Alexander McRae had been a miller at Watervale since before 1818. He worked for Anthony Smith before starting his own mill along the West River. Alexander then relocated his family and mill operations to the Toney River circa 1855.

Alexander retired from being a miller sometime not long before his death in February 1876. His son John McRae took over the duties of operating the gristmill. His other son, Roderick McRae, continued to operate the sawmill until he left Pictou County in the mid 1880s. John McRae turned over operation of the gristmill to James MacKay upon his departure for Liberal, Missouri in November 1881. James MacKay gave up the gristmill about the same time that Roderick departed in 1885, for first, Liberal, Missouri, and then briefly to Schuyler, Nebraska, and finally to Roscanville, Saskatchewan in 1892 where he died in July 1932 at the ripe old age of 99. John McRae became ill and incapacitaed at Liberal and relocated to Schuyler, Nebraska where he died in 1890 at the age of 62. His body was taken back to Liberal to be buried with his son John Jr. who died a tragic death there in 1884.