The Daily Grind is a blog series all about the historic Morningstar Mill at Decew Falls.

Getting to know the Morningstars: Wilson Morningstar

Wilson Morningstar was a resourceful, hard-working millwright whose skills included milling, sawing, carpentry, blacksmithing, and invention. From 1883 to 1933, he operated Mountain Mills, grinding wheat into flour and chopping oats, corn, rye, and barley into animal feed. After a devastating fire in 1892 destroyed the mill’s interior and turbine shed, Wilson with help from his brother Wallace rebuilt them, and then installed state-of-the-art roller milling equipment to produce fine white flour.

A true DIY pioneer, Wilson could make or repair nearly anything. He patented a snow-removal device for railway tracks, constructed a suspension bridge across the millpond, and built a spiral staircase around a large tree to safely access the Decew Falls gorge.

In addition to cutting down trees and milling the logs into lumber for his family’s home, Wilson also custom-made the kitchen cabinets, a pulley-operated dumbwaiter, and various storage chests. From about 1904 to 1914, he generated electricity to light the house and mill at dusk, and by 1919, he had installed a three-piece bathroom with indoor plumbing, complete with a handcrafted wooden toilet seat.

Wilson was very involved in the community and generous with his time and skills. He helped neighbours with repairs, assisted in clearing and maintaining roads, and lit the fire in the wood-burning stove in the school on cold and inclement days so that the classroom was warm for students when they arrived.

A letter presented to Wilson and Emma on their 50th anniversary in 1932 thanked them for their friendship and their contributions to the well-being of their community. The letter also says that while the Falls and Mills of Decew are well-known landmarks in the area, Wilson and Emma were equally admired and held dear.

Carla Mackie is Historical Services Coordinator with the City of St. Catharines. Historical Services includes the Morningstar Mill, the Lakeside Park Carousel, and the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.