Marshville Heritage Society's Heritage preservation

Originally there was a huge boiler that provided steam to the engines. In the 1800s steam was considered high tech versus water powered. For example, the Dean Sawmill had 4 steam engines.

Prior to sawmills, loggers would fell trees, and then saw the felled trees by hand to create planks of wood. These planks would then be used to create structures like log cabins and barns. 

Small sawmills played a fundamental role in rural communities in the nineteenth century , processing locally-logged wood to provide sawed lumber, instead of just hand hewn, for construction in the immediate area. 

Logs were milled to specification to be used for houses, barns and wagon making. 

In 1904 the price to saw board feet was $3.

In 1905 a worker could make $3 per month.

Around you you will see how the sawmill operates shown by the 4th, 5th & 6th generation of Cyrus Dean. 

HISTORY

Dean Sawmill

The barn housing the Dean Sama was built in Humberstone (Port Colborne) in 1891 and restored in the Marshville Heritage Village in 1988. Here you will find the original equipment from the steam driven sawmill begun by Cyrus Dean in 1883.

The original mill was actually two mills combined: a grist mill powered by a 30 horsepower steam engine and a sawmill powered by a 40 horsepower engine. A huge boiler provided steam to the engines.

Logs were brought to the sawmill and milled to specification. Lumber was used in local barns and houses, and for purposes such as wagon making. The mill operated 12 months of the year with logs brought by wagon in summer, and by sleigh in winter.

In 1971 bowing to the pressure from large, custom lumber yards and the decline of area wood lots, the mill closed after 89 years of operation by the Dean family. The building began to slowly deteriorate until a storm in 1984 brought the roof down.

In 1988 the original steam driven sawmill equipment was restored and relocated to the Marshville Heritage Village. Fourth and fifth generations of the Dean family operate this fully functional sawmill at the Marshville Heritage Festival each year.

Dean Farm and Saw Mill, 1879-1990 (A history by Art Dean and Bob Dean)

In 1879,  29-year-old Cyrus Dean purchased 50 acres of land in Wainfleet Township from Richard and Susan Newman. He cleared this land and built himself and his wife a small house, approximately 16 feet by 24 feet. This house had a total of four rooms, two upstairs and two downstairs. It was in this house that Cyrus and his wife, Lydia Barnhart, whom he had married in 1871, raised five children: Fred, Melissa, Melvin, Cecilia and Franklin. Another boy, Joseph, died when he was three years old.

The Deans are descendants of Loyalist Pennsylvania Dutch, with German background. Cyrus’ two brothers, Benjamin Israel had already built saw mills in Stevensville, and now Cyrus had the urge to do the same.

Work began and in 1883, one year after Franklin's birth, the new steam-driven mill was completed. It was actually 2 mills combined: a grist mill powered by a 30-horsepower steam engine and a sawmill powered by a 40-horsepower engine. This larger engine was recovered from the Niagara River where it had slid in after a fire. A small upright steam engine powered an elevator to load the bags of chopped grain from the gristmill. Another small engine operated the slab saw and elevator in the saw mill.

A mill pond was dug with horses and scraper to supply water to the huge boiler which provided steam to the engines. This boiler measured 52 inches by 14 feet and operated under a pressure of 80 p.s.i. A forty foot smoke stack provided draft and an exit for smoke and gases from the huge fire box. Fuel was provided by the fresh sawdust and slab wood, by-products of the sawmill. Excess slab wood was cut in 14-inch lengths and sold as fire wood.

All logs were brought to the sawmill by area farmers and businessmen and milled to their specifications. Compensation was paid in terms of 1,000 board feet. Account books and ledgers of 1904 show the price for sawing 1000 bd. ft. of lumber to be $3.00 plus any damaged saw teeth at 5 cents each. These same teeth in 1989 are over $2.00 each. Farmers use this lumber and timber to build barns, houses, etc. It has been said that Charles Fritz, a Marshville wagonmaker, used wood sawed here in the construction of his wagons. Some bartering was done with clientele exchanging different types of work or animals for sawing.

The mill operated twelve months of the year, with the logs, lumber and grain being hauled with horse and wagon in the summer and horse and sleigh in the winter months. A steam whistle was blown once in the morning, twice at noon and night to signify the start and stop of work. In 1905 Arthur Man worked at the Mill for $3.00 per month and Peter Folick for 70 cents per day.

