Greenbrier County, West Virginia - 160th Anniversary Booklet - Part 22 *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. *********************************************************************** Historical Booklet - Greenbrier County 160th Anniversary - 1778-1938 Published 1938 Transcribed by Lori Samples THE PIONEER IN QUEST OF POWER The pioneer settled himself on some land and immediately set about the business of wrestling from the wilderness a living for his family. It was not long before manual power was insufficient for his needs. Mills - that was the answer! Mills, run by the water power so plentiful in Greenbrier. First of all, he used this water to build grist mills, to grind wheat and corn. Many of these mills were build in old Greenbrier. The Thomas Edgar mill in Ronceverte, while not the earliest, has enjoyed a most interesting history. The original miill was located in a ravine, and the dam was furnished with water from the "Bruce Hollow" creek. Indians destroyed this mill, and Archer, a son of Thomas, rebuilt. This mill, too, was destroyed. Later this same enterprise was moved to the banks of Greenbrier River. Ronceverte Mills, Inc., is the present day successor. Among the early mills were the Franklin Tinchor grist mill in Blue Sulphur district, for grinding corn only; Essau Ludington's mill in what is now Frankford district; Col. John Stuart's grist mill at the mouth of Milligan's Creek; James Coggin's mill on Little Clear Creek; John Wooden's mill on Sinking Creek, near Williamsburg; and Livesay's Mill, in the Richlands. The early miller had his troubles. One of the earliest grist ills in this section was built about the year 1785 by Frederick Gromer. It was a rude log building with a single run of burrs upon which were ground both corn and wheat, but the latter was not bolted. About the year 1788 Mr. Gromer erected a powder mill and for years supplied the surrounding country with powder. On a certain occasion he sent a colored woman and boy to the mill to see about some matter; it was dark and they thoughtlessly entered the mill with a lighted candle, the powder ignited and the report of the explosion rang out among the mountains. The building was torn to bits; the boy was killed instantly and the woman died a few days later from injuries received. A man named Robert Patton was afterwards killed by an explosion in the same mill. Mr. Gromer alos erected a saw mill, the group comprising an early inidustry on Second Creek. Some time after the people of this section were made happy bu the opening of the road from Warm Springs to Lewisburg, about 1783 or 1784, Anthony Hutsonpiller built a grist mill on Milligans Creek. Dr. McElHenney was a good customer of this mill for years, and he was very fond of the miller. This location was picturesque. The mill was about six miles from Lewisburg. Dr. McElHenney, as a special reward for those students who were well behaved, allowed them to take turns, on successive Saturdays, riding his horse to Hutsonpiller's Mill for the weekly grist. It was a favorite gathering place for people of the section. Many a man rode in iifrom miles away and loitered as long as possible exchanging small talk with his fellows while the jovial miller served as friendly host. Later, the mill became known as "Bunger's Mill," and Joseph H. Bunger operated it until 1906. Not a trace of the old foundation and the mill dam stones remain. Water-power saw mills were also located in Greenbrier. In Blue Sulphur district, John Piercy built in 1818. In Anthony's Creek district, Christopher Hoke had a mill in 1820 which had a capacity of 600 feet per day, a fine day's work in those days. The old water-power mills have not entirely vanished from Greenbrier. However, with the invention of the steam engine, the people found a new source of power available, and industry took a new lease on life. No longer was it necessary to depend on a good water-mill site in order to be sure of plenty of power. The next great forward step, one of which the early pioneers did not dream when first they ventured west of the Alleghenies, was the introduction of electricity. Today, rural electrification and municipal power and light facilities have simplified the problem of living. The quest for power had its humorous angles. It is related that "Old Tommie" Henning made a large Horsepower cog wheel. The wheel was 18 feet in diameter. It was to be used ina room adjoining the one in which it was made. It was too large. The spectators were as much at fault as the workmen. The wheel was removed by tearing out the stone foundation and one side of the room. But this accomplished, there was another problem. Anxiety to have the wheel large enough to run the lathes had caused them to overlook the size of the wheel room, and the walls of this had to be spread out of all proportion to admit of the horse moving around the circle. For many years Richard Thomas used this famous cog-wheel to run the machinery of his furniture factory. NEXT: THE BLACK DIAMOND EMPIRE OF GREENBRIER