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Chapter 50: Waterpower Mills in Early Butler County, Part Three |
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May 11, 1901, Ann E. Ball. Widow of Lucius Ball, sold the mill and mill site of a few acres on the east side of Little Black River to Robert G. Felts of Poplar Bluff for $1,050.00. The transfer included the right to dam the water for mill purposes "As now used in the water of said river. Mr. Felts was "Bob Felts" to everyone who knew him. He was very active in the business and civic affairs of Butler County. In his activities he is credited with establishing the first telephone exchange in Poplar Bluff, president of Farmers Savings Bank, mayor of Poplar Bluff and owner of a farm on Black River north of Poplar Bluff.
Many people are yet around who have fond memories of swimming and picnicking at "Felt's Farm." Where the road skirted Black River, there was a fine swimming hole, the swimming hole of Boyhood memories and nostalgic poets. The riverbank was well shaded by large trees, providing an excellent picnic area. In the predays of air-conditioning and swimming pools "Felt's Farm" was a ready escape from the blistering heat of our July and August summers. In those days of memory people still had legs and were not afraid to use them. They could and did walk to "Felt's Farm" for a cooling dip in the waters of Black River. Enough of this homesickness. It really has nothing to do with Ball's Mill.
We do not know how long Mr. Felts owned the Ball's Mill. Possibly around 1906 or 1097, the picturesque and romantic overshot mill wheel was replaced with a turbine to produce power. Probably this change was made by Mr. Felts. Ball's Mill suffered and unkind and ignominious death. The Milldam obstructed the free flow of water in the river and caused flooding of the farmlands upstream, or so thought some of the landowners up river. The discontent was so great that a portion of the dam was blown out with dynamite. The dam was repaired and the mill again operated. In the next attempt to open the river not only was the dam destroyed but also a charge of dynamite was placed in the turbine, destroying it. We do not know the date of this destruction but it must have been about 1916 to 1918. The dam and turbine were not repaired thus ended the colorful and useful pioneer enterprise started by James Brannum. We have a report that the lumbering and framing timbers in the mill house were used in building a barn in the Kremlin community. This barn was destroyed by the same tornado that leveled a section of Poplar Bluff 1927.
Today there remains of Ball's Mill only a fading memory of a place name on Little Black River and vestiges of the milldam discernible only to those who know where to look. With the passage of another fifty years even the memory will be gone and only a name will be left in old maps and records. If the present old bridge just above the mill site wears out or is washed away in a flood and is not replaced in the same location, the name, Ball's Mill, will even more quickly disappear from community usage. The Court appropriated $200.00 to aid in building a bridge across Little Black River at or near James Brannum's Mill. This bridge was a few hundred feet down stream from the present bridge.
Mill at Keener Spring. The mill was variously known as Howell's Mill, Howell and Turk Mill, Turk's Mill, Honeycutt's Mill and Reeves' Mill. The mill was on the spring branch of Keener Spring a few rode above the confluence of the spring branch with Black River. The site is on the Butler-Wayne County line. Most of the millpond and perhaps a part of the milldam were in Wayne County. The information we have places the mill house in Butler County. None of the above named owners gave a lasting name, as did Lucius Ball for Ball's Mill or Andrew Powers for Power's Mill.
Miss Pottenger, in her work states that Levi Carpenter deeded the mill site to a Mr. Howell from Bardwell, Kentucky, to get a mill built, and to was first known as the Howell Mill. A Mr. Turk and some others gave financial assistance to the mill, and it was called the Howell and the Turk Mill. Later it was called Hunnicutt's Mill and Reeves' Mill for other owners. The given names of Howell, Turk, Hunnicutt and Reeves are not listed.
Fortunately for history Mr. Ira Hedspeth, who lives in Butler County near Keener Spring has memories of the mill. As a boy Mr. Hedspeth often took a "turn of corn" to the mill, a "turn" meaning you waited your turn to have your grain ground. Mr. Hedspeth says Mr. Howell built the mill in 1872. When Mr. Hedspeth took grain there, the owner and miller was Jeff Markham. The power was then provided by a turbine. We do not know if this mill ever used a wheel for power. Mr. Hedspeth states that his father helped hew the framing timbers for the mill house. The timbers were sixteen inches square and as long as the building. The posts were twenty feet high and hewed logs. The mill closed in August 1915, due to a tremendous flood on Black River. The high waters tore away a portion of the milldam and moved the mill house. Another link with the past was gone.
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