In 1865, Robert Chappell purchased the former mill site of John DeCou, and by 1872, a new grist mill—named Mountain Mills—had been constructed at Decew Falls. Unlike DeCou’s mill, which had been powered by a traditional waterwheel, Chappell’s mill used a turbine. The turbine was installed at the bottom of a 9-metre (30-foot) pit blasted out of solid rock beside the falls. A stone dam across Beaver Dams Creek created a mill pond, and an iron pipe delivered a steady flow of water from the pond to the turbine.

Robert Chappell was born on October 14, 1829, in Gloucester, England, and died on December 5, 1915, in Toronto. His family immigrated to Canada around 1835 or 1836, with a brief stopover in the United States. Land records show that Robert’s father, Robert Chappell Sr., purchased and leased properties in Thorold Township. He was involved in milling, as the records indicate he was “granted permission to keep the race open to carry water to run any machinery he required.”

Both father and son were listed as machinists in the 1851 Thorold Township Census. In 1865, Robert Chappell Jr. acquired the old Decew mill site and, with his background and skill, built a modern, turbine-powered operation which produced flour and animal feed. The sign on the front of the building dates the new mill to 1872, and the turbine currently on display in the Turbine Shed is inscribed with his name: “R. Chappell, Water Wheel, 18 In. Diam., Thorold, Ontario.”

On February 25, 1875, the Welland Tribune reported that “the Grist Mills at Decew Falls, lately built, [have] been running night and day, all Summer, Autumn and Winter.” The mill received its water supply from the Canal through Higgins’ waste weir, located between Thorold and Allanburgh. According to the article, enough water flowed through the weir’s valves to power two runs of ordinary millstones.

It is unclear whether Robert Chappell operated the mill himself or rented it out after its completion. By July 1876, however, George Ellis was listed as the mill’s proprietor, advertising “flour and feed” for “Farmers of this Vicinity.”

In 1875, the St. Catharines Water Works Commission was formed to provide the city with a reliable supply of clean water. The first phase of the project, completed in 1876, involved the construction of two reservoirs, created by building “two massive earthwork dams” across Beaver Dams Creek.

To avoid ongoing damage claims due to water supply issues, the St. Catharines Water Works Commission purchased Mountain Mills in 1877. Robert Chappell received $9,841.32 for the mill property, additional land south of Decew Road used for the lower reservoir, the caretaker’s residence, and other related damages. George Ellis received $575 in compensation for the mill’s shutdown during the construction.

The construction of the Third Welland Canal (1871–1881) improved the mill’s water supply. An overflow weir in Thorold provided additional water to Beaver Dams Creek, which further resolved concerns about adequate water flow. The City of St. Catharines leased the mill to various miller’s including, Ellis, Drake and Charles Knoll, before selling Mountain Mills to Wilson Morningstar in 1883.

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.