• Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the first born in a family of 14 children. In 1844 he left his father's farm near Wardsville [Ontario] and migrated to Newport, now Marine City, Mich. where he went to work as a ship carpenter in the same ship yard where in later years he had several ships built and repaired. About 1850 he moved 14 miles north to Vicksburg, the name being changed to Marysville, to honor his wife, to go into the lumber business. He resided in Marysville until his death.95

• March 1845: School in Mosa; from penmanship book: “went to school on 12th of March, 1845, Aldborough.”280
• 10 Oct 1845: Living in Mosa Township.
“Nelson Mills, his Book. A living in the Township of Mosa, London District, October the 10th, 1845.”274

• ...who came from Canada in 1844, and had been a ship-carpenter in Marine City until he joined Miron Williams in lumbering on the Turnpike about 1850.281

• Married 1863. All children born in Marysville, Michigan.95

• “Nelson Mills settled in Mosa with his father in 1826.......”
The 1826 date of settlement in Mosa given in this source corresponds to that indicated in the query in Mills Ancestry [issue #10 26 Sept. 1988], which gives it as c. 1826. The wording “settled...with his father” seems a bit incongruous, since Nelson would have been only 3 years old in 1826. The fact that the author, writing about 60 years after Nelson moved from Mosa to Michigan, chose to describe the settlement in terms of Nelson rather than Barnabas, suggests that he may have had some kind of contact with Nelson over the years. (The author, Hugh McColl, who was b. 1837 in Ekfrid Twp., published the Strathroy Age from 1868 to 1876, and was postmaster at Strathroy from 1875 until his death in 1910.)
Source: Commentary by Robert A. Jones,282, in which this quotation is taken from Hugh McColl, Some Sketches of the Early Pioneers of the County of Middlesex (Toronto, 1902; facsimile edition Ottawa, Ont., Canadian Heritage Publications, 1979), page 23.

• At Marysville, or Vicksburg, as it was then generally called, E. P. Vickery, the first syllable of whose name had been used in giving the name to the settlement, had built a steam saw mill about 1843 which he later enlarged until it had a capacity of one million feet. A short distance below, Williams and Mills built, in 1855, a steam mill of two million feet capacity, and this together with the Vickery mill, were acquired by Williams and Mills, and later by Nelson and Barney Mills, who also purchased in 1878 the mill above their upper mill, which had been built in 1871 by William Sanborn and brother (James). This mill was a fine modern mill with a capacity of seven million feet, and was erected to saw timber brought from north of Saginaw bay.283, p 372

• Two brothers, J. L. and J. W. Kelsey, built a mill in 1844 in the forest three miles west of Vicksburg on the Fort Gratiot Turnpike. Their lumber was hauled by teams to their dock up the St. Clair river which was known as Kelsey’s dock or wharf.
Miron Williams and Nelson Mills organized a partnership March 21, 1850 and bought the mill and adjoining land of Kelseys. They operated the mill under the name of Williams and Mills, later to became a well known institution along the river and at Vicksburg, to which point the Kelsey mill was moved in 1858, after the timber available to the turnpike mill was exhausted.
Miron Williams had been a mill operator for Ward & Gallagher at Belle River Mills. Nelson Mills had been since 1844 a ship-carpenter in Ward’s Marine City Shipyard. Williams married the oldest Gallagher girl, Mary, in 1838 and they came in 1854 with their family of two boys and seven girls to Vicksburg, this being quite a substantial increase in the population of that time. The Williams farm home became the scene of much entertainment during the 30 years following. A school was maintained by Williams for his own children and those of the neighborhood, being the first school house in Vicksburg.284, p 2

• [excerpts] Williams & Mills bought the turnpike saw-mill Mar. 21, 1850 from Joel w. & Jos. L. Kelsey, who had bought in 1844 from P. Laturno and Jos Beaushaw. Other land was included in the deed from Kelseys. Price was $3500, with mortgage back for $2500. See Vol U- pages 703-704.
Miron Williams and Nelson Mills formed a co-partnership dated May 29, 1850, and operated this mill, store, boarding house on the turnpike. The location was in NW 1/4 Sec. 1, St. Clair township.
Some date between 1850 and 1854, Nathan Reeve of Detroit (or Newburgh, N. y.) was taken into partnership, becoming the firm named Reeve, Williams & Mills.
Mar. 25, 1862. Nelson Mills and Barney Mills partnership agreement.
Mar. 25, 1862. Agreement of Miron Williams to sell to Nelson & Barney Mills.285

• Before the end of pastor Tuttle’s first successful year here, the Methodists were planning for a building. They had organized a Board of five Trustees--Peter Brakeman, Nelson Mills, Ainsley Griffith, William Smith, and David Carlisle. These trustees purchased a strip of land 4 rods wide and 39 rods deep from Obadiah Gardner for the sum of $100.286, p 5

