John Walter(1804-1867) and his wife Elizabeth Payne(1804-1882)harnessed the water power to develop a sawmill, feed mill and woolen mill about 1850. The sawmill was operated by the Olmstead Bros. until it was sold to Willard Hallman in the 1940's. John & Elizabeth are buried in the church yard of St. Phillip's Anglican Church. This beautiful stone church, built in 1880, is located beside the Falls Inn, built in 2005 on the old sawmill site, and is open to the public year round.

The mill was built c. 1850 and suffered through to fires. The first was in 1866 and the second in 1923. Some parts of the present mill date back to 1923 and before. The mill now uses 2 turbines run by water from the large spring-fed mill pond/lake giving it a good head through a penstock.

The penstock currently supplying the turbines within the cribbed enclosure. The old sawmill burned in 1984 after continued growth and expandsion. The sawmill was rebuilt on other property on the edge of town and is operated by Willard's grandson, Paul Hallman.

Corn & grain bins on the mill comlex. The Woolen Mill is still standing, and although not operating, will be the subject of another mill entry.

Looking in the open mill door at the area where various sacks of ingredients are mixed according to a specific formulation to provide a specified feed required for a particular customer.

The rear of the mill from the east end. The penstock comes from the upper mill pond to the right. The power source, Walters Creek which is spring fed, then eventually makes its way into other streams, then ultimately to the Bighead River, which empties into the Nottawasaga Bay at Meaford, then further into the Georgian Bay, then to Lake Huron.

*Update: Currently, the mill is owned by Bob Johnson of Chesley, owners of B&L Farm Services Ltd. Glenys Johnson 12/14/2013*