{"id":6831,"date":"2025-03-05T19:28:50","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T23:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.histoirederawdon.ca\/?p=6831"},"modified":"2026-04-28T06:26:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T10:26:09","slug":"les-moulins-sur-la-riviere-rouge-a-rawdon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.histoirederawdon.ca\/en\/les-moulins-sur-la-riviere-rouge-a-rawdon\/","title":{"rendered":"Mills on the Rouge River in Rawdon"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sawmills were a common sight in many villages across Quebec in the 19th century. The Township of Rawdon was no exception. Indeed, a sawmill built on the first range by Phil\u00e9mon Dugas and his partners marked the start of the township\u2019s development. Most of these mills were powered by water. The equipment consisted of a single reciprocating saw and a manual log-feeding mechanism. This equipment was housed in a building with a relatively simple structure. They produced planks and boards for the local market. The logs were sawn very slowly, and production rarely exceeded a few hundred planks or boards a day. For the most part, these mills operated part-time and on a seasonal basis. Often situated alongside a flour mill, these mills became the focal point of villages or emerging settlements.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Several mills have been built on the Rouge River in Rawdon township since its creation in 1799. The Rouge River crosses Rawdon township upstream from lot 28 of the eleventh range (bordering Saint-Alphonse) to what was lot 27 of the township\u2019s first range (now on the territory of Saint-Liguori).<\/p>

This article identifies five sites that were suitable for the construction and operation of mills on the Rouge River. For each of these sites, the article describes the people or families responsible for their construction and subsequent operation. Where available, various technical characteristics of these mills are provided.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Rouge River is the largest tributary of the Ouareau River. Its confluence is located in the municipality of Crabtree. Estimates by specialists (1, 2, 3) put the average flow at the outlet of Rawdon Lake at around 1.91 m\u00b3\/second. The flood flow is estimated at 7 m\u00b3\/second, while the flow during the low-water period (July to October) is assessed at only 0.7 m\u00b3\/second. These flows are ten times lower than those of the Ouareau River.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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There are a number of factors that influence the choice of a site for the construction of a water-powered mill. In simple terms, it must first be recalled that the power generated by the water varies according to flow rate and head. The chosen site must also facilitate the supply of raw materials (logs and grain) and have a customer base that needs the processed products (planks and flours). With the means of transport available at the time, it is highly likely that the first mills served a nearby territory.<\/p>

These five sites are presented from downstream to upstream, starting with the one located on Range 1 in Rawdon township.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Site no. 1 \u2014 Lot 24 \u2014 Range 1 \u2014 Dugas mills\u00a0<\/p>

Site no. 2 \u2013 Lot 20 \u2013 Range 4 \u2013 Burns \/ Bordeleau \/ Desrosiers \/ Breault Mill\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

Site no. 3 \u2014 Lots 18 and 19 \u2014 Range 5 \u2014 Dugas \/ Truesdell \/ Lord \/ Copping \/ Mason \/ Neveu mills<\/p>

Site no. 4 \u2014 Lot 22 \u2014 Range 7 \u2014 Hobbs \/ Bagnall \/ Munroe mills\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

Site no. 5 \u2014 Lot 28 \u2014 Range 10 \u2014 Desrochers \/ Cornellier \/ Mason mill<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mill sites on the Rouge river<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This screenshot comes from an interactive map, the Carte historique du Canton de Rawdon.\u00a0<\/em>Drawn using the\u00a0Umap\/Openstreetmap tool, it can be accessed\u00a0by clicking on this link<\/a><\/em>\u00a0. The red push pins identify the sites on the Rouge River.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Site no. 1 \u2014 Lot 24 \u2014 Range 1 \u2014 Dugas mills<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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These mills were located near Route 346 (\u201cMontcalm corner\u201d) and the Montcalm Golf Club.<\/p>

