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Chapter 49: Waterpower Mills in Early Butler County, Part Two |
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We do not have information on the sources of the millstones used in Butler County nor on the location of the quarries, which produced the rough stone for the same. There was red granite in Iron County, Missouri. One report states some burrs were cut from glacial drift granite boulders found on the prairies of North Missouri. We do not know highly prized burrs used in the United States were of flint and imported from France. Whatever the source of the millstones used locally, it was not an easy or simple task to get them transported and properly installed in the mill.
A pair of such stones would weigh from 1000 to 2000 or more pounds. Mills in our country seem to have been victims of the Civil War turmoil. With most of the men in the army or hiding in the woods and swamps to save their lives, it was probably impossible to keep some of the mills in operation. Possibly some of the mills were destroyed by the contending armies or by bushwhackers. Some of the mill owners may have fled the county during the war and did not return after its close. Today very little is left of these pioneer mills. A few men and women remember "going to mill" many years ago. At some of the sites portions of the milldams are yet in evidence. Very little is in print on these mills. The chief purpose of these articles is to record such information as we have on this very necessary and very colorful pioneer enterprise. Now follows a discussion of these mills, "in a mill turn", in the language of the mill.
Ball's Mill, Kremlin Mill, Brown's Mill, Brannum's Mill. These names were used for a mill on Little Black River about nine miles north of the southwest corner of Butler County and about one mile east of the Butler-Ripley county line. Its original name was Brannum's Mill, named for James Brannum, builder of the mill. The 1850 Census lists James Brannum as a native of Tennessee and then 51 years of age. The mill may have had other names, now lost. It is said to have been a profitable mill until a roller mill was established in Poplar Bluff. The date the mill was built is unknown, but at the time of the organization of Butler County it was considered old. On August 13, 1849, the County Court was in session at the home of Daniel Epps. One item of business that day was the decision of the roads into supervisory districts. We quote one of the orders: "Martin Franklin is hereby appointed overseer of 5th division of the road leading from Brannum's old mill to Indian Ford on St. Francois river commencing at an oak known as division line between Black River &St. Francois & ending at the Indian ford & that he apply John N. Yarber, road Justice, for his lists of hands." (Note. In the early county court records the St. Francis River is usually referred to as the St. Francois, the French spelling in the masculine gender.) The language also raises a question. Did Mr. Brannum have a newer mill at a different location?
The site was very favorable for a mill. Little Black River carried an ample supply of water to operate a mill, and the east side of the river was against a hill or bluff high enough for the mill house to be above high water. It was readily accessible to many of the settlers in the west one-half of the county and to a large area in Ripley County. "The Road from Brannum's Old Mill to the Indian Ford on the St. Francois River" was a portion of the famous Natchitoches Trace, the trail or road to Western Louisiana and on west into the Texas County. Settlers from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and other states to the east who wished to migrate to the Southwest had to go around the swamps in Missouri and Arkansas. They could cross the Mississippi River at or near Cape Girardeau, cross the St. Francis River at the Indian Ford and follow the higher ground north of the swamps. They crossed Black River about a mile north of the head of Palmer Sough, or, as then known, Little Raft Slough. West of Black River the trail climbed out of the rugged hills bordering the stream to the open woods of the gently rolling plateaus of central and west Butler County. In 1834 Featherstonhaugh wrote of this area: "Descending to the south we came to some very beautiful situations of fine dry undulating land, easy of access, the slopes exceedingly fertile, and beautiful woodland tree scattered about as they are seen in the charming park scenery of England." The steady stream of immigrants bound for the Southwest could stop at Brannum's Mill and replenish their supply of corn meal.
We do not have a complete record of the mill and mill site. On December26, 1877, S. M. and Rebecca Batterton sold eighty acres and "mill thereon" to George H. Crumb of Poplar Bluff for $1200.00. Mr. Crumb was a native of New York State, lawyer, graduate of Union College, Schenectady, New York, and for several years edited a newspaper in Poplar Bluff. He was agent in charge of the United States land office in Ironton, Missouri. The deed record, in addition to transferring the eighty acres states, "together the mill and machinery thereon situate, known as the Brannum Mill, erected by James Brannum and Andrew Powers, with the franchise thereof." Was Andrew Powers, with the fanchise thereof." Was Andrew Powers a partner of James Brannum in the original mill or was the mill sold in 1877 a newer mill, perhaps helping to explain the County Court references in 1849, Brannum's old mill?
Mr. Crumb had visions of great industry at Brannum's Mill. Here he built a three story millhouse and installed equipment for the manufacture of wheat flour in addition to corn meal. In accord with his ambition for an important center he renamed the place "Kremlin" for the Kremlin Citadel in Moscow, Russia. The "citadel" in a Russian city containing space and buildings for many activities. The community came to be called "Kremlin" as also was the school. Thus a totally Russian name was introduced into Anglo-Saxon rural Butler County, an area which to this day has possibly never felt the steps of a native Russian. This mill was also called Brown' Mill for a Mr. Brown who operated the mill for Mr. Crumb. We do not know when Mr. Crumb sold the mill.
On September 17, 1889, Leonard F. and Addy Nickey sold the mill and 207 acres of land to Lucius and Ann Ball for $5000.00 Mr. Ball was born near Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was a teacher, farmer and mill operator. He operated a sawmill on Little Black; he established a sawmill and a store there. The sawmill used steam for power and was a few rods upstream from the gristmill. Many of the logs for the sawmill were cut up the river and rafted downstream to the mill site where the logs were held in the millpond until time for sawing them into lumber. Mr. Ball lived in Poplar Bluff and built the house at 809 North Main Street, now occupied by Dr. and Mrs. J. O. Adams. Mr. Ball died December 20, 1899.
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