Moulinette
The Twentieth Century
Unlike the neighbouring village of Mille Roches, the Cornwall Canal immediately brought growth and prosperity to Moulinette. By the 1890s there were two mills on the north side of the river; John G. Snetsinger's grist mill, operated by William Ellis and a sawmill owned by another John Snetsinger, who was distantly related to the first. The McGillis Brothers, Alexander and Martin, built flour and saw mills to replace the lost woollen mills. Following the deaths of the McGillis Brothers in the late 1920s, the mills were disassembled and rebuilt in Aultsville where they enjoyed a second life.
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Grist Mill on the Dam [ca. 1870]
Owned by J.G. Snetsinger
In addition to the mills, Moulinette also boasted two hotels, the Lion and the Pea Green, two general stores, two wharves, a cheese factory and a school. The Pea Green, named for its colour, contained a 'ball room' of sorts and was a popular place for social gatherings. H.C. Phillips owned a tavern and Henry Harrison, a store. With the opening of George McDonald's post office in 1874, residents no longer had to travel to Mille Roches to pick up their mail. Before the railway station was built, mail was delivered daily from the post office at Mille Roches by horse and buggy. In later years, the blacksmith's shops were converted to garages.
Moulinette's wharves were normally busy places. Steamers would arrive regularly to take on wood, from J.G. Snetsinger's wood yard, for their boilers. There was one other building on the wharf that was used both for freight storage and housing for the caretaker. Another wharf, used for loading and unloading of freight, was built near the east side of the village.
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Moulinette street & A. Snetsinger
[ca. 1912]
Recreational activities in Moulinette were not much different from those in similar small towns. In the early days of the twentieth century, passenger steamers would arrive from Toronto and other western points and run the Long Sault Rapids on their journey down the river to Montreal. The rapids were also regarded as a great spot for fishing, especially at night. By the 1930s, hockey had become a regular Friday night pastime. Moulinette belonged to the same league as nearby Mille Roches and Massena, N.Y. and matches were played weekly at the new Mille Roches arena. Other popular places for socializing included Ethel Forsyth's Ice Cream Parlour and the dance hall at the Orange Lodge.
Like many of the neighbouring villages, Moulinette developed in a strip along old Highway 2 and the Cornwall Canal with buildings lining both sides of the highway. By the mid 1950s Moulinette, with a population of 311, was reaping the benefits of a growing tourist trade. In addition to the two hotels, it also had three tourist homes, a motel and a group of tourist cabins near the railway track run by Allan Fetterly. The 'Inside Inn' on Highway 2 remained a popular watering hole until the very end. In addition to the churches and stores, there was also a barbershop and bakeshop. A portable schoolroom had been added to take care of the overflow.
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Fishing at Sand Bay [ca. 1954]
As inundation drew closer, the majority of Moulinette's residents were relocated to Long Sault. The post office remained open until September 9, 1957. One of the more distressing losses was a huge elm tree, described as being 10 feet in diameter and nearly 100 ft. high. The tree, which had sustained considerable damage during an ice storm in the early 1940s, was estimated to be over 500 years old. Legend has it the great explorer Samuel de Champlain rested under the tree and took his daily lunch there. Whether true or false, it was the type of story that, like the tree, grew and improved with age.
A few small vestiges of Moulinette continue to remain. The Christ Church was relocated to Upper Canada Village. Two later discoveries, Zina Hill's barbershop and the small Grand Trunk railway station, have both been restored and now form part of the Lost Villages Historical Society grounds at Ault Park. The name of Moulinette has been commemorated both as a street name and as one of the islands that is part of the Long Sault Parkway.