far away? Or maybe just some junk that someone took some effort to haul up there?

Just wondering : )
Al

[riverrat]

CHUBer, that was a great post.
The Goatman of Westwood Lake story supports my own misgivings about swimming in creepy lakes, too.

So, I guess those public beaches are all imported sand! Duh...never considered that.

And to Al, re ruins:

Pretty cool! I've never gone that way, though I'm tempted to every time I'm at the north end of that big bridge.

I like those, erm, wooden thingies with the bolts and stuff. Looks electrical, but I wouldn't know.