|
| |
|
Walking
the grounds of Mill Springs Park will take your mind and soul to another
time - the past. Old battlefields, new innovations and extensive
restorations, make up much of Mill Springs Park's history. By taking a
stroll through Mill Spring's Park, one is instantly immersed in the culture
and history of another time.
I
t all began in 1700 when hunters and
explorers, called "Long Hunters", found a place "with excellent springs
near a waterfall." The settlers were no doubt amazed at the sight of
13 springs flowing from the hillside! Here, Price's Station, one of
the first settlements in Kentucky was established and eventually became a
fur trading center. In 1774 Daniel Boone and Michael Stoner passed
through this area.
The
story of Mill Springs Mill began around 1817 when Charles, John and Dr.
James Metcalf settled in the area and erected a cereal grinding mill, or a
grist mill as they were usually called, for the milling of corn and wheat.
The mill was equipped with 48 inch French burrs, millstones for grinding
wheat and corn. Flour and cornmeal were custom ground for families
who brought their grain by wagon or horseback on milling day.
The
year 1824 brought the destruction of the Metcalfe Mill and factories due
to fire. John Metcalfe took on the task of rebuilding and reconstruction
was completed in 1839.
In
1825, a post office was established near the mill and was called Mill
Springs, Kentucky. John Metcalfe, Jr. was designated the first
post-master.
| Mill Operation |
|
The operation and
interpretation of Mill Springs Mill is under the supervision of the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers and Lake Cumberland Resource Manager.
Picnic tables and shelters are available. For hours and
information, call (606) 679-6337. Groups and school classes may
request tours at any time during the week. Special programs are provided
by request and may be arranged by calling the Resource Manager.
Demonstrations of corn grinding at the mill is seasonally operated on
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays at 2 p.m. EDT.
Unique Gift Shop
The Monticello Women's Club
offers souvenirs, corn meal (ground from the mill), crafts, and more.
The gift shop is open seasonally, Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. - 5
p.m. EDT and Sunday, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend thru
Labor Day Weekend. The annual Cornbread Festival, sponsored by the
Monticello Woman's Club, is held on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
It features hometown crafts, demonstrations, and a pinto bean and
cornbread lunch.
Directions
The park is located on
Highway 1275, just off Highway 90 between Somerset and Monticello, and 4
miles from Conley Bottom Resort. Monticello, located just 9 miles
from the Mill, has many accommodations for your convenience. For
more information on this historic area, call the Monticello/Wayne County
Chamber of Commerce at (606)348-3064. |
On
January 19, 1862, blood was shed on the grounds of Mill Springs as the
North fought the South. Coveted because of it's easy defense capabilities,
ferry landings, commandment of the river and easy approaches to Cumberland
Gap and the mountain pass at Jacksboro, Tennessee, The Battle of Mill
Springs, as it came to be called, was one of the first great battles of
the Civil War. It proved to be one of the most significant for
federal troops as well by marking the very first
major defeat of Confederate forces. The first break in the
Confederate defense line in Kentucky occurred and marked the beginning of
Union operations leading across Tennessee and Mississippi.
In
1877, mill owner Lloyd Lanier and Arthur Rankin, skilled millwright,
purchased the mill and all other included properties, then promptly
erected the present 34 x 40 foot, three story mill which remains a
magnificent sight to see. From 1879 through 1907 mill owners and
operators included Ike Lanier, J.M. Sallee, Robert Lanier, Dr. J.S. Jones,
and I. D. Ruffner. In 1885 the new firm J.S. Jones and Company
modernized the mill by installing new machines and steel roller mills for
milling flour.
 Bolan
E. Roberts bought the mill in 1907 and operated it as "Diamond Roller
Mills." In
1908, the 28-foot cedar wheel was replaced by a steel
water wheel. Still in use the wheel is one of the largest overshot
water wheels in the world. The wheel has a diameter of 40 feet, 10
inches, and a breast of three feet. Powered by 13 natural springs located
beside the mill, it is thought to be one of the largest of it's kind in
the world.
A
15 h.p. auxiliary crude oil engine was added in the 1920's to supplement
power to the Mill Springs Mill during low flow.
Thomas
Roberts operated the mill under the name of the "Diamond Roller Mill"
until 1949 when the federal government acquired the mill and lands as part
of the Lake Cumberland project.
In
1963 the Monticello Woman's Club and other civic organizations, with aid
from the Kentucky Department of Highways, reactivated the mill. In
1973 the mill was designated as a National Historic Site. In 1976, a
major restoration to the structure and grounds was completed by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. Traditional tools and skills were used to render
the Mill as close to the original work as possible. The use of mortar was
forgone to make the restorations as close to the original millwrights,
Andrew Denney, as possible. Old fashioned cut nails and even the paint
colors were carefully duplicated. Mill Springs is now on the National Register of
Battlefields and is one of 25 Civil War battlefields that is included on a
special Endangered Battlefield list.
Other photos of the old Mill wrapped in
winter's cloak:
Double click on images to enlarge.
Page designed by: Alyson Hayeland
|
|
