This photograph shows the Pickard Grist Mill, built by Benjamin Pickard around 1800 near present-day Wagg Road along Four Mile Creek. At the time, Four Mile Creek was one of the region’s most active milling corridors, with as many as 25 to 30 mills operating along its banks. Constructed entirely of wood, with heavy timber framing and no iron gearing, the mill reflects the ingenuity and resourcefulness of early Loyalist settlers. During the War of 1812, it took on a very different role, serving as a hospital for wounded soldiers of the British Army and local militia. In the years that followed, the mill passed through several prominent Niagara families, including the Secords, Streets and Servoses.