535-03 Page 36Early
Milling Days
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The mill shown here was razed in 1951, destroying the lost real link with the milling
'days of Centreville. The villoge'at one time was an active milling centre, as told
below by M. E. Cropp. g�
eek Mouth at Centreville Popular
ite for Mills in Early Oxford. Day
W,_7k
M. E. Cropp Westbrook, who left the coun- replaced by cast iron and str
which flows Into the try at the beginning of the war, pipes. When the mill was razed
Thames River at Centreville has to join the Americans, led a raid- 1951 this piping was taken. up an
one of the longest histories of rug party up the Thames In, 1814 used to pump water up from th
g and burned the mill. For several quarry floor which is 90 feet belo
milling in Oxford County.
In 1806 James Burdick built a yearn there was no mill operating the surface. This pipe was on
in Oxford County. A small.. house finally brought out from Ingerao
grist and sawmill 16 feet square Onnewstands on the site of the mill.' in hundred foot lengths on wagon
lot 15, concession 1, south of Cen- The Village of Centreville, hal
treville. The outline of the old - Earlier Mr114 way between Ingersoll and Beach
mill pond may still be traced. This In the registry office in Wood- ville, Is located on what is know
mill was sold to Andrew Westbrook stock is an old registry book which locally as Reynold's Creek. M
m 1810, and was the only mill op- mentions what may have been an Reynolds once owned the farm no
lerating in Oxford County at the even earlier mill. In 1809 the occupied by James Heeney, an
time of the War of 1812-14. boundary line of a certain lot in some land and a house on th
Centreville is described as starting north side of the road near th
"at the old grist mill, still stand- creek.
Ing." - Gazette Picture
On a map of Oxford County, In 1862 Centreville is describe
more than III years old, there is in Sutherland's Oxford Gazette
.Ys�j" '19PYY" a mill site marked just at the follows:
mouth of the creek, which has dis- "Centreville is a small villa
appeared with the digging of the ... on the London and Hamilto
new river bed. A few people can road, which passes through it.
5Wy 5"j��,."' �N ' J „f JJ remember the remnants of this contains a tannery, flouring mil
p,D� mill. Im 1890 one could still see the brick yard and two blacksmit
Pi#'Sy •�W.� axle of the power wheel. This was shops. Its post office address
o� fastened to the west aide of the Ingersoll. Population about 100."
µ�'"t0,�• W S �' 4 channel. It is believed that this Mr. Ayers owned the brick yar
�'✓ v: d" mill was destroyed by a flood. Alex Bain the -flour mill, with O
Bain his miller. Andrew Carrie
Williamson Mill
When the old Williamsoxl`. mill, and blaCo.cksmiths
were tanners and currier
jpictured above, was bought b,"he The blacksmiths were r S. Wake
Chemical Lime Company in 19 to James Fish
had
and Robert Walto
John rs had a jobbing shop. T
}�'••.,� be used as a hydrator, an of ac- tanners were Sam Hopkins, Job
�� V +N , ,;.✓�Q count book was found in it of- Meyers and William Roberts. Wi
p✓ lAf µ„pw Gr" - fice with entries dating to '.829. Item Sharp and Charles Thom
It is known that the property be- were curriers, and Thomas McLe
longed prior to the Rebellion of a well digger.
1837-8 to a man named Burtch, who Other family names were Ame
a .3 joined the rebels and had to flee mans, Clark, Cross, Fowler, Ha
the country. The Williamson dim ris, Hemmer, Hopkins, - Johnston
N1 ✓'r r 1b, in the cedars and the Williamson
M" I u,f Lewes, McNaimes,rds, MossSmith
and Stein
41e $' �� t , however, were not built until Phelps, Rrcl a de, Smith and 5ton
P• �, a latter 1880's. They were built'house. jy Robert Williamson, and his son K t�
and grandson, succeeded him. Rob-
qus lert Williamson built a plaujS_ n- �'�
.i, -from the pond to the mill
_
AY the race of the century this was W�7�
Or
rill The Old Rail Fence
] aIity of
"Gone are the days when our any
s Fier-aIe the old rail�l
hearts were young and gay fenee might to if that were poss-I
I —days of the straight and snake ible. "Cradling Contests" were the
rail fence, the brush fence the order of the day when two stout
pine stump fence and the field men each would claim to be
stone fence. These were some visi- the cradling champion of the ASSESSED VALI
ble signs of the labors of the early' same district. The location chosen
settlers as they went about the bus- —usually a ten -acre wheat field-1
1 iness of clearing the land prior to the master of ceremonies would 9 10 I r
its cultivation through the years of (divide that field, give instructions
the early eighteen hundreds in and the contestwas. on. We remem- vane
Ontario. The present day biller of her hearing of one such contest; v E vane or Total Value Person
the- soil mayhap thinks his labors our hero was Joe and his opponent, 'o. coon Parcel of Real Prope
are hard and unrewarding but they 'Jim. The latter had a longer reach Io ro Perfop e v Property other ti
mr
are not. to be compared. to those of but Joe had
a side swing giving an
the pioneers and the generation : extra six inches or so. As long as,i
following. The days we are re- I he kept within reasonable distance
calling are those of the ox-team, . of hie competitor. he could expect
the "cradle" and the hand -flail. To I. to end the day a swath or two
these people, the tree was an enemy ahead .However, yellow -jackets
for the land of necessity had to be soon changes in
and Joe had
cleared before crops could be sown, stirred up a nest bf them. He was
There was more wood than could be stung, of course but little matter.