• The Methodist Episcopal Church of Vicksburg was organized November 9, 1859, with Peter F. Brakman, Nelson Mills, Ainsley M. Griffith, D. Carlisle and William Smith Trustees, and William Tuttle, pastor.283, p 425

• At the foot of River Road and what is now Huron Ave. stood the general store operated by Nelson and Barney Mills. They carried everything a lumberjack needed to get along in life. All kinds of merchandise and groceries. The men were paid $1.50 per day and felt an obligation to trade with Mr. Mills. They were paid on Saturday at the office in rear of store on way home from work. Later in day on payday most of them went back to store and purchased their needs for next week which resulted in Mr. Mills getting the money back that he had paid the men earlier in the day.287, p 1
The Mills family had a complete lumber empire -- a lumber camp but can’t recall where it was located but my Father called it the Nelson Mills camp in his songs. They owned a fleet of boats, four sawmills and several farms and the store also leased and operated Stag Island, and inaugurated a ferry service between Marysville and the island.287, p 2
Also would like to add that Nelson Mills was in his office a lot but he could put on boots and grab a pole and ride the logs in the river as good as any of the men.287, p 3

• In the fall, when the first snow came, the Mills family’s horses and oxen were shipped from Stag Island in the St. Clair River to Ogemaw County to work in the lumber camps.
Around 1870 the Mills family owned hundreds of acres of Ogemaw County. They started a lumbering project which was carried for twenty years. After the trees were cut and trimmed into sizable logs, they were skidded into the Rifle River, during the spring freshets, and floated downstream. Upon reaching Lake Huron, they were rafted and pulled by tug boats to the St. Clair River, near Port Huron. Steam boats and tow barges transported them to Cleveland, Ohio, through Lake Erie.288

• Supervisor of St. Clair Township, 1860-61.283, p 637

• Justice of the Peace, 1856 & 1859.283, p 638

• Marysville Postmaster: 1864-1892.284

• The Mills Transportation Company was formed February 4, 1878, with a capital stock of $250,000, divided into 10,000 shares of $25 each. Nelson Mills, of Marysville, held 2,812; Barney Mills, 938; August C. Gray, 1,250; Henry McMorran, Port Huron, 2,500; and Charles Neal, Bay City, 2,500 shares.283, p 547

• Nelson Mills, Marysville, of the firm of N & B Mills, Section 32, manufacturers of pine and other lumber, is a native of Nova Scotia, and was born January 15, 1823. When three years of age his parents moved to Upper Canada in the township of Mosa; there he lived until manhood. Then he came to Michigan and located in the County at Newport (now Marine City) and became a citizen. He worked at ship-building. Then he and Myron Williams bought a tract of timber and sawmill on the Fort Gratiot turnpike in 1850, and engaged in lumbering. Their mill burned the next winter, and they rebuilt the mill and had it running in six weeks. They ran the business there twelve years. In 1853, they formed a partnership with N. Reeves, of Detroit, and bought a tract of pine land in Sanilac County, and the Brooks and St. Clair mill at Algonac. N. Mills took charge of the Williams and Mills’ property, and M. Williams that of the Reeves, Williams and Mills’. In 1854, they bought the Vickery mill at Vicksburg and transferred their business to that place and built another mill. Soon after this the Vickery mill burned. The business was carried on in this way for three years, when Reeves failed; Williams and Mills took his interest and paid the debts. They carried on the business until 1862. Then N. Mills bought the Williams’ interest, and took B. Mills in as partner and moved the mill from the turnpike to where the Vickery mill had been burned. They bought a tract of pine in Ogemaw County. They run the logs down the Rifle River, where they raft them and bring them to Vicksburg (now Marysville), where they operate two mills and a shingle and planing mill. They cut from eight to ten million feet of lumber yearly, and have the largest retail trade on the river. Mr. Mills is the largest stockholder in the Mills Transportation Company, which consists of the large steam barge Nelson Mills and four tow barges. They have also two other steam barges which are employed in freighting lumber to Cleveland, where [there is] the lumber yard for the sale of their lumber. They also carry on mercantile business. The interests of this firm comprise the business interests of Marysville. Mr. Mills has been actively identified with the interests of the town and county, and has held the office of Supervisor of the town of St. Clair, Justice of the Peace and School Inspector; and has held the office of Postmaster most of the time since he came here. He owns a large farm about two miles from Marysville. In 1863, Mr. Mills was united in marriage to Miss Mary Williams, a native of this county, and daughter of Myron Williams. Mr. and Mrs. Mills have six children, three sons and three daughters - John, Myron, Maggie, Hannah, Emeline and David.283, p 586

