Thomas Ingersoll built mills at the Little Falls of the Thames and proclaimed a fair amount of land in the process. The community of St. Marys was established and it continued to grow and develop.

It’s pretty cool to see that the Mill Wheel still exists even if the industry that was so important to the town only two hundred years ago does not.

This is where the Grist Mill was built in 1843 and continued its operation until the mid 1970s. The wheel that still stands in this location isn’t quite that old. It was installed in 1910 and still stands as a monument to the life of an early settlement town.

I always wondered how these things work. I’ve never seen one in operation but I have seen many of the ruins. I just haven’t taken enough time to stop and read the historical plaques.

I remember the first time I even heard the term “Mill Race.” I thought it had to do with an organized running event. Boy, was I wrong.

A mill race is the current of water that turns a water wheel. The water races down a channel and provides the power for the mill.

These small waterfalls are gorgeous, right in the downtown core of St. Marys.

But that isn’t the only water wonder in this town.

The Lind Sportsplex is home to a beautiful fresh water pool that is housed by the old quarry. It is Canada’s largest outdoor swimming pool.

Arthur Meighen was the Ninth Prime Minister of Canada and he was born on a farm in Historic St. Marys. His old house is one of the featured attractions along the Loop Trail route.

That’s my brief tour of the township of St. Marys. You can explore even more of it with the two trail runs I posted in the photographic tours section of this blog.

Thanks for exploring with me!