History of  the Mill

Watson's Mill, situated in historic Dickinson Square, is older than Canada itself.  The Mill was built by Moss Kent Dickinson and his partner, Joseph Currier, in 1860.   read more

Moss Dickinson was born in Denmark, Lewis Co. New York to Barnabus and Lydia Dickinson on June 1st 1822. His parents were descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers. read more landed .in .....New ....England aboard the Mayflower. By 1827 the Dickinsons had moved to Cornwall, Ontario where Barnabus started a stage coach service carrying mail and passengers between Montreal and Kingston. For Moss' tenth birthday his father took him to Kingston to see the opening of the Rideau Canal. They traveled by ship and also on board was the Trigge family who had recently arrived from England. The Trigges had two daughters, Charlotte and Elizabeth. Moss was intrigued by Elizabeth who was the same age as himself. Fourteen years later Moss would marry Elizabeth. They would have three sons; Alpheus, William, and George, and three daughters; Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Lydia. By 1847 Moss had purchased a number of ships and barges to transport livestock, grain, logs, cheese, and passengers between Ottawa and Kingston, servicing all the tiny villages that had sprung up along the route. In 1850 Dickinson's fleet numbered 16 steamers and 60 barges. In late 1859 and early 1860, Dickinson and his partner Joseph Currier (shown below) built the Mill in Manotick. The following year Moss' wife Elizabeth died five months after the birth of daughter Elizabeth. From 1864 to 1866 Dickinson was the Mayor of Ottawa. In 1867 Dickinson built the fine old home, directly across from the Mill in Manotick. The building served as general store and the first post office in the new town, then in 1870 he moved his family into it to be closer to the milling business. The year 1882 was a busy one in the Dickinson household. The Dickinson house was the campaign headquarters for the election of Sir John A. MacDonald. Moss was elected to represent the riding of Russel. Dickinson House The Dickinson house was again the headquarters for the election in 1887. Moss did not run in this election. By 1896 Moss' health was failing and he was rarely seen around the Mill. His son George took over the Mill operations. On July 19th , 1897, Moss Kent Dickinson died in the house he had built in the town he had named. He is buried in Ottawa's Beechwood Cemetery beside his wife Elizabeth.Moss_Dickinson.htmlshapeimage_5_link_0

In 1861, a year after the Mill was completed, Joseph Currier, one of the co-owners of the Mill, married a young woman named Ann Crosby of Lake George N.Y .read more

Watson's Mill, 5525 Dickinson Street, P.O. Box 145, Manotick, Ontario, Canada, K4M 1A2             

Telephone: 613.692.6455

45° 13’ 36.72”N   075° 40’ 59.33’W