Dundas in Hamilton, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
“Dundas Mills”
Photographed by Tim Boyd
1. “Dundas Mills” Marker
By 1799 the Morden family had a sawmill near this site on Spencer Creek north of Dundas Street. They sold this property in 1800 to Edward Peer who built a grist-mill about 300 yards south-east, close to Dundas Street, and adopted the name "Dundas Mills”. Peer sold the property in 1804 to Richard and Samuel Hatt and a partner, but by 1807 Richard had become sole owner. Then or slightly earlier, Richard Hatt built north-west of Peer's grist-mill the tall, stone flour mill which stood near this site until 1968. The other mills were destroyed long before. The community of "Dundas Mills" became part of the town of Dundas in 1847.
Erected by Archaeological and Historic Sites Board, Department of Public Records and Archives of Ontario.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1799.
Location. 43° 15.751′ N, 79° 57.32′ W. Marker is in Hamilton, Ontario. It is in Dundas. It is at the intersection of Governor’s Road and Ogilvie Street when traveling west on Governor’s Road. The marker is in the historic Town of Dundas, now part of the City of Hamilton.
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Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe, in the Hamilton-Halton-Brant Area, and specifically in the Toronto Metropolitan Area. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Dundas Town Hall (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Punching and Shearing Machine c.1904 (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Boundary Stone of Richard Hatt c.1804 (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Stone Carriage Step c. 1860 (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Bertram Steam Hammer c. 1939 (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Gwyn Memorial Sundial 1927 (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Dundas Doctor's Office c.1848 (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Sir William Osler, Bart. (approx. 0.8 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hamilton.
Also see . . . Dictionary of Canadian Biography: Richard Hatt. In 1800 he purchased land for a flour-mill on the nearby Spencer Creek, three miles above its inlet to Coote’s Paradise. Here he established a milling complex, known as the Dundas Mills, that soon became the dominant enterprise at the Head of the Lake. By his death it included a distillery, a potashery, a general store, two sawmills, a coopery, a blacksmith shop, several farms, and numerous houses, storehouses, and other buildings. (Submitted on April 21, 2023, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)
Photographed by Tim Boyd, April 21, 2023
2. “Dundas Mills” Marker
April 21, 2023
3. The area of Dundas Mills in 1851 on the Marcus Smith map of the Town of Dundas.
Source: McMaster University archives.
4. Richard Hatt’s mill at Ogilvie and Governor’s Road, ca 1900.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 21, 2023, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 931 times since then and 68 times this year. Last updated on September 9, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 21, 2023, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
