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AT THE FORKS OF THE GRAND between the present Municipal Offices and the Post Office. And between the race and the present Post Office, beside the plaster mill, he built a large grist-mill. A year later, at a point where the first race crossed Broadway Street, he constructed a branch race to run southward to the Nith - a race that today supplies power to the Wincey Mill. Concerning these activities, James Barker, who was living near the Forks when Capron first arrived, gave to James Young, the author of "Early History of Galt", the following information: In 1829 a millwright named Josiah Cushman was brought by Mr. Capron from Buffalo to build a mill, which, when completed, had two run of stones, one for gristing and the other for grinding plaster, of which there was plenty almost on the surface of the ground. Cushman recommended one Elias Conklin as a suitable person to manage the estate; Conklin was written to, but would not come at less than $16 per month and board. This was accepted, but at the end of one year, Conklin leased the mill from Capron, and became a very active business man; he dug plaster and ground it, started a brick yard, burnt lime, built a saw mill (near where the Wincey Mill now stands) and made considerable lumber. About 1833, Conklin gave up his lease to the grist and plaster mill. Capron then rented it for $500o a year to Norman Hamilton, who in I831 had moved to Paris from Mudge Hollow (now Canning). In 1839, however, Hamilton bought lots on both sides of the second race at the end of Broadway Street, and built there his own three-story grist mill and a small plaster-mill. In the same year Robert Kirk- wood bought Capron's mill, together with water rights, for $5000ooo.. By 1840, as a result of the building of the dam and races, Paris was taking on the characteristics of a mill town. The branch of the race that crossed Grand River Street was supplying power to Kirkwood's grist and plaster mill, Totten's woollen mill, Heath's foundry, and Van Brocklin and Company's foundry. The race along Broadway Street, which flowed into the Nith, was powering Hamilton's grist and plaster mills, Gables' Tannery, and a saw-mill. And farther up the Nith, a second dam was supplying power to another saw-mill, which stood near the site of what is now Penmans' No. i. Meanwhile Hiram Capron was developing his plaster business. In January, 1830, again in the letter to Horace Capron, he wrote: I am grinding plaster rapidly, and have 150 tons on hand, and am waiting for snow. He was waiting for snow so that more unground plaster could be drawn to the mill; and when snow finally came, he paid William Force $56.25 for drawing 225 tons at 2 York Shillings (about 24c) a ton. At first all the plaster ground in Paris was dug from the bed of George Hamilton at the mouth of the Nith. Apparently Capron and 20