The province's first paper mill operations began in 1826. Situated about 150 yards downstream from here, it was owned by James Crooks (1778-1860), one of Upper Canada's most successful entrepreneurs. On four hundred acres of land purchased here in 1811, Crooks had, by 1822, erected a number of other mills, creating Crooks' Hollow, one of the province's largest concentrations of industry. Construction of the paper mill was encouraged by an expanding domestic market and the British Government's imposition in 1826 of a high tariff on paper imported into Canada from the United States. Crooks sold his paper mill in 1851, but, under various owners, it continued operations until destroyed by fire in 1875.

Location

Beside the creek, slightly upstream from the site of the former mill, Crooks Hollow Conservation Area, Crooks Hollow Road, just west of Greensville

Themes

• Industry and trade