Cyrus operated this mill with his three sons until his death in 1923. During this period, more buildings were added, including a hip-roof bam built by Bruce Dickhout. Also added was a granary, chicken house, seed house to store and clean seeds for area farmers to accommodate the growing family, an addition was built onto the house along with a wood shed and cellar.

After Cyrus’ death, the farm, along with the mill, was operated by his son Franklin. Franklin married Bernice Minor in 1907 and they had four children: Mildred, Rhea, Clarence and Lillian. Franklin operated the mill with his son Clarence, born in 1911, for another thirty years.

Up to this period, ice from the mill pond was cut in blocks approximately 16 inches square and stored in an icehouse directly beside the pond. The ice blocks were cut by hand with a saw used for this purpose and stacked in the building. A heavy layer of sawdust was placed between the ice and walls of the building to serve as insulation and keep the ice blocks from melting during the summer. The blocks were then dug out as required and taken to the house in a steel-wheeled barrel where they were placed in iceboxes to preserve their family’s perishable food. This method has given way to our modern day refrigerators and deep freezers. On the Dean farm, iceboxes were used until the late 1940’s.

During the 20’s and 30’s wages paid in the mill rose to 20 cents per hour. We have retained a complete grocery bill of Frank and Bernice in the amount of $2.59 purchased in 1936, with the costs of brown sugar at 5 cents per pound, soap at four cents per bar, raisins at 18 cents per pound and celery at 5 cents per bunch.

Frank worked his way into more farming. Along with his son, Clarence, he purchased extra land, bringing the total to 73 acres. They also expanded on livestock and buildings with the new shed added to the barn in 1925. The grist mill and seed cleaning businesses were falling by the wayside and were discontinued prior to 1940. The sawmill continued to be profitable and remained in operation with several area men being employed during this period.

About 1940 Elgy Moore, who farmed north of the Feeder, began to work at the mill. The 1942 account book shows his wages to be 40 cents per hour. On top of this he walked to work across the fields in all kinds of weather.  The noon day meal was supplied by the Dean family.

In 1942 Clarence married Alice Pitman and they had two sons, Arthur, born in 1943, and Robert, born in 1946. The farm continued to be worked with horses until 1952 when the first tractor was purchased, Clarence took an interest in chickens and expanded part of the farm, keeping up to 500 laying hens. Eggs were marketed at Port Colborne Market, which he and wife Alice attended every Friday morning. They also supplied several area stores and restaurants with quality fresh, white eggs. Quality Bakery in Port Colborne was a valued customer for many years. Along with this, tomatoes were grown commercially for Bright’s Canning Factory in Niagara Falls. Another 43 acre parcel of land was purchased. Market gardening expanded with sweet corn, tomatoes, pickling cucumbers and cantaloupes being peddled door to door to American and Canadian cottagers along Lake Erie.

Art can recall as a young boy struggling with a huge basket of sweet corn and brother Bob (a bit younger) would follow with tomatoes and maybe a basket of pickles. This was a family affair with deliveries Monday, Wednesday and Saturday throughout the summer. Summer holidays were taken up with growing tomatoes and cucumbers, shocking grain from the binder, helping at threshing time and maybe time at night for a swim in Lake Erie.

After Frank's death in 1953, the sawmill continued to operate with Clarence being head sawyer and Elgy Moore tail sawyer. Bob and Art were now becoming active in the mill operation also. With the advent of large custom young lumber yards and decline of area woodlots, the need for the Dean Sawmill began to fade.

In 1960, Clearance converted the mill power from steam to gasoline to provide easier and quicker starting and stopping of the mill. Elgy continued on a part-time basis until the mid 1960s when he was no longer needed. To offset this loss of income, Clarance worked for the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in the winter as a snow plough driver. In 1971, Clarence and son Bob operated the mill for the last time. The building began to slowly deteriorate until a storm in 1985 brought the roof down.

With Bob and Art securing off-farm employment, the farmland was rented by a local farmer. Clarence and Alice continued with the laying hens and vegetables until Clarence's death in 1986. After 50 years of attending market, Alice still continues to sell her garden produce and meet her many friends there.

In 1988, the original steam driven saw mill equipment was restored and relocated in Wainfleet Village and is being operated each fall for demonstration purposes only at the Marshville Heritage Festival. 

In September 1989, Bob and Art, along with their sons Brian and Rodney set the wheels in motion again, the first time since 1971. Elgy Moore also took his turn as tail sawyer. 

Although time has created changes, the Dean farm remains in the family today.