• For many years the lumber and shipbuilding enterprises of Nelson and Barney Mills comprised the only industry in the village [Marysville, MI].289

• My [Myron Mills] father, N. Mills, was one of the leaders of industry in this section from 1876 to 1904, taking an active part in most of the enterprises that developed St. Clair County, and was specially interested in lake freight transportation. After his death in 1904, I became one of the executors of his estate, and had charge of it until disposed of in 1912.290

• NELSON MILLS PASSES BEYOND
Active Life Closed
Interested In Many Industrial Corporations
and Large Vessel Owner
-- Reported Very Wealthy

Nelson Mills, one of the oldest and best known residents of St. Clair county, died at his home in Marysville on Wednesday afternoon. He was taken sick on Sept. 9 last and has been confined to his room since Christmas day. Different specialists have been called and all have agreed that the stomach trouble was of such a serious nature that he could not recover and that the end would be only a matter of a few months. Notwithstanding his illness he has looked after many of the details of his business up to within a few days, and remained conscious up to the time of his death. Mr. Mills was considered the wealthiest man in St. Clair county, his property holdings being estimated at over $1,000,000.
-------------------------
Nelson Mills was born January 15, 1823, in Nova Scotia, of English parentage. When three years of age his family moved to Wardsville, near Chatham, Ont., where his early boyhood was passed on a farm until he was twenty-one years old, except one winter which was spent getting out ship timber for the Quebec trade. In 1844 he came to Marine City, then known as Newport, and engaged in shipbuilding, at which occupation he had the name of doing more work in one day and doing it better than any other three men in the county. It was there that he first became known for that strength, endurance, and passion for labor that has marked his whole life, and this great capacity for work soon gained him more than local fame. He detested shams and believed that work was the mother of success, and that luck was only a very distant relative.
Between 1844 and 1850 he made frequent trips into the pine forests of Michigan as a land looker for various people, and in 1850 engaged in lumbering on his own account in partnership with Myron Williams and Nathan Reeves, doing what was then a large business in lumber and rafting of logs on Black river, their capacity being 10,000,000 feet of lumber annually. In a few years Reeves went out of the business and Williams & Mills erected their first saw mill on the Fort Gratiot turnpike, three miles from the St. Clair River, for which their supply of logs was obtained from a 3,000 acre tract of thickly timbered land surrounding that point, the logs being brought to the mill on a wooden railroad.
In 1862 Mr. Mills purchased his partner's interest in the business, and with his brother, Barney, formed the partnership of N. & B. Mills, which has until the present time continued with-out interruption, with headquarters at Marysville. This firm later purchased 15,000 acres of pine land in Ogemaw and Arenac counties, which became their resource for a large timber supply for fifty years.
In 1862 Mr. Mills, in connection with L. M. Skidmore, opened a wholesale lumber yard at Toledo, Ohio, which continued for six years.
Nelson Mills has been interested in vessels all his life, and has owned and operated a large fleet of boats in the lumber, grain, and ore trades, and has always been closely connected with the development of shipbuilding, from the small vessels of the '60's to the present day. In 1863 his first venture was the building of the schooner Antelope, and placing her in the Chicago trade, where she not only cleared her first cost during the first season, but was sold at the end of the first year for more than her entire cost. This phenomenal success induced him to dip deeper into this branch of business, and for many years the Mills Transportation Co., the Pawnee Boat Co., and other lines have been important factors in the carrying trade of the Great Lakes. This firm in 1864 established a wholesale and retail lumber yard at Cleveland, Ohio, under the name of Mills, Jewett & Co., which some years later was changed to N. Mills & Co., and then to the Mills, Carleton Co. In 1897 the present corporation was formed by the consolidation of the Mills, Gray, Carleton Co., became one of the largest wholesale lumber companies doing business on Lake Erie, handling over 100,000,000 feet annually.
In 1889 Mr. Mills, together with his son, John, in connection with Isaac Bearinger of Saginaw, and Hiram W. Sibley, of Rochester, N. Y., purchased 10,000 acre tract of land in West Virginia, timbered with black walnut and yellow poplar, and commenced manufacturing this valuable timber on an extensive scale.
In 1900 John E. Mills, eldest son of Nelson Mills, secured the right of way and began the construction of an electric suburban road between Lansing, St. Johns, and St. Louis. Upon his death in August, 1903, the work was taken up and carried on by his father. During the summer of 1903, Mr. Mills with his son, Myron, his son-in-law J. R. Elliott, and Geo. G. Moore, of Port Huron, bought the Lansing street railway, which has been reconstructed, and both roads are being rapidly pushed to completion.
The many business interests in which Mr. Mills was personally concerned are:
President of the Mills, Gray, Carleton Lumber Co., Cleveland, Ohio
President of the Lansing street railway
President of the St. Louis & St. Johns Railway Co.
President of the Mills Transportation Co.
President of the Pawnee Boat Co.
President of the Mills, Elliott Manufacturing Co.
President of the Nelson Mills company
President of the Port Huron & Sarnia Ferry Co.
President of the Port Huron Navigation Co.
Director of the Panther Lumber Co., West Virginia
Director of the Port Huron Savings Bank
Director of the Port Huron Engine & Thresher Co.
Director of the Deepspring Mineral Bath Co.
Director of the Northern Life Assurance Co., of Canada
Mr. Mills was a large property holder in Port Huron, Detroit, Toledo, and Cleveland. He was the owner of Stag Island, a popular summer resort in St. Clair river, owned a planing mill and branch lumber yard in St. Clair, and large farms in St. Clair county. He was also an active stock-holder in numerous industries: Malleable Iron Works, Port Huron Saw Works, and the Anglo-American Fire Insurance Co., of Toronto.
Mr. Mills always took a marked interest in politics, his first vote having been for Fremont in 1850, and while a devout adherent to the principles of the Republican Party, and often solicited to accept office, his business interests compelled refusal, except in the early days of the county, when he was supervisor and justice of the peace.
In 1850 he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for more than fifty years held the office of steward of the church. No matter what the business cares of the week had been, he was never found absent from his pew twice on Sunday, and during the early part of his life took an active part in Sunday school work. In his business, religious and every day life, he has shown the same strong characteristics. Determined in carrying out with success whatever he undertook, and always thoroughly just in his dealings with men in whatever station in life. He rarely discharged an employee, and during dull seasons in business his great anxiety was to be able to keep those depending on him employed.
Mr. Mills, was married in 1862 [sic] to Miss Mary Williams, daughter of his former partner, and the union was blessed by three sons and four daughters: John E., Myron W., Margaret M., Hanna E., Emeline W., David W., and Hally B. Mrs. Mills died in 1891. Her death was followed by that of Hally in 1900, and John in 1903.270,291, p 5; reprint

