Around 1860, a mill for grinding grain was constructed by Angus Matheson on McLeod Creek (formerly known as Watermill Creek), just south of what later became McLeod Avenue on the east side of Henderson Highway in Winnipeg. Powered by the water of the creek, impounded upstream of the mill building and flowed over a waterwheel, the facility served the farmers of this region for many years and was still operating around 1870.
Four millstones were discovered in 1958 by local resident Frank de Graff, buried in the ground where the mill pond once existed. A pair of them are displayed in a small park at the corner of Edison Avenue, along with a plaque erected by the North Kildonan Parks Board on 1 November 1965. A third millstone is in a private garden on Grandview Avenue and a fourth is owned by the de Graff family.
On 15 August 2024, the park will be renamed Matheson Millstones Park.
Millstones from the original Matheson Grist Mill (June 2017)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.94113, W97.08947
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Mennonite Settlers in North Kildonan Plaque (Henderson Highway, Winnipeg)
Memorable Manitobans: Frank Jacob de Graff (1910-1994)
“Historic relics disclose life of Lord Selkirk settlers,” North Kildonan Weekly Herald, 9 April 1953.
“Millstones monument to pioneer miller,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 September 1966, page 26.
“Historical errors corrected,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 October 1972, page 70.
We thank Peter McLure for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Jim Smith and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 3 July 2024
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