A genealogical study (4) of the first families to settle in Rawdon, conducted by Daniel Parkinson, reveals that the first rights of occupancy were issued to various immigrants having come mainly from Ireland.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Daniel Parkinson reports that a certain Joseph Dugas, an Acadian from Massachusetts, indicated in his application for a grant that he had been a resident of Rawdon township since 1816. The road he traced to his land provided the first access to the territory. His brother Phil\u00e9mon (sometimes identified as Phil\u00e9mon Firmin) followed him and, between 1816 and 1817, built a sawmill on lot 24 of Range 1.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/strong>In 1820, thirty families were granted the right to settle in Rawdon by government decree (Order in Council). Phil\u00e9mon Dugas obtained his ticket of location in November 1820. The site of this mill is shown on the map of Rawdon and Kildare townships prepared by Joseph Bouchette Junior, dated October 31, 1821.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Excerpt from the map of Rawdon and Kildare townships drawn by surveyor Joseph Bouchette Jr.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Dugas family<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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To build his mill, Phil\u00e9mon enlisted the help of Isaac Dugas and his brother-in-law Pierre Richard, married to Isaac\u2019s sister F\u00e9licit\u00e9. Alexandre Riopel tells us, in an article published in 2014 in Histoire Qu\u00e9bec<\/em>, that the grandfathers of Isaac and Phil\u00e9mon, two brothers named Joseph and Claude were millers at the flour mill on the Achigan River and the lower mill owned by the Sulpicians. Phil\u00e9mon, Isaac and Pierre formalized their partnership in February 1817. In the same notarial deed (5), Pierre Richard agreed to cede lot 24 to the partnership. This partnership was short-lived. In June 1817, the partners agreed (6) to dissolve the partnership and sell the mill and lot 24 to Phil\u00e9mon Dugas. The deed also transferred the right to place a millstone to grind grain in the sawmill. Phil\u00e9mon Dugas and his wife subsequently, that is, between March 1818 and March 1820, partnered with Martin S. Parker (7).<\/p>

Documentation presently available does not identify the person who sold lot 24 to Pierre Richard. There may have been other owners before Pierre Richard, but James Sawers, who died in 1813, was the first owner of this lot. He obtained 500 acres, that is, the northeastern half of lot 21, as well as lots 22 and 24 of Range 1, by letters patent dated July 13, 1799 (8).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

To this sawmill, Phil\u00e9mon added, a few years later, a flour mill (grist mill), so that by the 1825 census (9), he owned both mills. Daniel Parkinson points out that Mr. Dugas made considerable improvements to his facilities. His house measured 36 by 30 feet, while his mills were 32 by 66 feet. The flour mill had three sets of stones. Two of these were used to produce wheat flour for export. The other was used to produce oat flour. The sawmill had two sets of saws. A fire that occurred during the night of December 31, 1829 (10), destroyed Phil\u00e9mon Dugas\u2019s flour mill and sawmill, causing losses estimated at 1,500 pounds. The mill would, however, be rebuilt.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Family succession<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Meanwhile, the Phil\u00e9mon\/Firmin family grew, with the birth of at least nine daughters and one son. They also adopted John Copping, born around 1812 and still a minor at the time Phil\u00e9mon Dugas and his wife wrote their wills (11). The son, born on March 8, 1830, was named Firmin and was to take over the business. Phil\u00e9mon Dugas\u2019s extended family would also contribute to the operation of the mills. The eldest, Bibiane, took Zacharie Clouthier as her husband. Phil\u00e9mon\u2019s son by adoption, John Copping, first worked as an apprentice, then married Julie (1811-1872) in 1837. Adaline (1814-1873) married Daniel Truesdell in 1835. Finally, Anne (1822-1908) united her destiny with that of William Lord in 1846.<\/p>

According to Daniel Parkinson (12), it is plausible that Phil\u00e9mon Dugas remained the owner of these mills until his death on July 19, 1864. Very early on, however, Phil\u00e9mon\u2019s sons-in-law and sons played an active role in the operation of the mills in Rawdon and the surrounding area. The Copping family operated mills in Rawdon until the middle of the 20th century. The 1852 census mentioned that the flour mills then had a production capacity with four sets of stones....which suggests that the Dugas family operated mills on more than one site.<\/p>

