Cabarrus County NcArchives History .....Cox Mill 
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History of the mill at Cox Mill

Cox Mill has a history that dates back to the War for Independence. Evidence 
points to the fact that one of the Robert Harris's built the mill during that 
war and established it as a landmark. There is a reference to Harris Mill found 
in the pension files stating, "We marched past Harris's Mill on Rocky River, 
Tanner's Mill on Coddle Creek and Caldwell's Mill near South Yadkin."

The original owners of the land were Robert Brevard and his wife Sarah of Rowan 
County. They sold the property (600 acres) to Charles Harris in 1758. In 1807, 
Samuel Pickens bought 285 acres from Robert Harris and Nathaniel Alexander. 
However it is not clear whether this property included the mill site. It is also 
not clear as to whether Samuel Pickens or by Robert Harris constructed the mill 
which would come to be known as Cox Mill.

The mill was built on the east side of Rocky River. Some of the rocks and 
timbers remain to mark the spot. Dr. Charles Wilson Harris who was postmaster at 
the time named the mill Mill Grove in 1836. Mr. Frederick Miller, who lists his 
occupation as a miller, ran the mill for Dr. Harris. The 1850 census indicates 
that he was living at the home of Dr. Harris.

Michael Cox, of Ireland, born in 1788, arrived in America in 1822. He lived in 
Wilmington for eleven years before moving to Cabarrus County. The Harris family 
hired Michael Cox as a miller.

At a later date, Peter Cox became the miller for Mr. W. S. Harris. A story is 
told how the mill became the Cox Mill. Mr. Harris was blind and unable to work; 
consequently, he was not able to pay the miller for operating his mill. Finally 
he gave the mill to Peter Cox for operating his mill. In 1880, the mill was 
listed as Cox and Harris.

John Cox is credited with building the mill into a thriving business. He also 
operated a sawmill. The story of Cox Mill ends with the "great flood" of 1908. 
In that flood, Rocky River washed away many of the mills along its banks.


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