Born in Vermont, E.B. Eddy came to the Chaudière Falls in 1851 and began a small hand-operated match factory. From this modest beginning he diversified his activities within the next two decades to become a lumber magnate and manufacturer of wooden products. By the 1880s he had become the largest producer of matches in Canada and was also making wood pulp. In 1890 he started a paper mill incorporating the latest technological innovations. By the end of the 19th century the Chaudière Falls area was a major industrial centre.