Pakenham

WOOLEN MILLS OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY

Pakenham

Royce Carding and Woolen Mill
  • West side of river at the foot of Graham St.
  • Charles Royce, built a carding mill and operated it from 1842 – 1868 and by 1869 it was running as a custom carding and woolen mill. Ithiel Royce subsequently operated the mill until it was destroyed by fire in November 1871.
  • A new carding mill was built on the site by 1873 and James McLean, and subsequently James McLean and Knox, operated it from 1874 – 1880.
  • George Francis and C.A.Brazeau operated the old McLean mill as a custom carding and woolen mill from 1896 – 1906.
Hilliard and Dickson Woolen Mill (late 1860s)
  • West side of river between bridge and carding mill.
  • Daniel Hilliard and William Dickson built a woolen mill in 1867. The mill was leased to William Lorimer from 1870 – 1873. Then it was leased to William Wylie from 1874 – 1877.
  • It was subsequently leased to Robert Waugh and Company from 1879 – 1882. The building was destroyed by fire on 2 October, 1882.
  • William Wylie leased the mill at the foot of Mill St in Almonte (Canon Mill) from 1871 – 1877 and operated it as a woolen mill until 1877 when the building burned.
  • William Wylie also leased and operated the Dickson’s Mills in Pakenham from 1874 – 1877. After leasing and operating the McArthur Mill in Carleton Place from 1877 – 1881, William Wylie purchased the Hawthorne Woolen Mill in Carleton Place, operating that mill from 1881 – 1889.
Gillies Carding and Woolen Mill
  • East side of the river.
  • James R and John Gillies purchased the grist mill here from William Dickson in 1877.
  • By 1880 a new building had been erected on the lot, a custom carding and woolen mill which was leased and operated by James McLean, and subsequently Scott and McLean, from 1880 – 1889.
  • William B McAllister purchased the mills in 1889. It is not clear if the woolen mill was operating after this as the machinery was sold in 1890.
  • The mill was destroyed by fire in 1892.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TEXTILE MUSEUM

3 Rosamond Street East
Almonte, Ontario K0A 1A0
Phone: (613) 256-3754
Email: [email protected]

Year-Long Hours

The Museum is open from 1-4pm Tuesday thru Saturday. This includes the Permanent and Temporary Exhibits as well as the Gift Shop.