A contract (13) drawn up before notary S. Ulric Brien dit Desrochers concerning a financial transaction (loan and mortgages) confirms the business relationship between Firmin Dugas, the son, and John Copping. In this contract, Firmin Dugas was identified as Esquire and bourgeois, while John Copping was identified as a miller. This deed also showed that Firmin Dugas owned lot 24 of Range 1 with the flour mill, while John Copping owned the southeast quarter of lot 18 of Range 5 with the sawmill and flour mill.<\/p>

Established as a Catholic parish in 1853 (March 16), Saint-Liguori received its civil recognition in 1880 (June 26). Lot 24 of Range 1 will be part of the territory of the Township of Rawdon annexed by decree dated May 9, 1854 to the parish of Saint-Liguori.\u00a0<\/p>

Firmin Dugas, the son, died suddenly on March 16, 1889, at the age of 59, such that the mill was abandoned while a succession involving several lots and minor children was settled. Jean Gagnon, a Saint-Liguori historian, continued the story as follows (14):<\/p>

\u201cLater, around 1900, the water power was sold by Louis Dugas, Member of the Provincial Parliament, son of Firmin, to his cousins Sam, Georges and William Lord; they completely rebuilt the two mills and dug a canal over a distance of 7 arpents (about 400 metres) to carry water from the Rouge River. The mills were back in operation by September 1902 (p. 22).<\/em><\/p>

\u00a0<\/em>\u201c...the corn and buckwheat flour mill was gradually abandoned, but the sawmill continued to run. It was sold to a man named Chicoine during the \u201cdepression,\u201d but he had to return it for lack of payment. Mr. Alcide L\u00e9vesque, the current owner, bought it from Georges Lord in 1938 (p. 138).\u201d [Translation]<\/em><\/p>

Jean Gagnon concluded by pointing out that, reportedly, this mill was still powered by water in the 1950s, produced an average of one million feet of wood per year and was in operation until the fire of 1976.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES<\/strong><\/p>

Lot 24 \u2013 Range 1<\/p>

46.0543\u2070 N 73.6859\u2070W <\/strong><\/p>

These approximate coordinates need to be validated by field surveys.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Site no. 2 \u2013 Lot 20 \u2013 Range 4 \u2013 Burns \/ Bordeleau \/ Desrosiers \/ Breault Mill <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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This sawmill was situated on Lot No. 20 of the fourth range in the township of Rawdon, placing it near the bridge crossing the Rouge River at the start of Chemin de Kildare close to Chemin Forest.<\/p>

The list of concessions available on the website of the Office of the Surveyor General of Quebec (see references) identifies the first owners of Lot No. 20. The north-western half (100 acres) was granted to George Copping, with letters patent issued on 18 December 1834. As for the south-eastern half (100 acres), it was granted to Patrick Byrne. The letters patent were issued on 22 May 1832.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A notarised deed signed before Ma\u00eetre Jules Bourgeois on 9 March 1871 records the sale of a plot of land on Lot 20, Range 4, including a sawmill on the Rouge River.<\/p>

This deed of sale between Archibald Burns and On\u00e9sime Bordeleau states that the plot measures \u2018one and a half arpents in width by two arpents in depth\u2019. It is bounded at the front, rear and north by the land of the seller, Archibald Burns, and on the other side by the Rouge River. The deed mentions that a house and a sawmill are built on the plots of land. The transaction also included two plots of land intended to provide access to the sawmill from the public road.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Archibald Burns states that he acquired this plot of land, \u2018on a larger scale\u2019 (he purchased a larger area than he is selling), from Patrick Burns by a deed drawn up before the notary Louis Joseph Riopel on 13 June 1866.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

