B
BigDan
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- #1
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As mentioned in previous posts, my wife's Great, Great, Great, Grandfather had a grist mill back before the 1860's. Leaving the ghost town of her other GG's (Great Greats) behind for the year, we moved into researching the mill. I had anticipated this would take much longer. But, all the township maps already collected, practice recognizing features from the past and present, it has all paid off in experience. We found ourselves today looking over a modern bridge and seeing faint signs of the mill itself.
I pulled onto the property of an elderly gentleman I'd spotted on his John Deere mower as we'd crisscrossed the area looking for sign. His mailbox reveiled the same name as the road he lived on, always a nice hint. He'd just finished mowing, I introduced myself and our intentions...next thing, he's in the car giving us a tour of the area! He had a great time. I am going back to visit him specifically to write down all the stories of life in the area that he cares to relate. He showed us a large virgin pasture on his land (farmed by his son)...the pasture..never plowed (hence virgin). A road ran through it in the 1800's, you can see it's footprint in the grass. (Metal detector is excited). He showed me where a store had stood in what is now his field. I saw the bricks and glint of glass from the road...and thought of my ghost town square nails and shivered.
Still a wonderful day of research, and a new friend! Not bad. Now, the permission stage, although the river is navigable enough to allow public access, actually digging in the area of the mill...might be different. I've got the names of the owners. And some info about THEIR families past to trade for access. Turns out another GG actually worked as a butcher in THEIR GG's shop in the 1870's and 80's.
I pulled onto the property of an elderly gentleman I'd spotted on his John Deere mower as we'd crisscrossed the area looking for sign. His mailbox reveiled the same name as the road he lived on, always a nice hint. He'd just finished mowing, I introduced myself and our intentions...next thing, he's in the car giving us a tour of the area! He had a great time. I am going back to visit him specifically to write down all the stories of life in the area that he cares to relate. He showed us a large virgin pasture on his land (farmed by his son)...the pasture..never plowed (hence virgin). A road ran through it in the 1800's, you can see it's footprint in the grass. (Metal detector is excited). He showed me where a store had stood in what is now his field. I saw the bricks and glint of glass from the road...and thought of my ghost town square nails and shivered.
Still a wonderful day of research, and a new friend! Not bad. Now, the permission stage, although the river is navigable enough to allow public access, actually digging in the area of the mill...might be different. I've got the names of the owners. And some info about THEIR families past to trade for access. Turns out another GG actually worked as a butcher in THEIR GG's shop in the 1870's and 80's.
