Hartford's Grist Mill

    Now, let's start down Laurel Trail. We will use the upper section of the trail to move down stream to Hartford's Mill. Laurel Trail is a large loop, with the lower section of the trail following the stream and ending at the Scout Camping Area, while the upper section starts north of the lower bridge. So let's back track a little bit; leave the Scout Camping Area the way we entered, when you are back out on the road, walk across the bridge and continue straight through the intersection. Up the hill a bit and around the bend is the start of the upper section of Laurel Trail.

     From the start of the trail to the mill site should only take a thirty minute walk. Upon starting this section, notice that the Scout Area is below and off to the left. About five minutes down the trail, notice the change in the trail. It changes from a narrow path to an old road. Looking back toward the Woolen Mill area, one should be able to see where the old bridge crossed the stream. You are on part of the old New Manchester Turnpike that at one time led past Hartford's Mill.

    Upon reaching the top of the first grade, there is a fieldstone wall on the right hand side. Start watching the left side of the trail for an old foundation with a stone lined well. Take a good look at how small it appears. Imagine living in a house of that size! To the right of the trail are the stone walls of their spring house.

    Continue on until reaching the first fork in the trail. Straight ahead is the White Oak Trail, we will save this for later. Turn left, down Laurel Trail. Only fifty feet down the fork on the left side is an old lane leading to what is remaining of another house. There is no foundation here, only a few cut stones that supported the house. A few feet farther around the hillside are the stonewalls of the spring house. Back on the trail, continue down the grade and around the left turn. Upon reaching level ground at this point, Hartford's Mill is to the right. There is an old road bed that follows the stream for a few hundred feet. The foundation wall of the mill is on the stream bank. All that remains today of Hartford's Mill is the front stone wall of the mill, some cut stone, and bricks from the boiler chimney.

    Coal was mined from the other side of the stream in later years of the mill to supply fuel for a boiler and steam engine. In the photograph of the mill  there is a conveyor belt leading from a mine on the side of the hill to the grist mill.

    The first mention of a grist mill on this tract of land is when the Coulter family owned the property. Joseph P.  Coulter and his wife, Hannah, purchased the land from William Baxter on December 17, 1834. It could be that Joseph built the first mill on this tract. Coulter paid $600 for this piece of ground that measured two hundred sixty four acres, three rods, and twenty seven perches.

    On April 12, 1839 the Coulter's Mill was sold to John Newell and Thomas Webb for $1000. Only one hundred and twenty four acres went with the mill. Thomas Webb and his wife, Rachel, sold their one half undivided interest in the mill to George Baxter Sr. on January 28, 1860 for $1200. The acreage listed in this deed was one hundred twenty eight acres and fifty perches.

    At this point, I would like to quote several paragraphs from the "Life Story of Rev. James M. Newell, D.D." This autobiography was written for his children in July of 1931. Rev. James M. Newell was one of the sons of John Newell. My thanks to Natalie Schutz for her donation of this information.

    "My father took into partnership with him, in the tannery, a brother of his deceased wife--a very large fine looking man, whom my family always called our Uncle Tom Elder. He was a gentleman of fine looks and courtly manners. He had a family of seven daughters, all noted for their beauty. Later my father sold the tannery to Uncle Tom. He married again a Miss Lydia Edie. Her family were prominent people in that country. She became my mother.

    Having gotten clear of the tannery business my father conceived the plan of building a flour and feed mill and a saw mill to be run by water power, about the only power available in that day. He found a location on Tomlinson's Creek, a considerable stream of water. There he built a dam for his saw mill and flour mill. There were two other flour mills on the same creek further up. These mills along Tomlinson's Creek for many years, in those times, now more than a hundred years ago, furnished ground food for people and for stock for all Hancock County. For many years there was no more common sight than of teams of horses and of oxen hauling grain to these mills, and flour and feed away. They met very finely the need for their time. 

    My father's mill and saw mill were built in a little valley absolutely surrounded by hills. The valley was about five hundred yards wide. Above the valley some three or four hundred feet was the point of a hill overlooking the most wild and picturesque country one could wish to see. West Virginia is especially famous for its beauty of scenery, wild and rugged and mountainous. This spot was like much of the rest. There on that point of hill was build a frame house of four rooms. That house is standing yet. There in November of 1840 I began my howling life.

    But that little house was not famed to by my home. My father had been brought up on a farm, but when he struck out for himself he resolve  to drop farming and become a manufacturer. It was his work first to turn the raw hides of animals into finished leather and after that to turn trees into lumber and grains into flour and other ground products. But now he was confronted with a problem. He had five boys. Two of them were becoming large enough to do a man's work on a farm. They were of no particular use at the mill. The normal place for boys seems to be a farm.

