King Street Shipyards’ Landing: Once originally a shipyard for early vessels loading product for around the world, it later became the location of several industrial buildings of the Acadia Gas Engine Company. During the 19th century the harbour was filled with schooners and brigs loading lumber to Brazil and the West Indies. Teamsters with oxen teams would pull the schooners up the river to docking and later river pilots tugged the same schooners.
By 1908 the area became the sight of Acadia Gas Engine Co. started by W.T. Ritcey. Acadia gas became the largest manufacturer of two-cycle (boat) engines in Canada, producing engines for Cape Islander boat makers, farm machinery, sawmills and more.
In 1918 the company’s peak employment was 100 workers. Following Ritcey’s death in 1946, his wife and sons-in-law ran the Company until it was sold in 1962. The last casting at the Acadia foundry was in 1983. The site is now a community park.
Source: Show Me World