Now
that natural gas has become one of the everyday necessities of Hamilton, it may
be interesting to know that it was discovered away back in the 40s of the last
century, at Albion Mills, a few miles from this city. The Albion Mills are
within an easy afternoon’s walk from Hamilton, but the better way for a
pedestrian to reach them is to take a short cut by ascending the ravine in
which are the burning springs of Barton. It is all of fifty years since the
writer, who was then a young man, visited that location with a party of young
people, on a holiday excursion. On the mountain top to the east, just outside
the limits of the city, a number of colored men and their families colonized a
settlement and built comfortable homes, to which they gave the not
inappropriate name of Africa. Near the waterworks reservoir was another
settlement, lacking the comfort of its African neighbor, built of shanties,
which was called Slabtown. Near a deep cutting in the solid rock, for the Port
Dover railway, which was then being graded, was another collection of shanties.
What a splendid view was to be had in Hamilton! On the left was the bay, seven
miles long, covered with ice. The right stretched toward Niagara, and on a
still evening one almost fancied the roaring of the cataract could be heard. A
ravine runs inland for miles, a rushing stream along its bed, stately pines and
stubborn oaks along its sides. It was the dream of that neighborhood that the
first station on the Port Dover road, after leaving Hamilton, would be located
at that point, and that it would eventually become a large town and Hamilton
merchants and manufacturers would make their home there, coming into the city
daily to attend to business.
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The occupants of the shanties were
principally laborers, who had squatted there when construction began on the
Port Dover road, but at the time of which we write, all work had been suspended
and the laborers were living in hope of its early renewal. Near this settlement
was what is known as the burning spring, and in the ravine were the ruins of an
old mill and a dwelling house. The spring was in a cavity of the ground some
five feet deep, and though it was continuously boiling and bubbling up, yet the
water was cold but unpleasant to the taste. In the winter the water flowed more
freely, but in the summer it was stronger of gas. The water was considered to
be a panacea for diseases, and people from the city made regular trips to the
spring to drink the water and carry it home in jugs. Animals drank the water
and would go long distances to get it. There was a legend that the owner of the
mill grew fearful that the spring from whose waters flames so often issued was
in the regions of his satanic majesty, and that it was the literal hell fire he
had been taught to believe in. Under this conviction, he thought it unsafe to
live in that locality, so he demolished the mill and his house and left them in
ruins. It is half a century since the writer visited the place, therefore we
know nothing of the present condition of that locality.
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But the Albion Mills are still an
attraction, and it is there that the natural gas has been burning for at least
half a century. Very romantic is the ravine in which the mills are located; its
steep sides covered with forest trees and with dense undergrowth, except the
immediate banks of the stream which finds its way from the interior of the
country to the lake. It is now almost a memory of the winter afternoon when our
party was there. Sometimes this stream meandered gently among rocks covered
with moss; but at others it rushed with such velocity and violence as to make a
thundering cataract where in its calmer moods there was but a purling
waterfall. Were we to visit now, would it be the same picturesque scenery that
it was in the long ago? The youth of twenty and the veteran of threescore years
and ten often see things from a different standpoint. Possibly some day we may
take a tramp out to see what changes the years have wrought in that locality.
Time goes swiftly while observing the surroundings, and the quarter of a mile
from the burning springs to the mill is soon passed. A grand scene opens to the
eye and one sees in front and on the right, lofty perpendicular rocks, over
which the stream falls in a beautiful cascade. From between the layers of rock,
the dripping water was frozen into icicles some twenty feet or more in length.
No stalactites so beautiful as these, whose brilliancy were in contrast to the
dark masses of rock, and which sparkled brightly in the rays of the sunlight. There
is another wonderful feature about the spot, for from the crevices of the rock,
there is issued a gas which was kindled with a match and burst into brilliant
flames and burned till extinguished. Here for ages the fore worshipper may have
prostrated himself before this wonderful supply of nature. Instead of a temple
for the fire worshipper, we find a prosaic flouring mill. In the rock were
three principal orifices, from which the jets of gas issued and these were
practically utilized by the practical miller. One jet was under the mill wheel
to keep it from freezing in the winter, and at that time, he was seriously
considering the question of piping the gas into a stove to heat the mill. The
gas burned with a bluish flame and gave out great heat. It was highly charged
with sulphureted hydrogen, as the odor plainly evidenced.
