KAGAWONG—With the Old Mill in Kagawong celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, museum curator Rick Nelson said a couple of events will take place to commemorate this milestone. The museum board is also endeavoring to have a tabletop pictorial book on the history of the building published.
“The Old Mill is celebrating its 100th golden anniversary this year and we are making plans for several celebrations to take place,” said Mr. Nelson. “What the board and I are interested in in the short-term is putting together a tabletop pictorial book on the Old Mill and its history.”
“We are looking for photographs of the Old Mill, for instance when the hydro plant was operating,” said Mr. Nelson. “I have some pictures of the Old Mill exterior but only have one photo of the interior of the building when the mill was in operation. We could use a lot more interior photos of the building especially, and more exterior photos as well.”
“We are also looking for anyone, descendants of those who worked at the pulp mill and hydro-electric power plant that have stories or information that they can provide to put into the book,” continued Mr. Nelson. “We are looking for people with relatives or knowledge on the Old Mill and can provide testimonials and pictures.”
The museum board, “will be hosting a gala the third Saturday in July at the museum and will be talking and sharing our plans for the development of the Mariners Park, as well as having people with links to the Old Mill on hand,” said Mr. Nelson, indicating more information will be provided on the gala after scheduling is firmed up.
“For the annual History Day in Kagawong celebrations in August we will be focusing on the anniversary of the Old Mill,” said Mr. Nelson. “There will also be musical entertainment provided by the Manitoulin Swing Band.”
Construction of the two-storey pulp mill in Kagawong began in the spring of 1925. At that time, it would have been the only pulp mill on Manitoulin Island. By December of that year the first pulp was produced, ground from spruce and shipped by boat to Wisconsin to be made into paper for Sears-Roebuck catalogues.
The spruce pulp was the key to the mill construction in Kagawong. Spruce was abundently available and was needed to give the Sears-Roebuck catalogue pages a shiny finish.
To supply power for the mill, water was diverted from the Kagawong River via a canal. Water flowed from the upper village down the hill by way of a large wooden flume, into the building, thus offering the necessary means to provide hydro. Waterpower also turned two large millstones which ground logs into pulp. The pulp mill only operated for five years before the depression forced its closure.
In the early 1930s the Old Mill was converted into a hydro-electric power plant and was the sole source of electricity for Manitoulin Island. Increased demand for hydro finally led to its closure in 1962.
Thirty years later local volunteers restored the building for community use. Today the Old Mill is a multi-functioning building housing the township municipal office, Edward’s Art Studio and the museum known as the Old Mill Heritage Centre.
If anyone has any information or photos of the Old Mill over its 100 years and would like to share this with Mr. Nelson he can be reached by phone at 705-282-4826.