• NELSON MILLS PASSES AWAY.
Pioneer Lumberman and Capitalist of Michigan Dead
Port Huron Mich., March 17–Nelson Mills, a pioneer lumberman and capitalist, died at his home in Maryville [sic] during the day, aged eighty-one years.
Mr. Mills built up one of the finest summer resorts on the lakes at Stag island, in the St. Clair river, which he leased from the Canadian government for 100 years. He controlled lumber yards at Cleveland, Toledo, Maryville and in West Virginia.
Recently he promoted and completed the deal for the purchase of the Lansing street railway and the St. Louis-Johns interurban line in this state.292

• LATE NELSON MILLS
An Interesting Story Told of His Early Life
How the Village of Marysville Received Its Name
A dispatch from Marine City says, of the late Nelson Mills:
An interesting story is told of Nelson Mills, St. Clair County's millionaire, who died a few days ago. It would be needless to state for the benefit of those who were personally acquainted that Mr. Mills when a young man was very plain in his appearance and address, but possessed of a good stock of courage and perseverance.
It was about 1848 that Mr. Mills arrived in what was then Newport, now Marine City, Capt. Sam Ward who was the founder of Newport, was then carrying on a shipyard and general store, the shipyard being known in later years as the Holland yard. Being in urgent need of more ship-carpenters, and happening to be on the dock as young Mills landed, and learning that he wished work, Capt. Ward went with him at once to the shipyard, where Jacob Wolverton was master builder, and Stephen Rose foreman. Capt. Ward suggested to his master builder that he thought he had found a man to work in the yard. Wolverton, giving a side glance over his shoulder at Mills and his tools (which were exposed in his open “coon box”), told him that if Ward had any barns to build he might hire him, but that he himself had no use for him in his shipyard.
It happened that Ward was in need of having a barn built, and at the curt answer of Wolverton the captain turned to Mills and asked him if he would build it. The young man answered he was looking for work, and it mattered little where it was. He went to work at once on the barn (which for many years stood in the rear of the Ward residence). This has since been known as the Holland homestead. After completing the barn, Capt. Ward was so well pleased that a position was given Mills at once in the shipyard, where he remained as long as it was continued by Ward, and afterward for Solomon Gardner when the Steamer “Ocean” was built.
When he settled up with Ward, Mills had the larger portion of his wages coming to him, which furnished the nucleus for his going into the lumber business at Marysville in company with Myron Williams.
Mills afterwards married Mary, the daughter of his partner, and in her honor the village was named.
Mills’ experience in the Newport shipyard was of great importance to him, as, outside of his vast lumber and real estate interests, he had been known as one of the largest ship owners on the lakes. The old shipyard where he once worked has been kept busy for many years building new boats and repairing old ones for him.293

