Water-Powered Mills of Floyd County, Virginia

The late Franklin F. Webb lived in Roanoke, Virginia. Ricky L. Cox is an instructor of English and Appalachian studies at Radford University in Radford, Virginia. He is co-editor of A Handbook to Appalachia: An Introduction to the Region.

“a rich and detailed history of primarily water-powered mills in an important region of Appalachia...well-researched and written...an in-depth history...photograph collection significantly enhances the text...recommend the book highly.... I commend Mr. Cox on his tenacity in pursuing compilation and publication of this valuable resource for mill and industrial historians”—Old Mill News; “many fascinating details in this history can titillate the reader”—Alcalines: Journal of the Assembly on the Literature and Culture of Appalachia.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      xiiiPreface by Ricky L. Cox      Introduction      Part One : Historical Overview      Old World Origins of Mills and Milling      Mills and Migration      The First Floyd County Mills      Choosing a Spot      Water Wheel Type and Mill Location      Mill Dam Construction      Mill Races: Head and Tail Dug and Wooden      Mill Construction      Going to the Mill      The Mill as Commercial and Social Center      The Technology of Water-Powered Grain Milling      The Economics of Grain Milling      Grain Milling and the Liquor Business      Complements and Competitors: Meadows Type Mills in Floyd County      The Miller      Prominent Floyd County Millwrights      Family Connections Among Millers and Mill Owners      Women in Floyd County Mills      The Decline and End of Grain Milling in Floyd County      The Remains of Floyd County Mills and Mill Dams      Part Two : Individual Mill Histories      SECTION I: MILLS EAST OF ROUTE 8 AND SOUTH OF ROUTE      1 Henry Huff Mill, Little River      2 Irvin L. Huff Mill, Little River      3 Morgan O. Poff Mill, Little River (Wilson’s Branch)      4 Anthony Poff Mill/Hosea Wimmer Mill, Little River      5 Peter Geurrant Mill/John O. Jack Mill and Jack’s Mill, Little River      6 Dewey Swanson “Tood” Hundley Mill, Little River      7 J. S. Dewitt and S. Z. Dewitt Mill, Little River      8 Kropf and Custer Mill, Little River      9 John W. Wertz Mill, Little River      10 Willie Ferris Mill, Laurel Branch of Meadow Run Creek      11 Zadock “Zed” Conner Mill and Gus Beamer Mill, Meadow Run Creek      12 N. C. Thomas Mill, Divins Branch      13 Robert “Bob Lee” Vest Mill, Little River      14 Thompson- Akers Mill, Paynes Creek      15 Joseph Turner Mill, Paynes Creek      16 Ingram and Radford Mill/George M. C. Ingram Mill, Paynes Creek      17 James Ferguson Mill, Little River      18 Charles Gillispie Mill, Meadow Creek      19 Goodson Mill/Howard Mill and Lancaster Mill/R. O. Harvey Mill, West Fork of Meadow Creek      20 William J. Williams Mill, Beaver Dam Creek      21 Peter Hatcher Mill      22 Asa Shortt Mill/Jake Brogan Mill, Runnet Bag Creek      23 Shanghigh Mill, Pine Creek      24 Phillip Williams Wool Carding Mill, Pine Creek      25 Powhatan “Port” Williams Mill, Pine Creek      26 German (or Jarman or Jerman) Rakes Mill, Dodd Creek      27 Old J. W. Epperly Mill/Homer Roberson Mill, Dodd Creek      29 Floyd Milling Company/Peter Dickerson Mill      121 Thomas S. Lester Mill, Beaver Dam Creek      123 Shelor Mill/Nolen Mill/Pine Creek Mill, Pine Creek      124 William F. Nowlin (or Nolen) Mill, Shooting Creek      125 John Kitterman Mill, South