The village of Appleton is
a small community nestled on
the shores of the Mississippi
River in Ramsay Township,
Ontario. In 1998 the village
became part of the
amalgamated Town of
Mississippi Mills, making it
essential for the community
to preserve its local history

and heritage.
   This exhibit examines the
history of Appleton by
focusing on the original
economic nucleus of the
village: the mills. During
the settlement of Ramsay
Township in the early 1820s,
the natural falls of the
Mississippi River at Appleton

provided an opportunity for a
community to grow using water
power. An entrepreneurial
family, the Teskeys,
harnessed the river's water
power, building a sawmill and
a gristmill at the falls.
Providing lumber, flour and
livestock feed, the two mills
were the heart of the

village. A blacksmith, a
cobbler, two churches and
general store were among
several small businesses to
open near the mills.
   In 1862, the Teskey
family built a woollen mill
that became the village's
main industry for 130 years.
The woollen mill changed