

With files from The Keeper of the Scrapbooks — Christina ‘tina’ Camelon Buchanan — Thanks to Diane Juby— click here..
The settlement was founded by Daniel Shipman,
who built the first successful mills in the 1820s, built a bridge across the
river at the site of the current Maclan Bridge, laid out the street grid on
the south side of the river in the 1830s, and built a house on the south
side of the river c1835. Another early settler, Edward Mitcheson, built a
grist mill on the site of the current Almonte Flour Mill c1848 and laid out
much of the street grid on the north side of the river. By 1850, Shipman
and Mitcheson had created much of the street and lot pattern at the core
of the community. All of these features survive in downtown Almonte
Today.
Arriving from the north along Queen Street, one descends a gentle slope towards the Maclan Bridge.Before arriving at the bridge, a threshold is marked by a distinct collection of stately homes and a tight assembly of commercial buildings, which beckons the traveller to the commercial centre that lies beyond the bridge. Upon entering the bridge, one is struck by the commanding old Town Hall, set against a vast river landscape that opens up on both sides of the bridge. The sense of arrival is experienced first when arriving on the south shore of the river, and again at the intersection of Mill and Bridge Streets.
The Maclan Bridge serves as the approximate eastern boundary of the historic urban centre of Almonte, and the views from each side reflect this condition. The view to the east is a pastoral scene dominated by the treed riverbanks, and is largely rural in character. Looking west, the view includes the Town Hall, the Wylie Mill, CPR Bridge, and the first waterfall. The houses on the north bank are largely hidden by trees, although the Wylie and Menzies houses are prominent. The view reflecting the milling era remains largely intact.
Mississippi Mills- Heritage Ottawa



Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
21 Sep 1926, Tue • Page 12

Related reading
Almonte Bridge- Unsurpassed in the County
The Back Bridge of Almonte April 1960