Pakenham's Early Growth

With settlers first arriving here in 1823, the river and falls provided important resources for development. By 1840, Andrew Dickson, considered the father of Pakenham, had established his family home, the stone building at the end of the bridge, as well as several mills and factories on both sides of the Mississippi River. Gristmills, carding mills, sawmills, a tannery, a cheese factory, and a timber slide allowing logs to pass on their way to the Ottawa River created a busy centre of activity. The largest mill seen in photographs was lost to fire in 1915. Early bridges here were made of wood and were often damaged by spring ice. In 1901, the township council decided to stop paying for repeated costly repairs and instead build a stone bridge. At a cost of $13,000, plus $2,400 for a temporary bridge, the present bridge was built of locally quarried stone in 9 weeks, employing an average of 70 men. Its largest block of stone weighs 5 tons, and the bridge contains 2,100 cubic yards of masonry; it is believed to be the only five-span stone bridge in North America.

Ontario · Canada