Two kilometers west of Mille Roches at the  crest of Steve’s Hill  (named after Stephen Forsyth) on Highway  #2 was the community of Moulinette, a village of 311 inhabitants at the time of the Hydro and Seaway projects of the 1950s.

   As  with Mille Roches, the exact origin of the name of the village may  never be known.  The name Moulinette is of French origin meaning “little mill” although two theories exist for the translation. The  translation might refer to the variety of mills, shingle, saw,  grist and woolen, which developed at this site  in the early 1800s, harnessing power from the river with a small dam  or weir, the remains of which have being verified by divers along with substantial foundations of a mill complex. As well the name may  be derived from moulinet, which means “winch” in French. This may  refer to the windlasses which were used by the French as they  winched their boats along the rapids of the north channel of the St. Lawrence river.

     The Dixson family was the first to settle at Moulinette and it was the ambitious Adam Dixson U.E. who left a substantial mark on the community. Having been the first person to harness the power of the St. Lawrence River at Moulinette, he made his fortune in mercantile and milling activities in the village. With his financial  resources he was the driving force behind the construction of Christ  Anglican Church at Moulinette in 1837.  Along with large amounts of his own money, he provided the design plans and helped raise funds for the church’s construction.  Christ Anglican  Church wasmoved to Upper Canada Village, a monument to the generosity of Adam Dixson. The funeral for Adam Dixson, who died on May 9, 1837, was held in the church  before its completion in that year

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   Another church  with a prominent location in the village, was the Moulinette  Methodist Church, later to become St. Andrew’s United Church in  1925.  Construction on this church commenced in 1834 on land  given to the congregation by Rev. Stephen Brownell. In 1871  alterations were made to the original structure and a steeple was added.

 is a museum building at the Lost Villages Museum site. 
   John G. Snetsinger established a mercantile business in the heart of  Moulinette,  and his old store provided service to customers until its destruction at the time of the Hydro and Seaway projects of the  1950s.

THE LOYALIST SETTLERS OF MOULINETTE

   James Forsyth was a Corporal in the King’s Royal Regiment of New York. He settled on Lot No. 30, Royal Township #2, (Cornwall Township) in 1784, with his wife and two daughters.

   Jacob Summers was a Corporal in the First Battalion of the King’s Royal Regiment of New York, Captain John McDonell’s Company, in 1777. He was a Light Infantryman in 1781 and 1782, and was  appointed Corporal of same in 1783.  Although drawing a lot in Royal Township #1, (Charlottenburg Township), he was on Lot #30, Concession #1, Township of Cornwall, in 1786.

   Barnabus Spencer was born in America in 1761 and his occupation was farming. He enlisted in the King’s Royal Regiment of New York on August 15, 1778. He was a Sergeant in Captain Joseph Anderson’s  Company, First Battalion, in 1781 and 1782, and was a Corporal in the Light Infantry in 1783. In 1786, Sergeant Spencer had settled on the east 1/2 of Lot 31, Royal Township #2, (Cornwall Township).

   John Connolly was born in Ireland and enlisted in the First Battalion of the King’s Royal Regiment of New York on November 16, 1781. On that date he was ranked as Ensign, and on November 15, 1782, he was Ensign in Captain Patrick Daly’s Company.

   Sir John Johnson, Knight and baronet, was born in America in 1742, and enlisted in the King’s Royal Regiment of New York on June 19, 1776.  In 1759, he was a Cadet in the New York Provincials, and by 1763 he was Captain.  He was Major-General of the Northern District, New York Militia, in 1776. He was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel and Captain of the First Battalion of the King’s Royal Regiment of New York on June 19, 1776, and of the Second   Battalion on June 21, 1780.  He attained his highest rank as Brigadier-General on October 1, 1782. By 1784, he had acquired lots  at Cataraqui, Montreal and Royal Township #1.  By 1784,  he had married Mary (Polly) Watts and was the father of four sons and one daughter. On March 14, 1782, Johnson was appointed  Superintendent and Inspector-General of Indian Affairs and on May 17, 1784, he was appointed Superintendent-General of Refugee Loyalists.