Upper Works: Historical Marker
- Alysha Kuhn
- Jun 21
- 2 min read
Chazy had several mills throughout town. The most successful of these mills were the mills owned by the Wood Brothers and O.K. Wood & Company. The Wood empire began around 1804 when Simeon Wood built the first gristmill in West Chazy. From then on, the Woods continued to build up several mills in the area over the next 80 years.
Sometime between 1862 and 1869, the Wood Brothers began manufacturing a grain and seed separator called The Queen of the Harvest after purchasing a mill that was originally built by Jacob Ormes. In the 1870s business began to take off and the Wood Brothers had to expand to a more extensive plant, so they expanded to what became Upper Works. The company reached its peak around 1880, but the main factory burned in July 1893. The manufacturing of The Queen of the Harvest never picked up again as a result.
The Wood Brothers sent their machine all across the United States and Canada. In fact, the machine was so popular that it gained national recognition. In 1876 the United States Centennial Commission released a book commending modern American inventions and The Queen of the Harvest was included on that list, "[The Queen of the Harvest is] commended for the efficient and rapid manner in which the separation of different forms of grain and weed seeds is effected, due to the excellent construction of the hand-made wire sieves, and the varying forms of screens and separators used."
Although the manufacture of this unique machine only lasted 20-30 years, the machine and its manufacturers are deserving of recognition for providing not only the North Country, but the entire country and Canada with The Queen of the Harvest. The historical marker that commemorates the Wood Brothers' contributions was erected by the Town of Chazy.
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