John Deyll – First settler in Cavan County

It has always been considered that the first mill in Cavan Township was built by John Deyell who with his wife and three year old son became one of Cavan Township’s first settlers.  Many years later, in her History of Cavan and Millbrook, his great-granddaughter Mary Sloan Eakins wrote, “For many years John Deyell carried his grain on his back through the woods to Port Hope for grinding.  Later he took a boulder from the fields, and secured a stone cutter to dress it as a millstone.  He erected the first grist mill in the township at what is now Millbrook on the site where later stood Needler’s Flour Mill.”

The property was owned by James Deyell, a relative of John’s, either a brother or a cousin.  An agreement entered into in 1824 between John and James sets forth the contribution and responsibility of each.  Clearly the major investment of construction of the mill and dam was made by John, while the site was James’ contribution and James was to undertake the operation as miller and to accept half of the cost of upkeep.

Deyell’s Mill prospered with James operating it.  It processed flour and cattle feed until 1857 when it burned to the ground.  This unfortunately was the fate of many early mills.  At that time the property was sold to the Needler family who owned and operated a grist mill and a sawmill a few miles farther east on Baxter Creek in Cedar Valley.