• MILLS’ ESTATE
Will of Nelson Mills Was Filed Today
The Five Children All Get Share and Share-Alike
---------------
The will of the late Nelson Mills was filed in the probate court today. The estate is divided, share and share alike, among his five children, namely: Myron W. Mills, Margaret Hopkins, Hannah Mills, Emeline Elliott and David Mills.
The will was executed on the 17th of April, 1903, and occupies just twenty-three typewritten lines.
Myron W. Mills was made executor and was empowered to sell or convey any or all of the estate without the necessity of applying to the probate court. Subsequently Mr. Mills made his son, David W. Mills, a joint executor with Myron W. Mills and expressed his desire that the estate should be kept intact and that all partnership and business interests in which he was engaged at the time of his death should be carried on until such time as the best interests of the estate would permit them to be closed up, and for this purpose Myron W. and David W. were also made trustees of all of the estate, real and personal, and were directed to distribute the estate among the heirs from time to time as the best interests of all seem to require. The trustees are given full power and authority to manage the business precisely as if it was their own. In the event of the death of either of the trustees, the other is given full power and authority under the will.
John E. Mills was alive at the time this will was made but, owing to the fact that his father incurred large liability for him which the estate had to pay, no provision was made for him in the will. The other children were asked to deal fairly and justly by this son.
The will was witnessed by Prudence Carroll and W. L. Jenks.
Myron L. Mills said it was impossible to estimate the value of the estate. In the petition filed by Attorney George G. Moore in the probate court this morning, the value of the estate was placed at $1,000 and upwards, but it is understood the real value comes nearer a million or a million and a half. It includes the Mills Gray Carleton Lumber Co., of Cleveland, and business and book property in Cleveland and Canton, Ohio, including also large summer resort property in Cleveland, great lumber tracts in Northern Michigan and coal and lumber lands in the south. The Lansing and Suburban Traction Company, vessel property, bank stock, ten or twelve farms in St. Clair county, Stag Island, stock in the Engine and Thresher Co. and many other industrial enterprises. By the provisions of the will it is estimated that the children will have two hundred to three hundred thousand dollars each.276

• When Nelson Mills passed from life into death St. Clair county suffered one of the greatest losses in her history. He was a real captain of industry, but his success was never due to any crooked methods but to a tremendous capacity for hard work and unusual business ability. (cont.)12, p 681-4

• OBITUARIES:
1) NELSON MILLS PASSES AWAY
2) VIGOROUS TYPE OF BUSINESS MAN
3) NELSON MILLS’ WILL294

• There is much history, etc. about the Mills in this county, and I guess some other parts of Michigan. The Mills were prominent and rich at one time.295

• Well the updates to the Pioneer site...are a delight to see. I just love that 'David W. Mills Ship' photo. Nelson Mills' Great Lakes shipping interests were as important as the timber reserves and the mills that processed that material into dimensional timbers and dimensional lumber. This ship? It was steam powered (1st generation Great Lakes shipping vessels were sailing ships that specialized in cargo, 2nd generation were sailing and steam assisted combos, then finally fully steam-powered barge style ships which is what the David W. Mills was)...and carried 1,000,000 bf of lumber at a time. That's a large shipment today. But then? It was massive. It shows how serious the NORTHERN OHIO LUMBER wholesale operations of Nelson and David Mills were in Cleveland at that time. And the ship....named after his son David. Just wonderful. Right? It has to be terrific to you.....Great picture.296

• 1842 Census: Mosa Twp., London District, Ontario.297
• 1851 Mosa Twp. Census: labourer, born Nova Scotia, age 28, “in the States.”298, p 2,299,300, p 7
• 1860 Census: Vicksburg P. O., St. Clair, Michigan. Age 35, b Nova Scotia. Lumber man. $27,000; $13,000.301
• 1870 Census: Port Huron Twp., Marysville P.O., St. Clair, Michigan. Age 47, lumberman, b Nova Scotia; $58,000; $85,000.302
• 1880 Census: Port Huron Twp., Marysville P.O., St. Clair, Michigan. Age 57, b NS. Father b NS: mother b Ireland. Mill Owner.101
• 1884 Michigan Census: Marysville, St. Clair, Michigan. Age 63, born Nova Scotia. Father born Nova Scotia; mother born Ireland. Lumber dealer.102
• 1894 Michigan Census: Port Huron Township, St. Clair, Michigan. Age 71, widowed, Lumber yard business, in U.S. 50 years.103
• 1900 Census: Port Huron Twp., Marysville P.O., St. Clair, Michigan. Age 77, b Jan 1823, Canada Eng. Lumber dealer. Immigrated 1843 [sic].104

