Armstrong Mills

History

Photo of the church
The Speedside United Church
©Jeri Danyleyko

The end of the Napoleonic wars brought a huge influx of Scottish settlers to North American soils. Scotland was hit very hard during the war. Many felt they could improve their lot by immigrating to North America.

The Armstrong family left Scotland in 1819, settling first in Ovid, New York. In 1822, brothers Thomas and William (Srs.) packed their bags and headed northward to Eramosa Township. A third brother George Sr. soon followed. George. his wife Jane Smith. and their young family, settled on lands located on the second line and began farming. As the families matured, their sons became active in politics and township affairs.

Thomas’ son, William S., inadvertently became involved in politics at a very early stage. In 1837 he and six other prominent residents of Eramasa Township got themselves into some extremely serious trouble. All were accused of being collaborators in the 1837 Mackenzie rebellion. Young William was only 20 at the time.

Other culprits included James Benham, a township official and father of local councillor J.W. Benham and James Peters, a township clerk. Another James. James Parkinson, was the son of a local justice of peace and township treasurer. John Butchard was another participant who later served as township treasurer.

The charges were worded as follows:

“That not having the fear of God in their hearts, but being moved and induced by the instigation of the Devil, they did traitorously compass, imagine and intend to bring and put our said lady the Queen to death; and that they did, as false traitors, endeavour to induce and persuade, with force and arms, other subject to levy war against our Sovereign Lady the Queen; that they did meet on the 8th day of December, 1837, in the Township of Eramosa, District of Gore, and with other false traitors, did conspire, consult and agree among themselves, unlawfully and wickedly, to fulfil and bring to effect their said traitorous compassing, imaginings and intentions.”

Here and There in Eramosa; An Historical Sketch of the Early Years, and of the People and Events Contributing to the Growth and Development of the Township.

While laughable by today’s standards, this was very serious stuff. Essentially, the seven men were charged with treason. If found guilty, the penalty was death by hanging. The men, aged 20 to 49, spent six weeks in an unheated jail under conditions described as “truly appalling.” They took their chances and each threw $10 into a hat to cover the $70 cost of hiring a lawyer for their defence. The trial began on March 8, 1838. Luckily, the men were all found not guilty. William’s subsequent forays into politics were of a decidedly more conservative nature. From 1843 – 1846, he served as District Council representative. He followed Thomas Armstrong, who served as the first District Council representative in 1842.

In 1845, both John S. (George’s son) and George Armstrong helped with the formation and construction of the Speedside Church. The Speedside Church was a Congregational Church that joined with the United Church in 1925. John also sat on the building committee. He generously donated an acre of cleared land on the corner of lot 26. That became the new home for the church, the pastor’s house and a barn.

The church was a handsome limestone building that opened around 1850. Rev. R. J. Williams served as the first pastor. Later improvements included a new chapel in 1859, a church shed in 1869 and a new parsonage in 1873. In addition, a legacy left by Mrs. William Armstrong provided ample funds for the church to completely settle all its construction debts in 1868. A Presbyterian Church was built during the same period. Located a little further south on Lot 21, that church also voted to join the United Church in 1925. It continues to function under the name of Barrie Hill United Church.

In 1856, John, and his wife Mary Scott, began construction of a new dam and mill. The project was tough. They were washed out and close to financial ruin on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, they doggedly kept at it. Their efforts turned out to be well worth the sweat and labour. On the positive side, the mill was an instant success. A tiny community, known as Unionville, grew up around the mill. Also across from the mill was a new inn. Finally, farmers had a place to stay while awaiting milling of their flour or feed.

In 1863, George Armstrong was instrumental in bringing about the construction of the area’s first schoolhouse. S.S. #4 Eramosa was located on Concession 1, across the road from the Speedside Church. The school, located on Concession 2, Lot 20, was originally known as SS #3 until the school sections were reorganized.

Twenty years after the mill opened, John’s son, Robert, established a post office in 1876 under the name of Armstrong Mills. As it turned out, John Armstrong was still highly regarded in the region. This was Robert’s way of honouring his father’s memory.

The mill went through various changes of ownership over the years. In 1931 then owner George Parkinson removed the top 1 1/2 stories. That was the unfortunate result of structural damage from the ongoing vibrations of machinery and equipment. A dam-burst in 1950 finally put an end to all milling operations.

A young, and relatively unknown young artist purchased the derelict mill in the late 1960s. The late Ken Danby, later renowned for his iconic realistic paintings of landscapes and sports figures, was now the proud owner. He almost certainly saved the mill from the impending crash of the wrecker’s ball. Danby then embarked on a lifelong project of restoring the mill. He featured the building and landscape in many of his paintings and illustrations. Ken Danby passed away in 2007. Following his death, his family put the property up for sale.

In addition to the mill, other early vestiges include the school, now a private residence, and the churches. Both United Churches continue to serve local residents.

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