The ruins of a mill at Hilton Falls often leaves guests wondering what it looked like before the mill was closed indefinitely. According to records, the Hilton Falls Mill was powered by a large wheel forty feet in diameter. This operation provided lumber for the small township of Nassagaweya which is now a part of Milton, Ontario. The river in which the falls run on is sixteen mile creek.
Over the span of this site’s lifetime there have been three mills built. The first in 1835 by Edward Hilton. This mill was a sawmill to provide the nearby township of Nassagaweya and Campbellville with lumber. Two years later, Hilton abandoned the property due to the fact that he was a supporter of the Upper Canada Rebellion and had to flee to the United states.
The second mill was built in 1856 by George Park (A doctor from Ancaster). He constructed a mill and a dam on the site. On this site is where the large forty foot wheel powered the operation. This mill was sold in 1857 and three years later in 1860 the mill was destroyed by a fire.
The newest owner of the site, John Richards began construction on a new mill in 1863. After the construction of the new mill was finished it was left to the same fate as its predecessor and was burnt to the ground leaving only the stone foundation. This site was abandoned in 1867 and has now become a conservation area.
Public History in Practice 