In August 1987, I completed my first book Covered Bridges Today, an historical, pictorial documentation of 412 covered bridges in the United States. During my adventures with covered bridges I discovered many interesting old mills, wooden and stone dams, millraces, millponds, old waterwheels, millstones, and old milling equipment. After completing Covered Bridges Today, I decided to research and write about old mills.

After doing some preliminary research, I was struck with the reality that there was not a compendium of old mills, similar to the World Guide to Covered Bridges published by the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges which lists all of the covered bridges in the United States. All I could find were lists of mills for individual counties, states, and regions. But there was no one organized list of all the mills in the United States. I needed some place to start my research so I decided that I would combine all of the mill lists that I could find, organize them by state and county and assign an ID# to each mill. I used the same ID# system the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges used for their covered bridge compendium. I used this ID system while doing the research for Covered Bridges Today and I found that it was an excellent tool in helping me keep my records straight for each bridge and it gave me a way to cross-reference my materials. After many long hours of categorizing each state, county and mill I eventually had a working list. This list was published December 1991 as The First Compendium of Old Mills in the United States that lists 3,461 mills.

Simultaneously, I began researching specific mills including all of the old mills in Ohio. When I began researching covered bridges, I first visited and studied the covered bridges in Ohio and that is where I received my educational foundation in covered bridges. With the research completed for the Ohio mills, I feel the same way. Ohio's mills have taught me how a mill functions, why each mill is so different, and the technical aspects of milling. Ohio once again has proved to be my training ground. This time Ohio's mills provided the education.

Ohio's Old Mills Today documents 53 mills in the "Ohio's Mills" chapter with photographs and an historical account. The photographs show the exterior of the mills and milling equipment. The historical documentation includes the builder, date of construction, dates of operation, types of operations, reconstruction's, types of power used, types of waterwheels and general success or failure of the mill. The historical documentation also includes information on the current condition of the mills today. Milling equipment is identified. The presence of waterwheels, millraces, millponds, flumes, and wheelpits are recognized. Each historical account includes directions to find the mill.

Twenty-one mills are in the "Notes on Other Mills" chapter. I included the "Notes on Other Mills" chapter because I wanted Ohio's Old Mills Today to be a comprehensive study. The mills listed in the "Notes on Other Mills" are found in other directories and I did not want to ignore their existence. The "Notes on Other Mills" presents the mills' current status. The mills noted in this chapter no longer exists, is not accessible to the public or does not reflect the historical significance determined for this study. In other words, I do not see any reason for anyone to invest any time or energy in trying to visit the 21 mills in the "Notes on Other Mills" chapter. For reasons explained in the text, these mills are just not worth the trip.

Appendix A - Ohio's Compendium

While compiling The First Compendium of Old Mills in the United States, I began researching specific old mills in Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut. In doing the research I found many more mills. The compendium represents the state of my research as of December 5, 1991. As of the printing of the compendium, my research in Ohio was completed and therefore the information in the compendium on Ohio's mills is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

I have excerpted the Ohio section from the compendium and included it here in Appendix A. The Ohio Compendium Appendix will assist you by immediately identifying the name, ID#, quantity of mills in a specific county, directions and condition of mills in Ohio that specifically interest you.

The ID# assigned to each mill is there primarily because it assists me with organization of my research materials. If you too accumulate materials on old mills, the ID# might help you with cross-referencing your materials. The ID# consists of three sections. Let's use Rummel Mill as an example. Rummel Mill's ID# is 35-65-02. This ID# describes this mill as being located in Ohio (35)(the 35th state in alphabetical order), in Richland County (65)(the 65th county in alphabetical order), and the number 02 has been assigned to this specific mill.

Under the heading MILL NAME you will find one or more names. The primary name will always be listed under MILL NAME. If the mill has multiple names, they will sometimes be found under the CONDITION heading as A.K.A. (also known as).

The DIRECTIONS provide locations and directions. Since I have been to each of the mills in Ohio, I hope that my directions are accurate. If, however, you find yourself hopelessly lost, don't despair. I have found that time and time again the best way to find the mill is to ask the local residents. The people who live in the area always know "the old mill" in their area and are pleased and proud to tell you exactly where it is located. Upon locating the mill, take a few minutes to retrace your tracks and make notes accordingly for your own future reference. The best advice for locating mills is to take maps with you. Take state, county and local maps. If a mill is located within city limits, try to acquire a map of the city. This is where most of the headaches come. When a mill is located in the country or a small town, it is easily identifiable. When using your maps, remember, most old mills are located on rivers or streams so identify its location the best you can first on a map.