used in the old box stove even the Before those insects settled back
ugh heaps of it would be used in Joe had losb half a swath and b
1 the below zero winters —those were things looked dark unless the same
' the times when the snow would pile happened to Jim but no such luck. e
. up in drifts fet deep making it I Before setting back to work after
difficult at times to leave the the lunch period, Joe removed his'(
homestead, when even. the ox-team toppers as the perspiration was'
would balls and at first opportunity making them quite uncomfortable r
back -track if. a yoke -pin worked _ and also he had raised a blister on I
i free, and a whip at times, like these the heel. The leaving behind of his
might just as well be a stalk of tiro- shoes was almost the thing that
othy. put Joe out of the race. Those who
Returning to the story, however; have cradled will know that a lot of
the trees were felled and hauled straggling straws gather about the[
to . the clearing with logging chain ankles for a man dosen't step. high
and then the stumps were rudely at that job. On one of his trips ac-
torn out using the ox and chain. ross the field he felt as if a whole ,
They were mighty beasts, those sheaf was dragging at each beel.
oxen, and a team could move most He'd give a kick but the straw
anything. What wood was unused'. wouldn't let loose. Stooping he gave
for firewood was cut into lengths, a pull. WOW! Enstead of straw,
the bark peeled and the log split to there were two big grass snakes,
S make fence rails. one an each foot fastened with
"On the farm were many tree- fanngs into his thick wool socks.
sure& —things that we boys I His yell could be heard two miles
held most dear, away, they say and he was of£ ac-
Meadows., orchards, creek, and Toss that field like a young cow
woodland and the spring that being chased by a collie in the corn -
flowed so
clear; field. Of all creeping and crawling
And about them all, a wooden thing.t<. he sure had little love fort
Bwall, where £lowers and weeds snakes. The crowd, including Jim,
11 grew dense, thought the heat had hit Joe and'
s• Stoo-d the pioneer'srough pall- all ran to see what they could. do.
f sad'e, the homely old rail- Well, the snakes were taken care of j
g. fence." quickly and then the crowd all [
n, The type of wood in those days laughed so hard that for a time it
r• made little difference so far as seemed as though some would split[
w fencing was concerened. Walnut .wide open.. This so riled Joe to -I
d , rai'I-fence was. not unheard of nor [ gether with the fact that he had
e fences made of oak, maple ,hickory I made such a show that he tools up
e rack elm and other valuable timber • his cradle and to make a long story
We've understood that the old tim- short, before Jim could' gather him-!
ers were wood butchers and that self together the lead was almost
d they had little reference for a tree, [ cut completely and Joe trimmed y
as howeve r magnificently proper— him by a full swath despite snakes
tioned.It would be well to remem- or insects.
ge bee that in pioneer times those To this day are still to be seen
n early 'settlers had little time to be the remains of some of those rail -
it sentimental —the 'bigger their clea- fences; some are in excellent repair
1 rings the more their young families but others are poor examples of !
h had of the necessities of life. the pioneer's work. Certaily they
In time, the rail fence enclosed were much more scenic than the
16 I the hay and grain fields. These wire fences of today. Would' it not
d were rough and they were mowed be well to preserve these as they
with scythes for mowing machines would keep in mind more vividly I ,
, were unheard of then, and a self- the struggles of those early
k propelled combine —well! It inust ettlers7—Ontario Road Bulletin.
a• have been a sight to see strong men —_--
el, with scythes amputating grass and
n• stirring up bumble -bees at. every/ //,Wes„ Xiw
he swish. The cool grey water jug with 0"S , ¢ /V
n sweating sides was placed. in the ' �/
I- shade. And the water jug was not � - "`"A�n f 9 4 ref
a9 the only sweating body in that
od field. iyp, Gw�. I7.'- 19 s S. (A) e wtj- o•w
The old-timers, will also remem-,
r- her seeing the golden grain being
r- laid low with cradles being swung
a,. by husky men. A ten acre wheat tv�••e ,I,o 'irU•^^ '
4 field gently undulated under sum-
e- mer zephyrs in the August sun- Ltti
shine and the reapers in. rhythmic 1 c� s 4,,,7
motion slowly moving through the U� ia.¢/..
acres would be a spectacle to be-, &P ' Q
hold. It required. a strong man to u/� ` 4
cut five acres a day, and you can I ea;c.n....-9 T�[e a. -.
bet he wouldn't feel like going to a
in - n_cture show when the sun '
``.....,_ ` day's end.