less demand for this type of work, and by 1950 all three shops were closed.

Mr. John Kelly emigrated from Ireland, and settled in Kelly’s Cross in 1848. He was a cabinet maker, carriage builder and undertaker who built the coffins he sold. These coffins were of pine and he supplied the one. free of charge, that contained the body of Father James Duffy when he was laid to rest, the second time, in 1900. In 1875, he was appointed Postmaster in Kelly’s Cross.

MILLS

In this day of push button service, electrical gadgets of all sizes and purposes, ready made clothing and super markets with every cooked or frozen food suited for every taste, it’s so easy to forget or not even think about the pioneer days of our grandfathers and grandmothers. Theirs was a struggle for the necessities of life. The land had to be cleared, and the trees sawed into lumber to build houses, barns, tool sheds and hen houses. The wool had to be carded and made ready for the loom, the yarn knitted into socks, scarfs, mitts and sweaters. Cloth had to be made and sewed into clothing. Grain had to be crushed, buckwheat ground and flour made to make bread, and rolls and pies, etc. So the saw mills, the carding mills, and flour mills were a necessity, and pro— vided a service to the early pioneers that we have difficulty to com- prehend. We can thank God there were men and women in those early days of our communities who saw the need and supplied the services.

According to information that has been supplied by Mr. William Dunsford, South Melville, the first and only mill of any kind in operation, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, was owned by Duncan Ma— theson. He was the grandfather of Mrs. Alfred Cameron who still resides in South Millvale. William Dunsford, the grandfather of the man of the same name, bought this mill and the surrounding property. He and his family operated the mill for many years until his son Charles Dunsford took it over and operated it until about 1930. Charles married and he and his family not only sawed lumber, but also crushed grain, ground buckwheat, made flour and made shingles. This operation certainly was a great blessing for the farmers for miles around as it provided for so many of their needs. It is anti—climatical that the last job done at the mill. was to saw the beams for Will Dunsford’s house, which was built

forty years ago.

Another early mill to operate in the same area around DeSable and South Melville was the old John Marchbank mill which was bought by John Dixon, about one hundred years ago. It was really three mills in one. One part of it was used to make flour and oatmeal, to crush buck wheat and oats. The upstairs was used as a carding mill where cloth was made and the vats were there to dye the cloth. W'hile downstairs the lumber was sawed. This was a profitable operation and provided a great need in the area. Unfortunately the dam washed out in 1943, and the mill never operated after that. This mill has always been known as the Dixon mill.

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