Jessamine County KyArchives History - Books .....Mills 1898
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com August 4, 2007, 11:59 pm

Book Title: A History Of Jessamine County, Kentucky

The First Powder Mill

Erected in Jessamine county was located oh Hickman creek, near the old Union
Mill. The old powder houses remained there as late as the year 1850. These
powder mills were owned by Richard Laffoon, but the powder house was erected by
Robert Crockett, and after he left the country, it fell into the hands of the
Laffoons. It was struck by lightning and destroyed in 1837.

   The first paper mill in Jessamine, was erected on Jessamine creek at the old
Glass Mills by Thomas Bryan in 1837, and he carried it on until 1848.

   The first burr mill-stones ever imported to Jessamine, came from France in
1837, and were used by Bryan in what is known as the Henry Glass Mills.


The First Mill.

   The first mill built in Jessamine county was constructed by Meredith Wright,
father of Mr. Robert Wright, who still lives in Nicholasville at the advanced
age of eighty-one years. Meredith Wright was the first millwright in the state,
and the mill he built was Haydon's Mill, afterward run by Mr. Gavin Steele. Mr.
Wright also built the Union Mills and the Torbett Mills. He was among the
earliest settlers in Kentucky, and came from Culpeper Courthouse, in Virginia,
and immediately settled in Jessamine county. His mills were used generally by
the early settlers, and the one used by David Trabue in Jessamine county was
among the first and most primitive. The process of grinding .was very slow; each
man's or boy's grist was ground in its turn, and sometimes a wait of twelve
hours was required before the flour could be taken home.

   Thomas Tierry, brother of Joseph and Lewis Berry, ran the paper mill on
Jessamine creek, where the character of paper made-was good for the
opportunities of manufacture. It was deep blue and broadly lined, but it was
smooth, with a good polish, and held the marks distinctly.

   In 1825 James Wilson owned and ran a powder mill on Clear creek. The power
used was horse power, and the mortars and pestles were operated by this power.
Powder was then worth $1 a pound.

   At this time a fine flour mill was operated also on Clear creek by Mr.
Campbell Steele, who was the grandfather of Wm. L. Steele, of Nicholasville, and
Mr. John Steele; and a hominy mill was operated by Samuel Ruffner on Gear creek.
The pestles were operated by horse power.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

A HISTORY OF JESSAMINE COUNTY, KENTUCKY,
FROM ITS EARLIEST SETTLEMENT TO 1898.
By BENNETT H. YOUNG,
PRESIDENT POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY; MEMBER FILSON CLUB; MEMBER CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION, 1890; AUTHOR HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTIONS OF KENTUCKY, OF "BATTLE OF
BLUE LICKS, ETC, ETC.

S. M. DUNCAN, ASSOCIATE AUTHOR.

Every brave and good life out of the past is a treasure which cannot  be
measured in money, and should be preserved with faithfullest care.

LOUISVILLE, KY.: COURIER-JOURNAL JOB PRINTING CO., 1898.


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