Mills, Wayne Twp from Beers History of Warren County, Ohio
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The History of Warren County, Ohio

Mills

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Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 25 February 2005

Sources:

The History of Warren County Ohio
Part IV Township Histories
Wayne Township by Judge John W. Keys
(Chicago, IL: W. H. Beers Co, 1882; reprint, Mt. Vernon, IN: Windmill Publications, 1992)


Page
581

The first settlers had, of course, no mills, and the nearest milling point was at what has since been known as Buckingham's, down the Miami about or near where Miamiville now is, until about the year 1803, when Mr. Highway built the first mill in the township on the creek below Waynesville. on what is now known as Newman's Run; it was then called Highway's Run. The mill was built of logs, and the mill-stones used were what were called '' raccoon buhrs." It afterward became the property of Jonathan Newman, He attached a saw-mill and carding machine, which were burned down and not rebuilt.

Newman afterward built a good frame mill-house and continued the business, but other mills were built, the water-power became weak and the mill ceased to be used. The last use made of the power there was by James Throckmorton, about 1844, for a distillery.

Highway also built a grist-mill and saw-mill on the power, now owned and used by Clement's mill, formerly Taylor's, but lower down than the present one. At what date I cannot state, only that I know that in the winter of 1823-24, it was a very old mill, all open and exposed to the weather with but little shelter overhead, and was used by Samuel Highway. Jr., to grind corn and feed. The power was afterward improved by Thomas Evans and James Smith by erecting the present mill-house—about 1831.

About 1827, a grist-mill was built on the power below by —— Cooper, and shortly after, the power below where John K. Spencer now lives, by Thomas Hall, by putting in a saw-mill. A long and vexatious law-suit was carried on between Cooper and Hall about back-water.

About the year 1806, John Haines. from Virginia, built a mill at Waynesville on the power now owned by Wright It was of framed timber and stood about where the saw-mill now is. The dam was a few hundred yards above the mill and abutted the land owned by Abel Satterthwaite. which has since, by means of a channel on the east side, become an island. Haines failed to secure an abutment on the east side of the river, and the dam causing the frequent overflow of the land, became obnoxious to the owner. He cut round the dam

Page
582
and destroyed the power, about the year 1809. A long litigation ensued and the case was finally decided in the Supreme Court against Haines.

John Jennings came to the township in 1810, and bought the mill and secured an abutment on the east side against the rugged bank, for $200, and contracted with David Brown to extend the race for $300. Brown completed the race, but lost heavily on the contract. The mill was idle about six years, during which time the principal milling of the neighborhood was done at Newman's mill on the Run, and Highway's mill on the Miami. A saw-mill and a fulling-mill were there at an early day and carding and fulling, done there until about 1850.

The brick mill was built in 1825 by John Jennings, and, about 1832, was sold by him to Stephen Cook and Jason Evans. Evans became the sole owner, and, in 1840, sold the mills with the lands, lots, dwellings, etc., to William Oliphant, of New Jersey, for $14,000. It was regarded as a good sale at the time. Oliphant died, and his sons sold out and settled up and returned to New Jersey.

In the year 1831, James Elliott built a grist-mill immediately below Waynesville; he also built a saw-mill and woolen-mill, in which carding, spinning and fulling were done. The premises were sold to Asa Trahern, about 1842, for $5,000; it passed through various hands, and, in 1860, became the property of Sidwell Taylor, who built the present mill.

There have been long law-suits at different times with Elliott and Taylor by the owners of the upper mills for damages on account of back-water. Cook & Evans prosecuted Elliott for damages on account of back-water, and, after a long litigation, obtained a judgment against him, probably in 1838, for $109.

The mill-power at Mount Holly was first improved by Joseph Chenoweth, who came from Virginia about the year 1815, by putting in a dam and saw-mill. A grist-mill was built there by John Satterthwaite about 1818. Mills have been kept up there ever since. There is evidence to show that Banes improved this power very early in the present century.

About 1816, Joseph Chenoweth built a grist and saw mill on Middle Run, some distance below where the turnpike crosses; they were only used a few years and were abandoned for the purposes for which they were built

The Hisey mill property, on Caesar's Creek, was first improved by Benjamin Butterworth, by building a saw-mill there about 1822. Israel Woodruff afterward became the owner and built a grist-mill there about 1834. The mills afterward became the property of C. Hisey, but have long since ceased to be used.

I am unable to state who first improved the property on the creek at a point called New Baltimore, but Joshua Canby was the owner in 1835, and did a large business there with a grist and saw mill. The power is only used now for a saw-mill, by John Stanfield, who has been in possession for the past fifteen years. Saw-mills have otherwise been built, one by Isaac Ward, on Newman's Run, near the crossing of the Upper Springboro road, in 1816; one by Evans & Elliott on the same stream, near the Lebanon pike, about 1848; one by Samuel Butterworth on the west branch of the same stream, in 1850; one by Joseph Rogers, Sr., on Middle Run, about 1818, and one by his son Joseph, near the same place, about 1823.


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