Fork of Little River (Dodd Creek)      137 Joseph M. “Josie” Custer Mill, Meadow Run Creek      139 Farmers Exchange Mill/Floyd Exchange Mill      SECTION II: MILLS EAST OF ROUTE 8 AND NORTH OF ROUTE      90 George Phlegar Mill, Oldfield Creek      91 Matthew Scott Mill, Dodd Creek      92 Bird’s Mill/Amos Graham Mill/Whitlock Mill, West Fork of Little River      93 A. A. Booth Mill/Frazier Thomas Mill, Beaver Creek      94 George Hornbarger Mill/Caleb Sowers Mill and Floyd Electric Power Corporation, Little River      95 James G. Lester Mill/Wolford Scott Mill, Camp Creek      96 Oliver Carter Bower Mill, Camp Creek      97 Abajiah Booth Mill/Joseph Howard Mill, Camp (Chestnut Camp) Creek      98 Jacob C. Epperly Mill, Pine Creek      99 Spangler Mill, Pine Creek      100 W. H. Harman Mill/Tice’s Mill, Little River      101 Eli Mercer Williams Mill, Terry’s Creek      102 Blackburn Akers Mill, Middle Creek      103 Henry Epperly Mill, Terry’s Creek      104 Brush Creek Mill/Lawrence Roller Mill, Brush Creek Tributary      105 Flemon B. Wimmer Mill, Brush Creek      106 Silas Lawrence Mill/David Vest Mill and Flint Mill, Beaver Dam Creek      107 Piney Fork Mills, Beaver Dam Creek and Piney Fork of Beaver Dam Creek      108 Quinter Lucas Mill, Goose Creek (Dashing Run)      109 Moses Poff Mill, Mill Run (Goose Creek)      110 James McNeil Mill/Charles Will Vest Mill/Roscoe Willis Mill, Flat Run      111 W. O. Carr Mill, Flat Run      112 James R. “Jim” Hall Mill, Big Run Creek      113 William Allen Simpson Mill, Pine Branch      114 Joseph Johnson Poff Mill, Meadow Run Creek      115 Henry Wilkes (or Wiltz) Carr Mill, Lick Fork Creek      116 Phillip Huff Mill, Lick Fork Creek      117 Peter Siner Mill/J. M. Perdue Mill, Lick Fork Creek      118 Ridinger and Goodson Mill, Laurel Creek      119 Hosea Wimmer Mill and Huffville Roller Mill/Ezra Wimmer Mill, Brush Creek      120 J. P. Conner Mill, Goose Creek      122 Scott Roller Mill/Floyd Milling Company/O. A. Webb and Son Mill, Dodd Creek      133 John Stuart Mill, Laurel Creek      140 Kinsey Mill, Brush Creek      SECTION III: MILLS WEST OF ROUTE 8 AND NORTH OF ROUTE      62 Presley Buckner Mill, Deep Water Creek      63 Randolph Phillips Mill, Ran’s Creek      64 Phillippine Mill/Phillips Mill/Vaughn’s Mill, Mira Fork Creek      65 Tobias D. Phillips Mill, Mira (or Mirey) Fork Creek      67 Greasy Creek Mill/Harris Mill, Greasy Creek      68 Saunders’ Quarter Mill/Quarter Mill, Greasy Creek      69 H. P. Hylton Mill/S. P. and G. A. Willis Mill, Greasy Creek      70 Eden Spangler Mill, Headwaters of Big Indian Creek      71 Fleming M. Duncan Mill/William M. “Billy” Dickerson Mill, Big Indian Creek      72 Henry Duncan Mill and E. F. “Ed” Strong Mill, Big Indian Creek      73 Preston Spence Mill, Little Indian Creek      74 Enoch Phillips Mill, Little Indian Creek      75 Noah Wade Mill, Headwaters of Big Indian Creek      76 Isaac Reed Mill/Noah Wade Mill/Reed Mill, Headwaters of Big Indian Creek      77 Crockett Duncan Mill, Big Indian Creek      78 George R. Duncan Mill and Jim Dulaney Mill, Big Indian Creek      79 Duncan Roller Mill/Hall Roller Mill/Hurt Roller Mill, Indian Creek      80 Burdine D. Reed Mill      81 James G. Lester Mill, Easter Creek      82 George H. Booth Mill/George B. Booth Mill/Noah Booth Mill, Beaver Creek      83 George Booth Mill, Beaver Creek      84 Bonsack- Eller Wool Carding and Oil Mill, Beaver Creek      85 Henry H. Earles Mill, Earls Branch      86 Charles Turman Mill/F. M. Slusher