In his book\u00a0Up to Rawdon (page 69),<\/em> Daniel Parkinson notes that over the years, various spellings \u2013 Burn, Burns, Byrn, Byrne, Byrnes and Byron \u2013 have been used to refer to this family from Rawdon. He also mentions that Patrick Burns is said to have had a son named Archibald, born on 12 August 1839. Although there is no conclusive evidence, it seems logical to regard the transaction between Patrick and Archibald Burns as a \u2018father-to-son\u2019 transfer. Archibald married Anna Maria Kyte on 9 April 1878. They had seven children. Archibald died in 1914 and Anna Maria in 1921. It has not, however, been possible to determine which of the two, Patrick or Archibald, built the mill.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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On\u00e9sime Bordeleau\u2019s mill was recorded in 1871. The information on file indicates that the mill was valued at $600, which was the price paid for it a few months earlier. It operated twelve months a year and required only one employee to run it. This person\u2019s annual wage was $96. Using water power and with a capacity of 25 HP, the mill was capable of sawing 400 logs per year, worth $200, and producing approximately 3,500 planks, worth $300.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

On\u00e9sime Bordeleau sold this mill on 25 August 1874 to Denis Desrosiers. The deed of sale was signed before Ma\u00eetre Ulric Brien dit Desrochers. The transaction included, in addition to the mill, a certain quantity of raw materials. It could have yielded a good profit for On\u00e9sime, with a sale price of $1,100. However, for unknown reasons, On\u00e9sime Bordeleau reclaimed the mill and had to sell it again. On 26 February 1879, he signed the sale of the mill to L\u00e9on Breault before Ma\u00eetre Jules Bourgeois for a price of $700.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

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The mill site\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Without a map showing the mill\u2019s precise location, it is difficult to determine the exact site of the mill on the south-eastern part of Lot 20, Range 4. However, given that the land in question comprises two acres and plots of land providing access to the mill from the public road, and assuming that this public road is Kildare Road, the mill is likely to have been built along the Rouge River, some 100 metres from Chemin de Kildare (Route 348).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Possible location \u2013 Burns \u2013 Bordeleau \u2013 Desrosiers \u2013 Breault Mill<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Further research should make it possible to pinpoint its location more accurately and determine what became of the mill.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Site no. 3 \u2014 Lots 18 and 19 \u2014 Range 5 \u2014 Dugas \/ Truesdell \/ Lord \/ Copping \/ Barrie \/ Mason \/ Barrie \/ Neveu mills <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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These mills were situated at various locations near the site now known as Mason Falls. Having been built and rebuilt on several occasions, the sawmills and flour mills at Mason Falls enjoyed a long history. \u00a0<\/p>

Recent data obtained from systematic research into notarial archives carried out by Guillaume Petit has made it possible to confirm various details and to reassess certain hypotheses regarding the presence of mills near Mason Falls.<\/p>

The 1851 census records indicated that Mr. Dugas then had two sawmills with five sets of saws and a flour mill with four sets of stones. He also enjoyed a privilege that gave him a monopoly on water mills on the Rouge River from lot 24 of Range 1 to lots 18 and 19 of Range 5.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Two sites at Mason Falls<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Additional documentation provided by Guillaume Petit and further details supplied by Daniel Parkinson indicate that, during the first half of the 19th century, two sawmills are believed to have operated side by side at the site that would later become known as Mason Falls. One of these mills was built on the south-eastern half of Lot 18, Range 5, whilst the other was built on the south-western half of Lot 19. Further details follow.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mills and privileges \u2014 Excerpt from the 1851 census<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mills and privileges<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Guillaume Petit stresses the importance of this question of privilege on his website. New information, obtained in February 2026 following Guillaume Petit\u2019s research, confirms that, by virtue of this privilege, Phil\u00e9mon Dugas owned mills at another location, which allowed him to achieve the declared production capacity. A more detailed technical analysis would likely demonstrate that the mill\u2019s location on Lot 24 did not have sufficient power to justify such a production capacity. However, one or more mills situated on Lots 18 and 19 of Range 5 could have had a much greater motive power. These lots correspond to a site known today as Mason Falls. The Holtby map supports this hypothesis, as the name Dugan (sic Dugas) appears as the owner of Lot 19 of Range 5.<\/p>

