North Cumberland Historical Society

Conns Mills

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Conns Mills, a small community situated at the head of the tides of Pugwash River was known as the “Head of the Tides” when John Fillmore, one of the River Philip Fillmores, settled there.

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It was good timberland at that time, and he bought land on each side of the river and built a dam and saw mill there.  It was reported that he prospered well.  As more settlers came and started to clear land and farm, there was need of a grist mill to grind their grain into flour.  As there was none handy, he built one, which was a great convenience to the pioneers.  For several years, it was the only one between Wallace River and River Phillip.  Then a big freshet came and destroyed the dam and mills, and as Mr. Fillmore was becoming aged, he decided to sell his property to some one who was in a better position to rebuild the dam and mills.

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A few years later, the Conn family purchased the Fillmore properties, mill sites, etc. and rebuilt the dam and saw and grist mills.  They operated the mills for several years.  When the parents died, some of the family went elsewhere with the exception of Andrew.  Andrew was more interested in farming than milling and the mills and pond privileges were sold to a company composed of MacPhersons.  They built saw mills and did well in the lumbering business.  The lumber was rafted down the river to Pugwash where it was loaded on to ships.  Gradually one after another sold his share until only Angus MacPherson was left.  His heirs roped it for some time and operated in the spring when there were logs to saw.

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The grist mill was operated by Hugh MacPherson, who after having gotten his father’s homestead, took up farming and sold the mill to Jesse Demings.

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In a few years, it was sold to another company, but it seems everyone was busy at some other business and the work of operating the grist mill was neglected.  This was a great inconvenience to the farmers who had to now travel elsewhere to have their grain ground.

Because the Conn Family had contributed so much to the area, the place became known as Conn Mills.  The father, William Conn, who came from Scotland, died in 1863 at the age of 74.  He and his wife and two sons Andrew and Robert and daughter Margaret are buried in the Conns Mills Cemetery.

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It is uncertain when the first settlers came or if John Fillmore was the first.  The first burials recorded in the Conn Mills Cemetery are of two of his grandchildren in the years 1847 and 1849.

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Other settlers whose names were on the tombstone were MacDougall, Cameron, Thompson, Ross, Finley, DeMings, MacLellans, Wakeham and Ives.

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Conns Mills was once a flourishing community consisting of a store, school, post office, blacksmith shop and railway station.  Of these, only the school is left and is now The Little Red School community hall.

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The railroad from Pictou to Oxford Junction was completed in 1888 and added to the business of the community.  From this station, many box cars loaded with lumber, pulpwood and pit wood were shipped over the years from the surrounding area.

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Prior to the railroad, the river was used as the main source of transportation.  In addition to lumber, which was sent down the river, supplies were brought up and carried or hauled to the surrounding communities.  It has been told that some persons were know to have carried a barrel of flour on their backs.  This was about two hundred pounds, and it was carried for a distance of three or four miles, much of it up hill.  The bank east of the Ryan home is where the supplies were unloaded and the lumber sent on its ways.  The supplies and pulpwood, etc. were moved on rafts.  

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Because of the significance of mills in the history of Conns Mills, stones which still remained from the grist mill were salvaged by Layton Ryan.   Layton, who lived most of his life there, had a mill stone reconstructed on the corner of his lawn as a tribute to the early settlers who had the mills there an to those for whom the settlement was named.

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The Ryans live on the same spot as Andrew Conn.  The original home was owned by a grandson of Andrew, Conn Forrester, when it fell down in 1936.

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This information is excerpted from an article for the Amherst News and Sentinel on Jan. 6, 1915 by Mr. A. S. Ross of Thompson Station.