The Moulin du Petit Pré is the oldest commercial flour mill in North America. The work of Bishop François Montmorency de Laval, it was built in 1695 on land that once belonged to the father of Louis Jolliet, discoverer of the Mississippi River.  Throughout its existence, the mill has been a witness to important events in our history, as you can see in the following timeline.

2007
First lobster fund-raising dinner held at the Musée de la Civilisation.
Symposium Arts et Reflets

Sources : Gilles Jobidon

2006
Restart of the Mill activities
Construction of the bakery
Café established

2004
March: Regional winner of the Grands Prix du Tourisme Québécois, for the tourist attraction with under 50,000 visitors.  (Press release )

2003
November: Dam lost
October: Awarded “New Tourist Attraction 2003” by Bienvenue Québec. (Press release )
July: First production of flour on the mill’s grindstones in decades.
June: Official re-opening of the mill as it exists today.

2002
November: Beginning of restoration work at the mill.
January: Formation of the Corporation for the Development of the Moulin du Petit Pré.

2001
June: Inauguration of the Moulin du Petit Pré Vineyard in June and first sales of its products.

1995
The mill is bought by Gestion Promiel, Inc. of Château-Richer.

1982
Occupants of the mill:
Ground Floor: Provincial registry offices
First Floor: County municipal offices (MRC)
Second Floor: Québec Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Cultural center

1972-1973
Complete restoration of the building to its 1763 appearance.  Up to this point, the mill has had 11 different owners.

1972
Archaeological digs allow researchers to more or less determine the layout of the mill built in 1695-96.

1966
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs (MAC) becomes owner of the mill.

1965
Pierre Jobidon buys the Moulin du Petit Pré.

1944
The Coopérative de Château-Richer takes possession of the mill.

1925
In January, Madame Edmond Savard inherits the mill from her mother, Mme Louis Richard.

1897
Richard Tremblay fils sells the mill to Madame Louis Richard, née Zoé Turgeon.

1889
Richard Tremblay père gives the mill to his son, Richard Tremblay fils.

1877
• Third fire at the mill.
• Three months later, Madame Hall sells the ruins of the mill to Richard Tremblay.
• Richard Tremblay immediately rebuilds it.
• The outdated “hydraulic machine” is replaced with a turbine.

1876
Madame Benson Hall becomes owner of the mill after the death of her husband.

1871, mai
In May, the seminary sells the flour mill, saw mills and carding mills to George Benson Hall.

1863
Jos côté is given permission to install a carding mill at his own expense.

1854
The seigniorial regime is abolished.
The wharf is rebuilt by Pierre Côté.

1831
A great flood washes away the wharf and retaining wall.

1819
Beginning of the saw mill on the Petit Pré River.

1810
The seminary grants permission to Charles Bélanger to build a saw mill.

1797-1810
A fourth set of grindstones is installed, though they would not be in place for long. 
In December 1810, the stones are transported to the mill at Saint-Ferréol.

1778
The seminary has a third set of grindstones installed in the Moulin du Petit Pré.

1763-1764
Second reconstruction of the mill, after it was destroyed during the Seven Years’ War. 
Mason: François Deguire dit Flamand, Carpenter: François Charlery.  A carding mill is set up.

1761
A second set of millstones is installed.  The stones measure 7 feet (2.1 meters) in diameter.

1760
Repair work to return the waterwheel, cog wheel, 1 trundle and 1 set of grindstones to working order.  The work is carried out by Antoine Nadeau at his own expense.

1759
Second fire at the mill, after the landing of the British army on the Beaupré Coast.  The Moulin du Petit Pré did not escape the “scorched earth” policy of General Wolfe.

1757
In July, the seminary rents the mill to Antoine Nadeau.

1744-1753
The seminary hires Louis Nadeau as foreman and miller.

1732-1744
The seminary carries out several improvements:
• Creation of "Lake Retenue" by channelling the Laval River to increase the flow of the Petit Pré River.
• Extension of the mill by 12 feet to accommodate a third set of millstones (1742).
• Construction of a second waterwheel and cog wheel.
• Repair of the entire mechanism.

1706
Responding to the demands of the inhabitants of Québec City, the seminary has the mill repaired to bring it back up to its former level of production.

1702
A fire partially destroys the mill.

1695
The Moulin du Petit Pré is built by the Québec City seminary to serve the needs of the bourgeois and merchants of the city. Thus, the first “industrial” mill in North America is born. 
Foreman: Charles Pouliot, first miller: Jean Richard.

1668
Bishop Laval buys the land belonging to Jean Jolliet.  At this time, there is a windmill and a watermill in Château-Richer to serve the needs of the local population.

1667
The population of the Beaupré coast is 646 inhabitants.

1650
The Compagnie de Beaupré sells land to Jean Jolliet, father of explorer Louis Jolliet, discoverer of the Mississippi River.  It is on this land that the mill will be built.

1636
In January, theCompagnie de la Nouvelle-Francegrants land to Antoine Cheffault de la Regnardière.  This land, along the Saint Lawrence River, is known as the Seigneurie de Beaupré.