This new information also opens the door to another chapter in the history of the mills on Lots 18 and 19 of Range 5.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Before the Dugas<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Recent information now makes it possible to trace back the history of the township of Rawdon from its earliest days. The list of land grants (see reference no. 8) identifies the first people who obtained lots in the township of Rawdon. Four families obtained lots near Mason Falls, namely:<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Rang<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Lot<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Part<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Acres<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Land Grantee<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Date<\/strong><\/p>

(Letters patent)<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

5<\/p><\/td>

18<\/p><\/td>

\u00bd SouthEast<\/p><\/td>

100<\/p><\/td>

Solomon Cook<\/p><\/td>

May 22,1834<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

5<\/p><\/td>

18<\/p><\/td>

\u00bd NorthWest<\/p><\/td>

100<\/p><\/td>

Edward McGie<\/p><\/td>

February 4, 1825<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

5<\/p><\/td>

19<\/p><\/td>

\u00bd SouthWest<\/p><\/td>

100<\/p><\/td>

Jeremiah Pratt<\/p><\/td>

May 22,1834<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

5<\/p><\/td>

19<\/p><\/td>

\u00bd NorthEast<\/p><\/td>

100<\/p><\/td>

John Smiley<\/p><\/td>

January 19, 1832<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

\u00a0<\/p>

Daniel Parkinson\u2019s book entitled Up to Rawdon and its updates available on the book\u2019s website contain some information on these first families to live in Rawdon township. From this group, Jeremiah Pratt, a millwright, appears, at first glance, as the most likely to have been involved in the construction of a mill.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

The Holtby map, developed by the secretary-treasurer of the time, contains annotations identifying the owners of the different lots around 1845. From left to right and top to bottom, a hand-written inscription on the northwestern part of lot 18 could indicate the name of McGie, that is, the original owner of the lot. The southeastern part may have already been divided and belong to a person whose name is illegible. Another section of the southeastern part of this lot seems to indicate the word \u201cparsonage.\u201d It would therefore have belonged to the Anglican Church parsonage. As for the southwestern half of lot 19, it appears to have belonged to a person named Dugar ([sic] Dugas), while the northeastern half appears to still belong to John Smiley.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Excerpt from the Holtby map \u2014 lots 18 and 19 of Range 5\n\n\n<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nPhil\u00e9mon Dugas and the sawmills on lots 18 and 19 of Range 5\n\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Pratt-Dugas \/ Truesdell mill (<\/em>\u00bd<\/em><\/strong> SW, lot 19, Range 5)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

This information suggests that Phil\u00e9mon Dugas ([sic] Dugar), already the owner and operator of the mill on Range 1, acquired the southwestern part of lot 19 from Jeremiah Pratt in the years that followed the original land grant of May 1834 and installed a sawmill on this part. Different scenarios are possible (construction by Pratt and purchase by Dugas, purchase of the land and construction by Dugas, collaboration\/partnership Pratt-Dugas and repurchase by Phil\u00e9mon). Phil\u00e9mon is believed to have entrusted the operation of the mill to one of his sons-in-law, Daniel Truesdell, such that, in his journal, George Copping refers to the Truesdell mill.<\/p>

Daniel Parkinson cites the words of George Copping dated March 16, 1837:<\/p>

\u201cHenry took a log over to Mr. Truesdell\u2019s to be sawn.\u201d<\/em><\/p>

Other than the name of Jeremiah Pratt appearing in the list of land grants, it has not been possible to find any documentation to confirm these assumptions.\u00a0<\/p>

The Cook-Rood-Dugas \/ Truesdell mill (<\/em>\u00bd<\/strong> SE, lot 18, Range 5)<\/strong><\/p>

With regard to the southeastern half of lot 18, two contracts signed on August 29, 1844, and October 15, 1845, before Notary Joseph Dufresne and Notary Antoine Gauthier, respectively, contain much relevant information. The second deed of sale enabled Phil\u00e9mon Dugas and Daniel Truesdell (identified as lumber merchants) to jointly acquire the southeastern half of lot 18 on Range 5 (SE \u00bd, lot 18, R5) belonging to Josiah S. Rood (also identified as a lumber merchant) on which there was an English-style double sawmill. This land measured 100 acres. One-acre parcels had already been sold to other people, including Reverend Bourns (justifying the term \u201cparsonage\u201d on the Holtby map). The payment of this land, sold for 300 English pounds, was guaranteed by Phil\u00e9mon Dugas with a mortgage in favour of the seller on the half of lot 19 on Range 5. The deed of sale specified that this half lot included a mill, a house and other buildings.<\/p>

