0 @NI1874@ NOTE
1 CONC Aaron Wheeler was born in Glastonbury, Somerset, England in 1777, and ca
1 CONC me to Erin Township in 1824, having previously visited Newfoundland, but r
1 CONC eturned to England.  He was accompanied by his wife and two daughters.  Th
1 CONC ey settled on lot 25, con. 8, the site of the Hillsburgh Community Hall, w
1 CONC here he built his log house.  The first baking his wife did, was after th
1 CONC ey arrived in Erin Twp.  They built a fire on a flat stone, and after brus
1 CONC hing it off, cooked scones on the hot stones.  One wall of her log cabin w
1 CONC as a huge fireplace, over which all the cooking was done for many year
1 CONC s.  Aaron Wheeler married Betsy Lucans in England and they had two daughte
1 CONC rs, Ann and Mary.
1 CONT
1 CONT The first Grist Mill was built by Aaron Wheeler on the west branch of t
1 CONC he Credit River, soon after his arrival in 1824.   His dam had a fall of s
1 CONC ix feet.  The mill was driven by a breast-wheel ten feet in diameter.  T
1 CONC he log building was about 18 ft. x 20 ft in size, one storey high, wi
1 CONC th a few loose boards laid across the beams for flooring.  One of the gabl
1 CONC es was left open, and a few logs were laid from it to the bank, upon whi
1 CONC ch to walk while carrying the bags of grist.  One had to be carful to ke
1 CONC ep to the centre of the building while carrying the bags, or they could ca
1 CONC tch on the roof and get torn.    This description was written by John Dobb
1 CONC in in "Memoirs" her wrote in 1866, while he was Reeve of West Garafraxa Tw
1 CONC p.    The Dobbins came to Garafraxa in July 1826, and made one trip to Hil
1 CONC lsburgh with grist.  It was a very slow operating mill, and soon became in
1 CONC adequate to meet the needs of the increasing population, so, it was lat
1 CONC er sold, and became a woollen mill.
1 CONT
1 CONT Aaron Wheeler's second wife was Leah Cox, and their family included: Isabe
1 CONC lla, Mrs. Robert Smart; Sarah, Mrs. Angus McArthur and Robert Wheeler.
1 CONT
1 CONT His tomb stone at Conningsby Cemetery reads as follows:  In memory of Aar
1 CONC on Wheeler, died Nov. 17, 1860 age 84 years.  Native of Somersetshire, Eng
1 CONC land.