Kitchener Public Library Digital Collections
Doon
Description
Mystery Question
Can you identify this once popular Waterloo County swimming spot?
[Please answer by clicking on the Comments tab]
Media Type
Image
Item Type
Photographs
Description
Black and white aerial view shows a section of the village of Doon, now part of Kitchener, Ontario. The view looks generally north. The Grand River is visible on the right and in the centre of the photo is a man-made pond that was known as Willow Lake. Some residences and other buildings are visible. As well, some rural roads are visible across the river and perhaps the Waterloo Pioneers Memorial Tower. Pinnacle Drive runs across the bottom of the photo, to the south of Willow Lake.

To the right of the lake, hidden by trees, is today's Old Mill Road and the stone remains of the old Doon mill beside Schneider Creek and close to the Grand River.
Notes
Doon was the name of an unincorporated village in the Township of Waterloo. The township ceased to exist after Jan. 1, 1973 when the Region of Waterloo was created. The Doon area then became part of the City of Kitchener. Willow Lake was a privately owned pond created when Schneider Creek was dammed just west of where it flows into the Grand River. In the years after 1930 the pond became a favourite swimming spot and several area residents rented summer cottages beside it on property owned by the Cluthe family. A 1968 storm badly damaged a gate on the dam and the waters of Willow Lake drained away. Today the lake site is a City of Kitchener property, called Willowlake Park.

Doon Mills, a large five-storey, water-powered grist mill, was built of stone in 1839 by Adam Ferrie, an early settler in the village. This mill was powered by water from the mill pond that decades later would become Willow Lake. It was destroyed by fire. Jacob Cluthe acquired the site in 1890. Today only a small corner of the stone mill structure remains.

The Waterloo Trust and Savings Co., a forerunner of today's TD Canada Trust, published annual calendars featuring photos of Waterloo County scenes taken by area photographers. This Doon photo was published in the firm's 1952 calendar.
Inscriptions
The word Doon has been inserted near the bottom of the image as part of the printed calendar. The back of the image has hand-written words: Waterloo Trust Scenic Calendar 1952.
Publisher
Waterloo Trust and Savings Co.
Place of Publication
Kitchener, Ontario
Date of Original
1952
Date Of Event
1952
Dimensions
Width: 10.1 cm
Height: 15.2 cm
Image Dimensions
Image Width: 9.5cm
Image Height: 15cm
Subject(s)
Aerial photographs
Calendars
Doon (Kitchener, Ont.)
Personal Name(s)
Cluthe, Jacob
Corporate Name(s)
Waterloo Trust and Savings Co. ; Doon Mills
Local identifier
P000683
Collection
Waterloo Historical Society
Language of Item
English
Geographic Coverage
  • Willow Lake, Doon:
    Doon
    Ontario, Canada
    Latitude: 43.3913740499161 Longitude: -80.4167150845337
Copyright Statement
Protected by copyright: Uses other than research or private study require the permission of the rightsholder(s). Responsibility for obtaining permissions and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Copyright Date
1952
Location of Original
PB4
Terms of Use
If you would like to obtain a digital or print copy of this image, please see KPL's Photographic Reproduction Policy at http://www.kpl.org/localhistory/photographs
Contact
Kitchener Public Library
Email:gsrphoto@kpl.org
Website:
http://www.kpl.org/localhistory

Agency street/mail address:

85 Queen North

Kitchener, ON N2H 2H1

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Doon


Black and white aerial view shows a section of the village of Doon, now part of Kitchener, Ontario. The view looks generally north. The Grand River is visible on the right and in the centre of the photo is a man-made pond that was known as Willow Lake. Some residences and other buildings are visible. As well, some rural roads are visible across the river and perhaps the Waterloo Pioneers Memorial Tower. Pinnacle Drive runs across the bottom of the photo, to the south of Willow Lake.

To the right of the lake, hidden by trees, is today's Old Mill Road and the stone remains of the old Doon mill beside Schneider Creek and close to the Grand River.