In Blair, a community beside Cambridge, stands a sheave tower. Sheave towers were accessories to mills. The water from a creek would first of all be used to power the mill. Then some of the run off water would be redirected downstream to enter the sheave tower. This would turn a wheel that was inside the tower at its base. This in turn rotated a shaft that went up inside the tower which was connected to a wooden gear called a sheave which acted like a pulley. A cable was looped around this pulley and another pulley at its neighbouring mill, and as the cable rotated around the pullies more power was produced for the mill.
In 1836, this sheave tower, was built by Allan Bowman. It is 31 feet tall and is considered to be the oldest hydro generating system in Ontario. Its cable no longer exists but originally was connected to Blair Mill located 70 metres away. This provided an extra 15 horsepower for the mill, which ground corn for Schneider's pea meal bacon.
This has been made into a Heritage site by the city of Cambridge. It has been restored to its original condition minus the gears, shaft and cable. It is the only one of its kind left in Ontario.
The tower is located just off Old Mill Road in the community of Blair just outside Cambridge.
In 1836, this sheave tower, was built by Allan Bowman. It is 31 feet tall and is considered to be the oldest hydro generating system in Ontario. Its cable no longer exists but originally was connected to Blair Mill located 70 metres away. This provided an extra 15 horsepower for the mill, which ground corn for Schneider's pea meal bacon.
This has been made into a Heritage site by the city of Cambridge. It has been restored to its original condition minus the gears, shaft and cable. It is the only one of its kind left in Ontario.
The tower is located just off Old Mill Road in the community of Blair just outside Cambridge.
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