Carruthers Creek (Canada)
The Carruthers Creek is a stream in the Durham Region of Ontario, Canada. Its watershed lies within the boundaries of Pickering and Ajax. Etymology The stream is named after Richard Carruthers (1819-1887), an English immigrant from Cumberland, whose family owned 202 acres along the banks of the Creek. Carruthers, a farmer, purchased Lots 4 and 5 on Concession Road 1 in January 1856 and September 1862, and the land remained in his family until at least the 1940s. It is remarkable that the stream is named after him, because his family was not the earliest, the wealthiest or the most prominent landowner in the region. History The Carruthers Creek watershed includes 32 archaeological sites, 24 of which are identified with indigenous peoples, 7 with European settlers, and 1 of uncertain origin. Of the indigenous sites, 5 belong to Archaic period, 2 belong to Woodland period, and 17 are of undetermined date. The five Archaic period sites, dated 7000-1000 BCE, are all located inland, and are marked by discovery of chert (flint) tools and flakes. The discoveries do not provide much information other than suggesting that the indigenous people hunted and camped in the Carruthers Creek watershed. It was common for