• A Brief History of Marysville
In 1817, Zephaniah W. Bunce sailed up the St. Clair River and settled at the mouth of Baby’s Creek, serving as merchant, postmaster, lumberman, judge, and legislator for sixty five years. There was no habitation nearer that Fort Gratiot to the North and Palmer (St. Clair) to the south. The pine forest that stretched from Pine River to the Strait of Mackinac was barely touched by man. This was woodland.
Eventually saw mills sprouted up on streams in Marysville known today as Carleton Creek (the Golf course), at Bunce Creek (Detroit Edison Plant), and at Mud Creek (in Marysville Park).
Meldrum and Park erected a sawmill in 1792 at Carleton Creek and was later succeeded by Colonel Andrew Mack, a prominent Detroit man. The Colonel constructed a house there, which later became the home of George W. Carleton. A model of this house may still be seen on the lawn of Marysville Historical Museum in Marysville Park. The tombstone of Andrew Mack and his wife, Amelia, still remains standing on the north bank of Carleton Creek in the Riverview Golf Course.
Another mill located at Bunce Creek was owned by Judge Bunce and his sons, Mumford and Lefferts, which was built on the site on an earlier mill started by Antoin Morass about 1786. It was water powered and in operation from 1818 until 1870. Initially it was called Bunceville, serving as a port of call for passenger steamers running between Chicago and Detroit. It was the trading post for Indians and trappers, the post office for Fort Gratiot and Desmon, of which Judge Bunce was postmaster. The judge later became a member of the first Michigan Legislature.
In 1843, Edward P. Vickery purchased land form Cummings Sanborn and erected a sawmill at the point where Mud Creek flowed into the St. Clair River, near the foot of the present Huron Boulevard. He named his operation Vickery’s Landing. As the settlement grew, it was renamed Vicksburg. Then in 1859 the name was changed to Marysville, after Nelson Mills’ wife Mary. Vickery sold his mill in 1852 to Lewis Brockway and Horace E. Bunce, who in turn sold it in 1854 to Nathan Reeves, Myron Williams and Nelson Mills. Mills became the sole owner in 1862. Nelson Mills operated three specialized mills on the St. Clair River near the mouth of Mud Creek. These continued to function until about 1900. The Williams-Mills operation was the largest enterprise in Marysville up until the arrival of C. H. Wills.
Another establishment within the present boundaries of Marysville was Hubbard’s Corners, where Isaac Hubbard built a tavern, blacksmith shop and a store on the corner of Bartlett Road (Huron Blvd.) and Gratiot Turnpike. Hubbard married Edward Vickery’s daughter, Mary.
From 1853 to 1883, Vicksburg was also a shipbuilding town. Myron Williams built the schooners: Mary-88 tons; Mary Williams-88 tons. These small schooners were built to transport lumber from Vicksburg to Detroit and other Lake Erie ports. In 1862 Williams built the schooner Emeline-121 tons; and in 1864 the tug Tawas, named after an Indian of that name. The tug blew up in 1874 killing some of its crew.
In 1864, Williams also constructed the City of Tawas-572 tons and the scow D. G. Williams in 1874. N & B Mills rebuilt the Clifton in 1866, built the N. Mills in 1870, the Mary Mills in 1872 and the Steamer J. E. Mills in 1883.
Following the lumber era - from 1900 to 1919 - Marysville was a quiet little village extending from the river west to what is now Michigan Avenue. These was no industry at that time, although there was a rapid transit system to Detroit and Port Huron via the electric interurban railway known as the D.U.R. (Detroit Urban Railway).
In 1919, C. Harold Wills, a millionaire motor car engineer from Detroit, changed the face of the village. Within two years, his "Dream City" had become a reality. New streets were laid out and new homes built. C. H. Wills and Company built a factory to produce the Wills Ste., Clair automobile, whose design and engine were far ahead of its time. Unfortunately, due to the high cost of production and a severe economic depression, the operation failed. The building Wills had constructed was later purchased by Chrysler Corporation and houses the Mopar operation there today.
Marysville was first incorporated as a village in the year 1919 and as a fifth class City in 1924 under the City Manager form of government. The population has grow steadily and is approximately 10,000 today. New businesses have sprung up in the area, attracted by our fine school system, efficient police and fire departments, and good municipal services.305

