BACKUS HERITAGE CONSERVVATION AREA
PORT ROWAN

SEPTEMBER 10 & 11

The 1798 Backhouse Mill was one of the few grist mills in the area not burned during the War of 1812. It's a miracle the Mill survived. Flour itself is highly flammable and during the War 1812, many mills along Lake Erie were burned to the ground. There are a number of stories as to how the Backhouse Mill escaped destruction. Maybe it was the bonfires set by the Norfolk Militia to fool the American troops into thinking the Mill was already burning. Maybe the Americans were sympathetic to Backhouse, a fellow Mason. Perhaps the American troops simply did not find the mill. Whatever the reason, the Mill went on to serve the community for almost 160 years. Today, Backhouse Mill is a National Historic Site, operated by the Long Point Region Conservation Authority.