View of the Wilson Pulp Mill and Bridge

With Curé Antoine Labelle’s encouragement, André Silfrid Delisle and his cousin Wilbrod Delisle built a pulp mill on the Rivière du Nord, near Saunderson Falls, in 1881. Before it could go into operation, the facility was destroyed in a fire. It was rebuilt immediately, and the Delisle company officially began operations in April 1882. It was a success from its earliest days.

Around twenty employees worked at the mill, producing wood pulp. Several accessory buildings surrounded the mill, including the house seen in the photograph. Probably built around the end of the 19th century, the house served as the mill manager’s residence and office. Logs ready to be converted to pulp were piled up on the opposite shore. A cart driver drove daily across a bridge spanning the river, taking the logs to the mill.