• Myron W. Mills, splendid gentleman, descendant of a long-line of respected forebears and present official Historian of Marysville, furnishes the script for my broadcast of tonight. It is a pleasure to collaborate with Mr. Mills in bringing old-time history of Marysville to you at this time.
For 30 years following 1871 the whole activity of Marysville centered in the lumber mills and vessel business of Nelson and Barney Mills. The history of Marysville during that period must be the story of N & B Mills, --- the company which began in 1862 and continued to operate its saw-mills until the death of the partners in 1904 and 1905.
By a fortunate, well-timed purchase of pine land in 1870 from a group of land speculators in Buffalo, the Mills Company obtained a log supply to keep their operations running many years. This purchase involved going into debt for upwards of $50,000, which was a big loan at any time but was especially heavy when it became necessary to carry it through the 1873 panic. Only the confidence of the selling parties in the integrity and industry of the Mills firm enabled the latter to carry through the undertaking. The debt was finally paid off in about 10 years, after the partners had found it necessary to pledge everything they possessed in order to raise money.
By singular good fortune they were able to get the William Sanborn Mill, just north of the Marysville Creek, in 1878. This mill had operated only a year or two after it was built in 1871, because the Sanborns had no available timber supply. The mill was strictly modern, built to saw timbers as long as 80 feet. Logs of this type could be obtained only from the shores of Lake Huron and its tributaries. This fitted exactly into the plan of N & B Mills whose logs coming from Tawas Bay ran to lengths of 120 to 140 feet. It cannot be said that such lengths were usual, but many did cut up into 40, 60 and 80 foot lengths, and many pine logs suitable for spars were formed and laid aside for future demand as spar timber.
Log rafts on St. Clair river were very common during those years. Almost daily a raft passed down bound for Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland and other Lake Erie ports in tow of one of the old time lake tugs.
Four or five days were required to bring one of the Mills rafts from Tawas Bay to Marysville. The tying-up place was at Bunce Creek where two very strong piles were driven at the beach for snubbing. When a raft approached St. Clair river, it was necessary to keep in mid-channel, as they were 600 or more feet wide and 1500 to 2000 feet in length. They were usually held in the lake until they could come in by daylight. The morning of arrival of a raft all was excitement in Marysville. “Dad” Levi Ogden, grandfather of Myron E. Ogden, loaded a dozen mill hands into his wagon to take they tying-up tackle to Bunce Creek. This consisted of a line or rope about the size of a man’s leg. Frequently it was possible to hail a vessel passing down. “Vessel ahoy!” “Did you see a raft coming in?” And perhaps the answer would be “Yes, it is just coming into the river.” After waiting an hour or two, the tug could be seen passing Black River. Another hour would bring it down along the Canadian shore. Suddenly the tug would swing over to the sand hill at Ravenswood, and the raft swung slowly and gracefully across the river, reaching from shore to shore. Slowly it straightened out and drifted with the strong current toward the snubbing piles. Everything was in readiness as the big raft floated down. At the right instant Nelson Mills shouted from the river bank, “Hold on! Hold everything,” waving his hat and arms as the signal. Black smoke poured from the tug, her throttle wide open, steam roared from the steam pipe, the raft straightened and the chains tightened up. The big yawl with 6 or 8 men shot to shore, men jumped in the water, hauled the big line ashore to the snubbing piles, threw on the turns, tightened up the line, the raft nosed into the shore, smoke and fire flew from the friction on the piles, water was doused on, the line, surged, more fire, more smoke and more water doused on. Two boats, the Point Abino and the J. E. Mills, on the outside crowded the raft ashore. The logs rolled up on the beach and if all went well the raft was finally at rest and safely tied up. The tension was over and Marysville had a supply of logs for another month or two.
The Marysville Post Office from 1864 to 1893 was located in the Mills store east of the river road at the foot of present Huron Boulevard. Mails were carried by star route (horse and buggy or cart or sleigh) between Port Huron and St. Clair until the coming of the interurban car line in 1900. A covered stage heated by a stove operated during the winter months when the regular passenger boats could not operate between Algonac and Port Huron.
The Mills store provided nearly everything required by a pioneer community, dry goods, needles and pins, boots and shoes, groceries, flour, salt pork, drugs, patent medicines, tobaccos, hardware, axes, nails, etc.
A telegraph office of the Western Union opened in October, 1874, in the Mills store and continued until 1904. N. Mills was manager. The first operator was N. P. Arnold followed by W. O. Randall, Ed. Gillett, Arlie Mills, George Shaw, Myron Mills, and W. J. Newton, all of whom were also clerks in the store and post office.
The Mills lumber office was in the rear of the store, presided over by A. C. Gray, who began working for the company in 1862 and continued in charge of the many details of the lumber and boat business until 1895, a most loyal and reliable factor in the business. Two sons, Guy and Ralph, were raised by Mr. Gray. They entered the lumber business of N. Mills & Company in Cleveland, Ohio, in which they became partners, and made a distinguished record in that city for many years as highly successful lumbermen and eventually established a company of their own, the Guy and Ralph Gray Lumber Company.
