Ritchie Mill
Encyclopedia
History
Constructed in 1892 and the oldest surviving flour mill in the province, the Ritchie Mill is significant because of its association with the early agricultural and industrialIndustry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
development of Alberta. It is associated with early technical innovation, using steam powered, steel rollers instead of the traditional stone wheels that became pitted when grinding hard prairie wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
.
The Ritchie Mill is also significant because of its association with industrial and agricultural development in an urban setting and with the development of the Strathcona
Strathcona, Alberta
Strathcona was a city in Alberta, Canada, located on the south of the North Saskatchewan River opposite of the City of Edmonton. It amalgamated with Edmonton on February 1, 1912....
community, one of Edmonton’s oldest settled neighborhoods, dating from the arrival of the Calgary and Edmonton Railway
Calgary and Edmonton Railway
The Calgary and Edmonton Railway was an early pioneer railway in what was then the Northwest Territories, now Alberta, Canada. It connected the towns of Calgary and Strathcona and opened in 1891...
in 1892, which terminated at the North Saskatchewan River
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
Valley. The Ritchie Mill was located at the ‘End of Steel’ to take advantage of the rail link with the southern part of the province. Elevators
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
were added in 1895 and 1902 and the building functioned as a flour mill until 1948.
The Ritchie Mill is also significant because of its association with Robert Ritchie who arrived in Strathcona in 1892. Within a year he had built and began operating the flour mill and added elevators in 1895 and 1905. Ritchie also served in local politics as alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, school trustee, justice of the peace, and in 1906 as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Strathcona.
the building has been converted to office space and is used by the Richie Mill Law Office.
Heritage recognition
The surviving parts of the mill were designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1979 and a Municipal Historic Resource in 1997.See also
- Ritchie, EdmontonRitchie, EdmontonRitchie is a residential neighbourhood in south east Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is named for the original owner of the Ritchie Mill and former mayor of the City of Strathcona...
- List of attractions and landmarks in Edmonton
- Heritage buildings in EdmontonHeritage buildings in EdmontonHeritage buildings in Edmonton, as elsewhere in Canada, may be designated by any of the three levels of government: the Government of Canada , the Government of Alberta , or the City of Edmonton ....
- Flour mill