The CONDITION information provides brief information on the mill itself. Here you can learn when the mill was constructed, if it is in ruins or in operation, if a dam, millpond, millstones, and equipment are present, what type of mill it was, and if it is currently on the National Register of Historical Places (NRHP). The CONDITION also lists the building's structure as stone, brick or frame. Information such as admission charges or if the public is not welcomed is also provided here.

Do not be deterred if a mill you want to visit is listed as ruins. The term ruins in this context can be deceiving. I have visited many old mill sites described as ruins, expecting to find a remnant millrace and maybe some stones from the original foundation. Often I have discovered beautiful stone buildings that display masonry skills I have never witnessed anywhere else. Some of the ruins are real treasures.

The CONDITION also indicates if the mill is listed on the NRHP. It is a mistake to assume that when an historical structure is on the NRHP lists that it is well maintained. Unfortunately, the official recognition of being on the NRHP does not provide any kind of federal funding to restore or maintain the mill. The NRHP designation simply means that the National Register of Historic Places has assessed the historic value of the structure and views it as being an important aspect of our history. Many, many mills listed on the NRHP are in shambles.

Extended and documented information is provided for each of the mills in the Ohio's Mills chapter. The Ohio Compendium Appendix is included in this book for your convenience.

Appendix B - Glossary

The Glossary is an alphabetized list of terms that are used throughout this book. I have also included terms in the glossary that are not found in this text but that are commonly used when talking about mills. When milling terms are introduced in the text, I try to define their meaning. If you still question the meaning of the word, look it up in the Glossary and maybe the definition found there will help. This glossary is by no means a complete list of terminology used in the milling trade. It is a list of terms that will help you understand how a mill functions.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This book is organized into the introduction, two chapters and 2 appendixes. The first chapter is "An Overview of Ohio's Old Mills." This chapter will give you a comprehensive approach to Ohio's mills. The quantity and quality of Ohio's mills are discussed. Methods of operation, building designs and uniqueness of Ohio's remaining mills are discussed.

Chapter 2, "Ohio's Old Mills" is organized alphabetically by county. When I originally assigned the ID# for each mill I placed all the mills in one county in alphabetical order and assigned numbers accordingly. Since the ID# assignment, I have discovered that occasionally a mill is locally known by another name. Once I had verified that the mill actually was recognized by an alternative name rather than the one that I originally thought it was, I changed the name of the mill. Subsequently, you will find that the mills are not necessarily listed in alphabetical order. Ohio only has 6 counties with 3 or more mills so, for Ohio, it doesn't present a problem. Each mill is documented with an exterior photograph and an historical account. The directions provided with each mill are accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Appendix A is an excerpt from The First Compendium of Old Mills in the United States listing just the mills in Ohio. It is included in this book to briefly identify all the mills in Ohio with an ID#, county, location, and condition.

Appendix B is the Glossary listing terminology used in this book, describing different aspects of milling.

THIS BOOK AS A TOOL

I would like to think that once you read this book, you would want to visit some of Ohio's fascinating mills. If you wish to seek out some of the most interesting mills, refer to the section "Unique Characteristics of Ohio's Mills" in Chapter 2.

If you just want the adventure of exploring historical sites, visit all of Ohio's mills. You will not be disappointed. I have tried my best to describe and share with you all of the really neat things that I discovered at each of the mills, but I am sure there are many treasures that I did not find and are just waiting to be discovered by you.

Although I believe my directions to be excellent, I strongly suggest that you purchase a set of county maps. Any bookstore now carries a book that contains each county in Ohio. I suggest a book that I used titled Ohio County Maps published by County Maps, Puetz Place, Lyndon Station, WI 53944. I found two other exceptional Ohio County Map books. Ohio Atlas & Gazetteer, LeLorme, Freeport, Maine 1995 http//www.delorme.com and Ohio Sportsman's Atlas, Sportsman's Atlas Company, Lytton, Iowa, 1995 are excellent resources. Before you start your trip, take my directions and identify the location of the mill on your map. If you are planning to see several mills in one day, pack your lunch because you will often find yourself in an area that doesn't offer fast food. It is fun to pack a lunch and eat at a dam site or along a millrace. If insects bother you, bring some repellent. You will need it. Always start your day with a full tank of gas. A compass, although not mandatory, helps when using a map.

I hope that you enjoy reading about Ohio's old mills, but more importantly, I hope that you take this book and use it as a tool to search for the old mills. Take the opportunity to visit them, photograph them and explore the surrounding area. The experience is rewarding and great fun! If you discover any details about the old mills you would like to share, please write me. I would love to hear from you.

Enjoy what Ohio's rich history has to offer. Take a camera and a friend and visit the old mills. Happy travels!

Copyright© 1999 BK Publications.  All rights reserved.   Reproduction by written permission only.