Marysville’s first long distance telephone was installed in the Mills office about 1879, when the river line was put in operation between Port Huron and Detroit. The telephone at that time was mainly used for office communication to Cleveland. In 1894 a private telephone line connected the residences of Nelson Mills and Myron Mills with the Mills office. These were the only telephones used in Marysville until about 1910, when the Port Huron exchange was extended to cover the Marysville section.
At another time I will be glad to tell you something about some of the old Marysville families.
Here is where the story of Historian Mills ends for tonight.
What follows is the contribution of your announcer because Myron Mills is too modest to write the good things which so truthfully can be told about his father, Nelson Mills, and his sturdy character.
I quote the tribute which W. L. Jenks, in his History of St. Clair County, paid the father of Myron W. Mills.
“Nelson Mills was a real captain of industry, but his success was never due to any crooked methods, but to a tremendous capacity for hard work and unusual business ability. As one of the Port Huron papers remarked at the time of his death: That he was possessed of a remarkable business sagacity has been conceded for years. His marvelous acquisition of property, and always by honest means and clean methods, brought that fact home convincingly to every mind. Another paper prints the following: Mr. Mills’ secret of success was industry combined with good judgment. No one of his employees worked harder than he and he never seemed to be thoroughly happy unless he was doing something. He had little faith in luck, but believed that industry and perseverance would win in the end. He was always genial and approachable by anyone. Every proposition met with respectful consideration and his word could be relied upon implicitly. While his business interests have been largely in the hands of others during the past years, because of advancing age, yet he had continued the active supervision of affairs up to a short time before his death and his removal will necessarily be felt in the community. His career may not be described as brilliant, but he was solid, successful man, one of the real captains of industry upon whom the burden of progress always rest. Such was the estimate of those who know him, and the following brief account of his life will prove their words to have been far from eulogistic.
Nelson Mills was born on the 15th of January, 1823, in Nova Scotia. His parents were of English birth, and when their small son was three years old, they removed to Wardsville, about thirty miles from Chatham, Ontario, where they bought a farm. Here the lad grew up, received what education he had, the conditions of the times making this rather meager, and until he was 21 worked on his father’s farm. One of these winters, however, he spent in getting out ship timber for the Quebec market. In 1844, having through (sic) the work just mentioned, acquired some knowledge of shipbuilding and some acquaintance with shipbuilders, Nelson Mills went to Newport, now Marine City, Michigan, where he engaged in shipbuilding. There he began to gain the reputation for that same strength, endurance and passion for labor that marked his whole life. He soon had the name of doing more work in one day and doing it better than any other three men in the county. In addition to carrying on his shipbuilding trade, between the years 1844 and 1850, much of his time was taken up by frequent trips which he made into the woods as a land looker for various people. In this way he picked up a vast amount of knowledge concerning the pine timber lands of Michigan, and when he engaged in the lumber business in 1850, he was thoroughly familiar with the details of the work.
Mr. Mills always took a keen interest in politics, though his business cares prevented him from ever accepting office in spite of the solicitations of his friends. He cast his first vote for Fremont in 1856, and from that time was always a staunch Republican. He became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1850, and for more than fifty years held the office of steward of the church. No matter how heavy his business cares may have been, nor how wearied he was with the exertion of the week, Sunday always found him in his pew at church, and he did not attend once, but twice. During the early part of his life he was an active worker in Sunday School. The following is a brief estimate made of him by one who knew him: “In his business, religious and everyday life, he has shown the same strong characteristics, determined in carrying out with success whatever he undertook and always thoroughly just in his dealings with men in whatever station of life. He rarely discharged an employee, and during dull seasons in business his great anxiety was to be able to keep those depending on him employed.”
Yes, Myron W. Mills has promised to tell you about some of those old-time Marysville families at some future time but the Marysville Historian would never have peeped about his own family. He just isn’t built that way. So I have done it myself. Now, good night, good cheer, and I thank you.317

• When Nelson Mills and Mary Williams married in 1863 they bought and lived in the house vacated by the Hubbard family. In 1868 the house burned. Myron Mills, then one and one-half years old, miraculously escaped being trapped in the fire. N. Mills then began building the brick home that stood sixty-five years as a landmark on the St. Clair River.315

• Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Mills, Marysville, Mich., have been here attending the funeral of the late Mrs. Mary Read [Mary Hamilton Nelson Read]. Mr. Mills returned immediately after the funeral, but Mrs. Mills remained and is the guest of Mrs. S. E. [Margaret Ann Mills; Mrs. Samuel Eli] Arnold this week.316, p 4