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The Ritchie Mill is the oldest surviving
Constructed in 1892 and the oldest surviving flour mill in the province, the Ritchie Mill is significant because of its association with the early agricultural and industrial development of Alberta. It is associated with early technical innovation, using steam powered, steel rollers instead of the traditional stone wheels that became pitted when grinding hard prairie
City of Edmonton Historic Resource - Ritchie Mill
{{Edmonton landmarks Provincial Historic Resources in Edmonton Municipal Historic Resources of Edmonton Industrial buildings completed in 1892 Flour mills in Canada
flour mill
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separated ...
in the province of Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
.
History
Constructed in 1892 and the oldest surviving flour mill in the province, the Ritchie Mill is significant because of its association with the early agricultural and industrial development of Alberta. It is associated with early technical innovation, using steam powered, steel rollers instead of the traditional stone wheels that became pitted when grinding hard prairie wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
.
The Ritchie Mill is also significant because of its association with industrial and agricultural development in an urban setting and with the development of the Strathcona community, one of Edmonton's oldest settled neighborhoods, dating from the arrival of the Calgary and Edmonton Railway The Calgary and Edmonton Railway (C&E) was an early pioneer railway in what was then the Northwest Territories, now Alberta, Canada. It connected the towns of Calgary and Strathcona (also called South Edmonton). Construction started in April 1 ...
in 1892, which terminated at the North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows from the Canadian Rockies continental divide east to central Saskatchewan, where it joins with the South Saskatchewan River to make up the Saskatchewan River. Its water flows event ...
Valley. The Ritchie Mill was located at the ‘End of Steel’ to take advantage of the rail link with the southern part of the province. Elevators
An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They are ...
were added in 1895 and 1902 and the building functioned as a flour mill until 1948.
The Ritchie Mill is also significant because of its association with Robert Ritchie who arrived in Strathcona in 1892. Within a year he had built and began operating the flour mill and added elevators in 1895 and 1905. Ritchie also served in local politics as alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...
, school trustee, justice of the peace, and in 1906 as mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of Strathcona.
the building had been converted to an iconic office & retail building with numerous professional tenants.
Heritage recognition
The surviving parts of the mill were designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1979 and a Municipal Historic Resource in 1997.See also
*Esterhazy Flour Mill
The Esterhazy Flour Mill is located at 517 Smith-Dorrien Street, Esterhazy, Saskatchewan. Construction of the mill was started in 1904 and was completed in 1907. The current owner is the Town of Esterhazy and is run by the Friends of the Flour M ...
- 1904 wood-frame construction flour mill in Saskatchewan
* Flour Mill
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separated ...
* Heritage buildings in Edmonton
* Krause Milling Co. - 1929 grain elevator and flour mill site in Radway, Alberta.
* Lake of the Woods Milling Company The Lake of the Woods Milling Company Limited was a milling company that operated a flour mill in Keewatin, Ontario for 79 years. At the height of its production, it was possibly the largest flour mill in the British Commonwealth.
The mill operat ...
Limited - started May 21, 1887 in Keewatin, Ontario.
* List of attractions and landmarks in Edmonton
* Ritchie, Edmonton
* Watson's Mill
Watson's Mill is an historic flour and gristmill in Manotick, Ontario, Canada. It is the only working museum in the Ottawa area and one of the very few operating industrial grist mills in North America. Watson's Mill still sells stone-ground whol ...
- is a historic gristmill in Manotick, Ontario, Canada.
References
External links
City of Edmonton Historic Resource - Ritchie Mill
{{Edmonton landmarks Provincial Historic Resources in Edmonton Municipal Historic Resources of Edmonton Industrial buildings completed in 1892 Flour mills in Canada