St. Catharines in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Morningstar Mill - The Mills and Property

Photographed by Kevin Westell, July 12, 2026

1. Morningstar Mill - The Mills and Property - Marker

Inscription. Wilson Morningstar operated Mountain Mills from 1883 to 1933. In its ultimate development, the Mill had three turbines. One turbine ran the grist mill, another ran the saw mill, and the third ran a generator which powered a private electrical lighting system on the property. The turbine which powered the grist mill also ran an apple cider mill, a shoddy mill and a lathe.

Wilson's granddaughter, Lorna, recounts... "On the 3.6 acres of the property, there was more activity than just that at the saw mill and grist mill... across the stream where the saw mill stood was an orchard of apples, cherries, pears and peaches, and a large vegetable garden. [There was] a barn, where a team of horses, a cow, chickens and pigs were kept... [and] a workshop and blacksmith shop stood where the parking lot now is. Grandfather shod his own and the neighbours' horses, set wagon and buggy tires and performed many other tasks."

Quote from Memories of Morningstar Mill by Lorna Robson with Paul Hutchinson, Slabtown Press, St. Catharines, 1994

Erected by City of St. Catharines.

Topics. This historical marker is listed

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in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1883.

Location. 43° 6.601′ N, 79° 15.864′ W. Marker is in St. Catharines, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It can be reached from Decew Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2714 Decew Rd, St Catharines ON L0S 1E6, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe

and in Niagara Canada.

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: Morningstar Mill - The Barn (here, next to this marker); Morningstar Mill - Welcome (here, next to this marker); Morningstar Mill - The Blacksmith and Carpentry Shop (here, next to this marker); Morningstar Mill - The Sawmill (here, next to this marker); Morningstar Mill - Robert Chappell and Mountain Mills

Morningstar Mill Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kevin Westell, July 12, 2026

2. Morningstar Mill Museum

Photo faces north and north-west from the road. This marker (centre right, obscured) is one of 4 panels on the bridge from the parking lot to Morningstar Mill's flour mill. The dark red building on the left is the sawmill. In between, Beaverdams Creek has its waterfall into a gorge.

(a few steps from this marker); Morningstar Mill - John DeCou's Falls and Mills (a few steps from this marker); Morningstar Mill - Harvesting Ice (a few steps from this marker); Morningstar Mill - Later History (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Catharines.

More about this marker. Captions:
Left: Farmers waiting for their apples to be pressed into cider, circa 1905.
Right: Bags of flour leaving the mill, c. 1895

Credits. This page was last revised on July 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 12, 2026, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 12, 2026, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario.