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‘ | Community Industries ' . | pote > Muir Sawemill * * . . . ‘In the early days a sawemill was located on Lot 28 Concession 8 . of East Nissouri on the farm now owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Norman Conn. ~ . The first sawâ€"eâ€"mill started by Mr, John MclLaren was built in the . Z~ third fiéeld back from the present road on the south side of the farm â€" ‘ , > . up from a pond called Beaver Meadows, It was built on a side hill so | \ 4 the logs could be rolled down the hill from the top to the saw. Mr. _ | John McLaren sold out to Mr., Henry Muir, a son of one of the famaous Scottish weavers who had come to Dalhousie Township near Ottawa and later migrated to the County of Perth around Avonbank. . Mr. Muir developed a prosperous mill which burned in the early 1890‘s.. The mill was rebuilt, but this time it was erected <just south of the lane j into the farm in the first field and near the road. . Mr. Henry Muir with the help of his brother Thomas and two sons : . John and James had a flourishing business., Many local barns were ' built from lumber sawed at the Muir Mill; also a large trade was built j up with the Richardson Dairy Supply Company at S§t. Marys, J. D. Moore f Planing Mill, the Bain Wagon Works at Woodstock and some farm implement â€" e companies of Stratford., There being no railroad then between Woodstock, e and St, Marys, all the lumber had to be teamed to S§t. Marys., If going @ beyond St. Marys and vicinity, it would have to be loaded into box cars . and taken by rail to its destination. . ' f . In 1908 with the supply falling off the machinery of the mill and part of, the building was sold and moved to the Dorchester tileâ€"yard. ' t . The present driveâ€"shed on the Norman Conn farm situated to the north â€" - *b s axtua 00 ies and east of present barn was part of the former sawemill. f . . Granéhurst j ' f * Granthurst is a ghost "town" of East Niésouri. Its location is | known only to a few nowadays. It was located on the corners of Lots 31 ‘ Concessions 8 and 9 on the Uniondale sideroad. The land on the west at the corner is now owned by Mr. Roy Cooper and on the east by Mrs., Norman . Robbins. ‘ > . . ‘ As'the‘tounship was opening up, the need for a store became qreater. | * The trek to St. Marys or Ingersoll took more time away from the farm. . Mr, Alex Grant opened a store on the corner of Lot 31, Concession 8 and was followed shor?ly after by a blacksmith shop on the opposite corner. ( > | | The store was taken over by Mr. Eli Day who eventually closed it. - ‘ . & In 1890 the postâ€"office was opened in part of the store., Mr, Alex . Grant, John Sheldon, George Hunt and Eli Day served as pos t=mastsers until . , the office closed in 1911. > L | In the blacksmith shop, Bill Kohn, Fred Hepburn and Arthur Knapton | : looked after the needs of the local farmers which included such names as 20 Thomas Richardson, William Richardson, Martins, Greasons, Elliotts, ' ~ . McQuillans, McLarens, Muirs, Scotts and. Wells. » 2