Josiah Rood had acquired this land by means of a contract signed in 1844 before Notary Joseph Dufresne. It has unfortunately not been possible to find a copy of this deed of sale. Although the names are crossed out, this property title signed before Notary Dufresne likely referred to a sale by Solomon Cook (the first holder of the letters patent) and Hiram Bateman (?).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Excerpt from the deed of sale signed before Notary Antoine Gauthier<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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This second mill was built between May 22, 1834, that is, the date on which the letters patent were obtained by Solomon Cook, and the date of the sale of this mill to Phil\u00e9mon Dugas and Daniel Truesdell (October 15, 1845). It was not built by Phil\u00e9mon Dugas, but the available information does not provide any indication of who did build this mill.<\/p>

As of October 1845, Phil\u00e9mon Dugas was therefore the owner of two sawmills located near the falls now known as Mason Falls.<\/p>

The 1851 census corroborates the fact that Daniel Truesdell operated his father-in-law\u2019s mills.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mills on lot 18 of Range 5 \u2014 Excerpt from the 1851 census<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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These two mills would remain the property of Phil\u00e9mon Dugas until 1853, when he published an advertisement in the Montreal Herald<\/em> newspaper issue of July 23, 1853, by which he put them up for sale with land measuring 170 acres, that is, the 100 acres of the southwestern part of lot 19 and some 70 acres remaining from the southeastern part of lot 18.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Location of these mills<\/em><\/p>

A map retrieved from the site of the Registry of the Surveyor General of Quebec delimiting the lots shows that the Rouge River runs through these lots 18 and 19 of Range 5 and crosses the line delimiting lot 18 from lot 19, all near the site of Mason Falls.<\/p>

The creation of the dam and then the \u201cbridge-dam\u201d on 3_<\/sup> Avenue changed the course of the Rouge River, such that additional information needs to be obtained to determine the exact location of these mills.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Map of lots 18 and 19 of Range 5 \u2013 Rawdon Township\n\n<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Dugas family ties<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Phil\u00e9mon Dugas therefore apparently entrusted the operation of these mills on lots 18 and 19 of Range 5 to one of his sons-in-law, Daniel Truesdell. Daniel Truesdell, as was mentioned earlier, married Adaline Dugas in 1835. The Commission de toponymie du Qu\u00e9bec (15) adds that, on March 23, 1853, Daniel Truesdell obtained a lot in the township of Chertsey. He built a sawmill in 1855, which he ceded to his son Daniel in 1871. Shortly before obtaining the lot in Chertsey, that is, on February 8, 1853 (act no. 1150 \u2013 Notary Jules Bourgeois), Daniel Truesdell ceded to his father-in-law, Phil\u00e9mon Dugas, the share that they had jointly purchased.<\/p>