Mill/W. C. Lester Mill, West Fork of Little River      87 Eli Wade Mill, Spurlock Creek      88 Solomon Harman Mill/John Harman Mill/Caleb “C. W.” Harman Mill, West Fork of Little River      127 Beauford Howell Mill, West Fork of Little River      128 Giles Wade Mill, Headwaters of Big Indian Creek      132 James T. Lester Mill, Laurel Branch      135 Amon G. Lester Mill/John Harris Mill, Laurel Branch (or Creek)      136 Jonathan Elswick Mill/George Goody (Godbey) Mill/George Hambrick Mill and Aaron DeHart Mill, Indian Creek      138 Joshua Howell Mill/David Howell Grist and Woolen Mill/Beaufort Howell Grist and Woolen Mills, South Fork of Little River (Dodd Creek)      141 Elijah Turman Mill, Greasy Creek      SECTION IV: MILLS WEST OF ROUTE 8 AND SOUTH OF ROUTE      28 Christopher Smith Mill/Luke Martin Mill, Dodd Creek      30 Eli Williams Wool Carding Mill, South Fork of Little River (Dodd Creek)      31 Ira Howard Mill, Dodd Creek      32 George W. Shelor Mill, Howell Creek      33 Eli Smith Mill/Simon Smith Mill, Howell Creek      34 Andrew Weddle Mill/L.D. Wickham Mill/Luther Webb Mill/Murray Agee Mill, Howell Creek      35 Newton Hylton Mill/Walter Boyd Mill, Howell Creek      36 Asa Pratt Mill, Line Branch      37 German Belcher Mill, Rush Fork Creek      38 Martin Weddle Mill and Cara Simmons Mill/Obediah Simmons Mill, West Fork of Little River      39 Martha “Mattie” Weddle Mill, Burks Fork Creek      40 W. J. H. Barringer Mill, Burks Fork Creek      41 Eli Sowers Mill/Rufus Harris Mill, Burks Fork Creek      42 Henry Slusher Mill and Buffalo Roller Mill and Andy Alderman Mill, Burks Fork Creek      43 Jacob Barringer Mill, Burks Fork Creek      44 Jackson W. Harris Mill/Martin Harman Mill, Burks Fork Creek      45 John Barringer Mill/Burks Fork Union Mill, Hungate Branch/Wade Branch      46 William Alderman Mill/Shepherd Alderman Mill, Burks Fork Creek      47 William C. Potter Mill, Burks Fork Creek      48 Vaughn- Dunn Woolen Mill, Burks Fork Creek      49 Alfred O’Neal/Elgin Bolt Mill, Burks Fork Creek      50 George Bolt Mill, Chisholm Creek      51 Logan’s Mill, Laurel Fork Creek      52 Charles Carter Lee Mill, Laurel Fork Creek      53 Chris McAlexander Mill, Taylor’s Creek      54 William Jackson “Miller Will” Stanley Mill, Tory Creek      55 C. Levi “Lee” Culler Mill, Tory Creek      56 William McAlexander Mill, Tory Creek      57 Agee Mill, Laurel Fork Creek and Mountain Fork Creek      58 Daniel Smith Mill, Laurel Fork Creek      59 J. W. “Wooster” Cockram Mill, Mountain Fork Creek      60 Edwin “Ed” Mabry Mill, Mountain Fork Creek      61 John W. “Pobb” Boyd Mill/Simon “Wid” Hubbard Mill, Laurel Fork Creek      66 Solomon Slusher Mill/Elijah Turman Mill, Mira Fork Creek      89 George W. Slusher and Dr. Will G. Hylton Mill, South Locust Street, Floyd      126 John W. Epperly Mill, Dodd Creek      129 Homer Thomas Mill/Eli S. Sowers Mill, Burks Fork Tributary      130 A. W. Stanley Mill, Taylor’s Creek      131 William DeHart Mill, Laurel Fork Creek      134 Shelor Furnace Mill/New Castle Forge Mill, Furnace Creek      Epilogue      Appendix A: Mills, Millwrights, and Distillers Listed in Virginia Business Directories, 1880–1917      Appendix B: Petitions to Build Water Grist Mills      Appendix C: Mills Whose Locations Were Not Found      Appendix D: Cost of Rebuilding Asa D. Shortt Mill, c. 1893      Appendix E: Water- Powered Mills Still Standing in Floyd County, 2010      Tables      Notes      Selected Bibliography      Index