In 1921, the Austin and Nicholson Lumber Company decided to build a new mill along the Shikwampkwa Lake. The company had initially constructed a mill in nearby Nicholson back in 1903.

The new 2,462 acre mill would be the most advanced mill to date. It would have to be, as by 1916, they were the largest producer of railway ties in Canada. The nearby mill at Nicholson was putting out lumber as quickly as possible, and the new mill would help meet the backlog of up to 700,000 railway ties required to be produced. The mill also contained a dam, sawdust burner, machine and blacksmith shops and cookhouse.

Within a single day the mill could produce up to 7000 railway ties and 100,000 feet of wood.

As for their employees, the company went all out by adding indoor toilets to the homes, a recreation centre (est. 1928) which included a bowling alley, pool tables, ice-cream parlor, and barber shop. Other buildings included a hospital, hotel, Catholic and Anglican churches and The Plaza movie theatre, built in 1927. The town contained a school, general store, baseball field and post office.

For accomodations, a two storey boarding house was constructed with over 100 rooms. By 1927 there would be more than 80 buildings on the site and approximately 600 residents.

The mill itself stood on the Eastern side of the Shamkakwa River, the town on the other side. A bridge connected the town to the mill while a spur connected the mill site to the railway line.

Dalton continued to be one of the largest producers of railway ties ever up until 1939 when fire destroyed the mill. A second fire a decade later would seal the fate of Dalton Mills. When the mill was not rebuilt, operations were moved to Bertrand Siding where a new mill awaited.

As the mill moved locations, many of the residents also left with it. By 1951 the post office closed leaving only a handful of residents remaining.

In June of 1946 Dan Tessier, a trapper and employee of the Austin Lumber Company was murdered about 9 miles from Dalton Mills. He was shot while leaving his trapper's cabin on the Shikwamka River. No one was ever charged with the murder but it appeared to have been as a result of a dispute or disputes over area traplines. For a full account of the murder see the book "The Chapleau Game Preserve: History, Murder and other Tales". (Submitted by Bill McLeod)

Directions: 75 Kilometres west of Chapleau on highway 101, take highway 651 until you reach the bridge at the Windemere River. Just before the river you'll see a sign reading "Dalton Camps". Take a left for about half a kilometre. This will bring you to three forks in the road. They will bring you to the mill area and the one on the right leads to the former bridge to the town site. It is possible to walk across the river, if you stay close to the bridge.

When you reach the other side, a trail will take you past the remains of the hotel and the town site. You'll also see the original Austin cottage (blue). The cottage is on private property. If you continue down the trail you'll come to where the worker's homes once stood and the cemetary.