On June 17, 1854, by act no. 1483 signed before Notary Jules Bourgeois, Phil\u00e9mon and his wife, Martha Edwards, ceded to William Lord, a mill builder, and John Copping, a master miller, their sons-in-law, the southeastern half of lot 18 on Range 5, on which a house and a sawmill were built, and the southwestern half of lot 19, on which a house and a double sawmill were built. John Copping then reportedly ceded the mills to his brother-in-law, William Lord (1817-1860), a millwright. A hand-drawn diagram of a part of the township of Rawdon inserted in the 1861 census associated these mills with Mr. Lord (see Lord\u2019s mills in the bottom right-hand corner of the map).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Diagram from the 1861 census<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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When William Lord died in 1860, John Copping apparently took back the mills that he reportedly gave as security (the southwestern quarter of lot 19 on Range 5) in different financial transactions conducted between 1860 and 1870.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Mason and Copping mills<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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After marrying Mary Copping (1841-1912) on April 9, 1861, Edward Mason obtained John Copping\u2019s mill. Edward Mason\u2019s name appeared in the 1871 census as the owner of a sawmill and a flour mill. This census provided details of the mills owned by Mr. Mason, mentioning that these mills were worth $1,200 each and declared powers of 20 HP for the flour mill and 10 HP for the sawmill. At that time, mill technology had evolved, and it then became possible to provide these installations with much greater motive power.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The invention of the radial\/circular saw blade around the mid-19th_<\/sup> century allowed for a substantial increase in the daily production of these mills.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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This circular saw blade was discovered by Maciej Zubek and his sister Agnieszka when they were exploring the waters of the Mason Falls in the 1980s. Young teenagers Maciej and Agnieszka, originally from Poland, were fascinated by the beauty of the land surrounding Mason Falls. Today, the blade has been entrusted to Elizabeth Chodkowski, a member of the board of directors of the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 d\u2019histoire de Rawdon.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Daniel Parkinson provided us with a little more information on Edward Mason. Born in Saint-Sulpice on September 11, 1829, he died on August 25, 1889, leaving Mary with 375 acres of land, two sawmills, a grist mill, a flour mill, several farmhouses with outbuildings, a house with outbuildings and a house in the village (Mason family documents, as quoted in the book Up to Rawdon<\/em>). This bequest corroborated the information that Edward Mason had acquired the sawmill located on lot 28 of Range 10 in Rawdon and having been owned by Jean Louis and Andr\u00e9 Brien Desrochers. Edward grew his business, such that the falls situated there now bear his name.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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From the Mason family to the beginnings of the tourism industry<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Heiress to the assets of Edward Mason, Mary Copping then ceded them to her son, James Mason, by an act dated September 24, 1890, signed before Notary Desaulniers. In the L\u2019\u00c9toile du Nord<\/em> newspaper, James Mason Jr. advertised that the Mason family property was for sale. This \u201cmagnificent\u201d property included 200 acres of land as well as sawmill and a flour mill. An article dated March 26, 1896, in the same newspaper reported that a fire had destroyed James C. Mason's sawmill and flour mill. The losses were estimated at $4,750 and covered by $2,700 in insurance. The mills were rebuilt.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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L\u2019\u00c9toile du Nord newspaper dated January 9, 1890<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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It was not possible to identify to whom and in what year James Mason sold his sawmill and flour mill. However, on April 14, 1908, Misa\u00ebl Neveu and William Barrie established the \u201cBarrie & Neveu\u201d company, and in so doing, pooled certain assets valued at $24,000. William Barrie contributed $12,000, including by making available to the company lot 19 of Range 5 with a sawmill and a flour mill, the machinery, a dam and the water power to operate everything. This company was short-lived, though, as on September 29, 1909, William Barrie sold the property with the mills to Misa\u00ebl Neveu and proceeded to dissolve the company, as recorded in a deed of sale signed before Notary C. G. H. Beaudoin._<\/sup> C. G. H. Beaudoin.<\/p>

Misa\u00ebl Neveu sold the mills on February 14, 1913, but continued to operate them until July 1914, as permitted in the deed of sale signed before Notary Gaspard-Alexis Archambault. With this transaction, these lands would be passed on to James Williamson Ross, a real estate developer, and would mark the beginnings of tourism in the township of Rawdon.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Location of the mills at Mason Falls<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The elements that helped determine the location of the mills included the content of the deed of sale by Misa\u00ebl Neveu to James Williamson Ross (act no. 8220 dated February 14, 1913) signed before Notary Archambault and two images: a painting by Sarah Alice Mason Copping and a photograph of Mason Falls.<\/p>

The deed of sale identified the land parcel that was the subject of the transaction as forming a part of lot number 19a (pt 19a) of the fifth range of the township of Rawdon and described the parcel as follows:<\/p>

A line starting at the west corner of the said lot number nineteen a (19 a),<\/p>