    Six miles from the mill, down by the Ohio River, there was fine land for farming. There would be living there, because of the river and rich land, thrifty and progressive neighbors. This brought more people and better schools, and near by, on the opposite side of the Ohio River were two considerable towns. There my father purchased a farm, with about a hundred acres cleared for tilling and about two hundred acres of woodland and canyons. Later he added to this farm."

    In the second paragraph of the preceding quote, "two other flour mills on the same creek further up.", refers to Murray's Grist Mill and Pugh's Grist Mill.  The third paragraph mentions the location of the home in which Rev. James M. Newell was born.  Please look at the survey of James G. Marshall included on this page! The site of his birth could be one of two houses on this survey. The first might be the house described in the fourth paragraph on this page. The second possible site would be on the other side of the valley. On the Other Places page, please look at the Covered Bridge Abutment photograph. If you were to cross Tomlinson Run at this bridge site,  the other house is located there. Just follow the old road bed a short distance and one should find this site also.

        George Baxter Sr. and his wife, Ruth, sold their one half interest in the mill to their son, George, for one dollar. The date was March 3, 1862. Young George received a pretty good deal, he received six hundred acres of land plus one hundred and seventy eight acres of land that included the grist mill. George Baxter Jr. filed a suit in chancery court to obtain the other half interest of the mill from John Newell. On May 10, 1867 George Jr. became full owner of the grist mill. Newell received $4552 in the settlement.

    To shed more light on one of the Chancery Court rulings, consider the following. Chancery Order Book #1, page 193, June 1, 1848 - June 29, 1880: Thomas Webb vs. John Newell "The complainant & defendant as late partners in business under the firm name of Newell & Webb. Whether the same relate to their partnership in carrying on the milling business at their mills situated on Tomlinson run in this County or to the partnership in carrying on the business of shipping produce to the lower Mississippi River & New Orleans". The court decided "That land and mill property in the bill and proceedings mentioned are not and were not partnerships property on the 28th day of January 1860." The land was to be divided as to quality and value, by special commissioners William C. Murray, Joseph Burns, and James G. Marshall. "That said land and mill property is indivisible and can not be partitioned according to the said decree in these causes rendered without great prejudice and loss to all parties interested therein." The mill was to be sold at public auction. John Newell's cross bill was dismissed and Newell was to pay complainants cost. George Baxter purchased the mill at public auction January 10, 1865 for $4552.oo. 

     Chancery Court records show in the years of 1880 through 1882 John B. Hartford rented  this grist mill. Mentioned is a verbal agreement to purchase the grist mill, two small houses, one larger house, and land for $1300.00.  The date of this agreement/deed is April 12, 1882.

    One day after the verbal purchase, John B. Hartford purchased a steam engine and boiler in Pittsburgh, PA. for $550.00. These were to covert the grist mill to steam power. Labor, fixtures, and stack for the steam engine and boiler were an additional $400.00. At this time John also added to the length and three stories to the mill which cost about $100.00. The main home was remodeled for $500.00. Lastly, outside the flouring mill a circular saw mill was added for a cost of $275.00.

    According to Circuit Court records of July 21, 1894, George Baxter Jr. made a contract with John B. Hartford. Upon the death of Baxter, the mill and thirty seven acres, one rod, and 26 perches of land would belong to Hartford. After the death of George Baxter Jr., John Hartford had to file a suit against the Baxter estate. On July 24, 1894 a deed was made for the mill and property in the name of John B. Hartford.

     Looking back into the 1850 census records of this area, John Hartford's father, James, was also a miller. It is without a doubt, that although other people had owned the grist mill, it was the Hartford family that had operated the mill for at least a half of a century. This might be the reason Baxter willed the mill to Hartford. Good fortune did not follow John Hartford very long. John lost the mill in 1905 for failure to pay taxes during the years of 1897 to 1905. For the price of $121.94, John lost the mill. This was the last operating grist mill on Tomlinson Run.

     The thumbnail to the right is a survey map drawn by James G. Marshall  on
March 31, 1882. It was included with Chancery Court rulings, the result of a bill of complaint by Jane Hartford.

    The lower thumbnails below  are two of the remaining artifacts from Hartford's Grist Mill.

           On September 18, 1985 I spoke with Stewart Cowl, a long time resident (age 82)  of Hancock County. Stewart told me about Hartford's Mill. He stated the structure was four to five stories tall. The mill was no longer in operation when a flash flood washed it down stream and deposited timbers from the mill onto the banks of the Ohio River.

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