While the area had always contained industry since the arrival of the Europeans, the fire of 1900 triggered a fundamental shift in the character of the area and the perception of that industry. Previously, the residents were both the workers of the mills and the owners of those same mills, and their well built houses shared the Flats with their places of work. Because of its proximity to the Chaudiere Falls, the site was settled by the early nineteenth century, its urbanism predating that of Centretown. The first millionaires of Canada lived on the Flats, drawing their wealth from the booming lumber industry which built Ottawa. But the fire which destroyed much of this era's architecture also erased that memory, and the area was rebuilt quickly and cheaply. The rich relocated to Centretown and Sandy Hill while the poor remained behind amongst the empty lots, factories and ruins. With its metal foundries, automotive services and scrap yards, the area was no longer a 'respectable' neighbourhood and became Ottawa's back door. When the proposal was made to level the area, few were sorry to see it go.