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There is a romance, a sad and true
one, connected with the neighborhood of Albion Mills. William Lyon Mackenzie
tells the story in a book he wrote along about the 40’s. It is of a girl who
loved not wisely, but too well. Unwilling to survive her shame, she threw
herself from the topmost crag upon a bed of solid rock below. She lingered for
several hours after her terrible leap, and while yet conscious told the name of
her perfidious lover. The name of Lover’s Leap was given to the spot, and
perchance, it may be known by that name to this day. A more appropriate name
would be The Leap of the Forsaken.
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The Albion Mills were built in the
early years of the last century, and possibly have been in action for at least
one hundred years. In the year 1827, John Secord was the owner, and being
desirous of selling out, he inserted an advertisement in the Gore Gazette,
published at Ancaster, calling attention to the property. The description he
gave of the mills and their surroundings may be of interest to those who, like
the writer, visited the place more than half a century ago. The property was
known by the name Albion Mills, and consisted of upwards of 400 acres of land,
the soil of which was of excellent quality. Nearly 200 acres were in a high
state of cultivation, with a never-failing stream of water running through the
place. A list of the buildings shows that it must have been a property of high
value. The grist mill had two sets of stones and all the necessary machinery
for merchant and country work; a saw mill in excellent order and in full
operation; a new stone distillery, with all the necessary appendages, and a
distiller’s house; a blacksmith’s shop; for tenants and laborers, one large hewed
log house, well-furnished (with shed and stables) and lately occupied an inn; a
merchant’s shop with cellars; an extensive storehouse; a cooper’s shop and
wagon house; large two-story dwelling house, with kitchen and cellars, quite
new and well-finished; an extensive barn, stables and sheds, with a number of
other outbuildings; an excellent salt springs on the premises, two excellent
gardens; an extensive, bearing orchard of the best apples, pears, peaches,
plums, cherries; also, an English white grapevine, which produced an abundance
of fine grapes. The advertisement gives further details. After describing the
practical features of the property, then the landscape is pictured in glowing
colors : “The above described premises are handsomely situated, commanding an
extensive view of Lake Ontario and the opposite shore to a considerable
distance below York, and of the vessels passing to and fro from the Burlington
bay canal. It is an uncommonly healthy as well as an old settled and wealthy
part of the country. It is nearly central between Niagara, York and Long Point,
being about forty-five miles from each of those places, four miles from Lake
Ontario, five from Burlington bay and Hamilton, the county town, and seven from
the villages of Ancaster and Dundas.” Mr. Secord considered it unnecessary to
describe minutely every advantage which the premises possessed, as those
wishing to purchase would naturally examine for themselves. The property was
for sale separately or altogether for below its real value, for part payment in
hand and the remainder in yearly annual installments. For further information,
intending purchasers were referred to Matthew Crooks, Ancaster, John Crooks,
Niagara or to John Secord, on the premises. The advertisement was dated Barton,
Dist. Of Gore, U. Canada, March 3, 1827.
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Looking toward the Albion Mills from
the cars of the H. G. & B. electric road, it is a wild-looking spot. Has
the old place the charms described by Mr. Secord in 1827. Natural gas cropped
out from the hillsides even in those days, but its use was unknown. For nearly
sixty years, Hamilton has known of its existence, but not its value, and it is
only within the past year that it has been piped into this city and is now used
largely for lighting, heating, cooking and manufacturing purposes. And another
company is now preparing to pipe gas from other wells nearby which will be used
exclusively for manufacturing purposes, and to consumers at a lower rate than
the cost of coal. Probably the reading of these Musings may suggest to
exploring parties of young people and afternoon walk to Albion Mills.
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