Mill History in Erin Village

Mill History in Erin Village. . , Welcome to the Village of Erin. As you can observe from the maps, the village is nestled in the valley of the West Credit River. Beginning in the 1820s, European settlers began to harness the power of the river to drive early mills. Erin prospered and developed into a thriving regional centre. Today, the West Credit River continues to play an important role in the health and prosperity of the local community. , For much of the 19th century it was water power that drove the machinery of Canada, sawing logs into lumber, grinding grain into flour and carding wool into spinnable fibres. Here in this small wooded valley, the West Credit River abruptly twists and drops, racing eastwards to hurtle over the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. And here, between 1828 and 1849, Daniel McMillan and his younger brothers, Charles and Hugh, seized their opportunity. Within 500 metres of this site the brothers would repair, design and construct three dams, three lengthy millraces and seven mills, thus establishing the new community of McMillan's Mills (renamed Erin after 1852). , Over time, the use of different energy sources, the need for costly new milling technology and shifting, declining markets all combined to silence the old water-driven mills. Remarkably, however, Mundell Lumber still used water power occasionally into the 1980s. Gradually the forests began to reclaim the once-bare valley, but the river environment had been adversely affected by 100 years of milling activity. , Today, with increased environmental awareness and through responsible land management practices, our community is working together to restore the original health and beauty of the West Credit River. , Although the power of the West Credit River is no longer harnessed for energy, it continues to contribute to the health and prosperity of Erin residents and visitors in other ways: supplying a source of fresh clean water, contributing to a multi-million dollar recreational fishery and providing a natural corridor for wildlife and habitat connectivity. We invite you to further investigate the West Credit River and its connection to Erin's milling history along the interpretive walking trail at the Woollen Mills Conservation Area. , [photo captions] , . Erin Village, 1906 , . Erin Village, 2007 , . Sources for all map data within Woolen Mills Conservation Area: Conservation Area boundary, and trail data provided by Credit Valley Conservation. Elevation and wooded area (forest) data provided by Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Land Use data based on The Town of Erin Official Plan. Cartography and sign layout by As the Crow Flies Cartography.

. Charles Street Dam (1825-1833) , . Charles Street Flume (1838) , . Oat Mill (1838) [later Mundell's Planing Mill (1896)] , . Woollen Mill Dam (1840) , . Woollen Mill Flume (1840) , . Woollen Mill (1840) , . Church Street Dam (1842-1844) , . Church Street Flume (1847-1849) , . Daniel McMillan's Grist Mill (1849)