The Windsor powder mill

On Feb. 20, 1864, three American entrepreneurs got together to form Sheldon Andrews & Co. During a time when the United States was in the midst of a civil war and the Eastern Townships was experiencing a mining boom, Thomas Sheldon and Seth Andrews joined forces with Jarvis Marble, who was already an established powder manufacturer in the U.S., as they saw the advantage in starting a company in Canada that manufactured black powder. They just so happened to establish their business here in the Townships in a small town known as Windsor where a powder mill carried out its activities for over half a century. While the Windsor powder mill closed its doors in 1922, it’s an important piece of the town’s history. For those who aren’t familiar with the use of black powder, it’s an essential component of explosives, like dynamite. It is also used as gunpowder and blasting powder for use in mining operations. With mining taking over the Townships and a full-blown American civil war, black powder was especially needed. With this in mind, Sheldon Andrews & Co. purchased a piece of land from a Mr. Moore in Windsor located along the Watopéka River. There were many advantages to establishing operations there. See full story in the Monday, Dec. 30 edition of The Record.