Upper Mills Mural

In Memory of the Watermill Era

The mural Les Moulins d’en haut, painted on the back of the tourist information center building, depicts a scene from the era of water-powered mills. It focuses primarily on the area once known as Upper Mills, located above the gorge of the Magog River. The mural pays tribute to representatives of former businesses that operated in this area around 1867. Some of the characters are fictional, while others actually existed.

Various factories were powered by hydro energy generated from the dams of that era.

Two Well-Known Names

On the left side of the photo is Major Henry Beckett, who oversaw the construction of Sherbrooke’s first prison and the initial buildings of Bishop’s University. Beckett Woods now bears his name.

On the right is Alexandre Galt Lomas, who served as mayor starting in 1883. Galt Street is named in his honor today.

On the opposite side of the river from this mural, you can spot the former Paton wool factory.

Upper Mills

To the left, George Gilman Bryant founded a building materials company and worked in the construction of dismantable houses. He became mayor in 1889. To the right, we can see Horace Taplin, the first owner of the match factory.