Skead's Mill was a significant steam-powered lumber mill located on the banks of the Ottawa River near what is now Westboro Beach in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Established in the early 1870s by Canadian Senator and lumber baron James Skead, it played a key role in the local lumber industry and spurred the development of the surrounding community, originally known as Skead's Mills. The mill processed pine logs floated down from the upper Ottawa Valley, producing sawn lumber, laths, shingles, and other materials primarily for export to the northeastern United States. It operated amid the broader Ottawa Valley timber trade boom but faced multiple setbacks, including fires and economic downturns, ultimately leading to its closure in 1888. The site and community evolved into the modern Westboro neighborhood.
Historical information: James Skead (1817–1884) was born in Moresby, Cumberland, England, and immigrated to Canada in 1832, settling in the Ottawa Valley. He began his career in the lumber industry around 1841, initially as a clerk before establishing his own operations on the Madawaska and Mississippi rivers by the mid-1840s. By 1851, he employed about 100 men and produced around 600,000 cubic feet of pine annually, expanding to 16,000 sawlogs by 1861. Skead was a prominent figure in Canadian politics and business: he served as mayor of Bytown (later Ottawa) in 1863, was appointed to the Senate in 1867, and was vice-president of the Canada Central Railway. His involvement in the railway influenced his decision to build mills along its lines. Skead's first mill on the Ottawa River, built around 1851 several miles above Bytown, was destroyed by fire after a few years. Financial difficulties plagued his later years, exacerbated by mill losses, leading to his temporary resignation from the Senate in 1881 (he was reappointed later that year). He died in 1884 in relative poverty after health issues, including injuries from a carriage accident. In 1869, Skead acquired about 154 acres of land in Nepean Township from the Thomson family and other lumberers for around $9,000, anticipating the Canada Central Railway's opening in 1870. The mill was constructed on the shore of Thomson's Bay (now part of the Ottawa River near Westboro Beach) at a cost of approximately $50,000. It measured 152 feet by 46 feet, was steam-powered, and initially employed around 40 workers. Operations began in mid-1870, with a capacity to saw up to 15 million board feet of lumber per season, plus 500,000 shingles and 500,000 laths annually. The mill focused on processing white pine from upstream, utilizing the railway for efficient transport. It quickly became the economic hub of the area, attracting workers and leading to the growth of a small industrial hamlet. The first post office opened on May 1, 1874, in Rebecca Pratt's shop under the name "Skead's Mills." Nearby subdivisions like Baytown and Birchton emerged, with early retail including Jane Birch's grocery store in 1873 (later operated by her husband Pierre Paysant until around 1890). By the mid-1870s, the community had around 200 residents, supported by the mill's activity despite an economic depression starting in 1873. On October 31, 1871, around 3 a.m., a blaze started in sawdust and refuse under the main shaft, likely due to spontaneous combustion or arson (though undetermined). Strong winds fueled its rapid spread, destroying the main mill building, machinery, tools, and stockpiles of over 230,000 feet of lumber, 60,000 laths, and 40,000 shingles—valued at $40,000. Insurance covered $50,000, but losses exceeded this due to recent improvements. The engine and boiler houses were saved. Skead rebuilt a larger mill by late 1872 or early 1873, resuming operations. On August 1, 1888, at 2:30 p.m., a spark from a furnace ignited sawdust and shingles under the mill's platform. Dry conditions and river breezes caused it to spread uncontrollably, consuming the main sawmill, office, storehouse, stables, blacksmith shop, boarding house, and about 7 million feet of lumber (valued at $120,000). The fire crossed the railway tracks, damaging half a mile of line, and spread to nearby farms, destroying a dozen homes and leaving 30 people homeless. Total damages reached $186,900, with insurance covering only $110,000, resulting in a net loss of around $65,000–$175,000. Firefighting efforts from E.B. Eddy, local unions, and Ottawa were hampered by delays and equipment failures. No fatalities occurred, but several workers were injured. Between fires, ownership changed due to Skead's debts: the Merchants Bank of Canada foreclosed in 1878, and it passed to E.B. Eddy in 1880, then briefly to others before Eddy repurchased it in 1884 for $100,000. By then, it employed 250–300 workers and included extensive facilities like a 150-foot brick chimney, carpentry shop, and dwellings. The 1888 fire marked the end of the mill's operations, plunging the village into depression with little employment. The site was auctioned unsuccessfully in 1888 and sold in 1890 to Mutchmor-Gordon, then to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1891 for potential development that never materialized. In 1909, Senator John N. Kirchhoffer purchased the 70-acre property for $42,500 and subdivided it into "Clarella Park," laying the foundation for modern Westboro Beach. The community was renamed Westboro in 1899, dropping the Skead reference. The mill's decline shifted the area from industrial to residential, aided by later streetcar access and real estate booms. Today, the mill is gone, but its submerged ruins—such as foundation remnants and possible cribbing from log booms—are visible in the Ottawa River near Westboro Beach, especially at low water levels. The site is a registered archaeological area (BiFw-71) protected by the National Capital Commission (NCC). It highlights the 19th-century lumber industry's impact on Ottawa's development. Some historical structures, like the former Paysant home at 379 Churchill Avenue (Westboro's first grocery store), still stand without heritage designation. Location ID #BR0139
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