Lambton Musings LAMBTON’S HISTORY AND HERITAGE NEWSLETTER – WINTER 2025 www.heritagelambton.ca
Our Biggest “Fan” David McLean, Forest Museum For this issue of Lambton Musings we highlight the largest item from our collection: a fanning mill produced by “A. Wren and Company”. Founded in Forest in 1875 by Nova Scotia born Alexander Wren (1835-1894), this local company crafted this impressive machine that is a testament to our community’s industrial and agricultural heritage. Fanning mills, also known as winnowing machines, played a pivotal role in agricultural history, transforming the labour-intensive process of cleaning grain into a more efficient and effective operation. Invented in the late 18th century, these devices mechanized the separation of grain from chaff, dirt, and other impurities, significantly improving the quality of harvested crops.