The Ol’ Millpond (part 1)

Our past generations did not always have the opportunities we have today. No-sir-re, they just couldn’t just run down to the grocery store and stock up on supplies. In most cases, our ancestors, who lived in rural communities, grew or made just about everything they needed.

Living miles away from towns, our rural ancestors might just get into town maybe once a month, or maybe a few times a year. Although, a lot of folks would show up on court days.

When the pioneer families moved into an area, most settled on land along small creeks or rivers. A lot of times a spring had to be cleaned out or a well had to be dug by hand just to provide water. A good source of water and rich bottom land allowed these early settlers to grow staple crops like corn and wheat. Both were used to feed the families and the livestock.

Grains have been a mainstay to feed people, to make beer or strong drink, just about since the world began. However, man’s digestive system mostly requires the grain to be ground before ingested. To grind these grain products required some types of rocks or sticks to grind or beat the grain into a fine meal which was later made into bread.

As time went on, more meal was needed to feed the growing population. Gristmills began appearing on the landscapes. Manpower or some type of livestock was used to turn two large round stones called millstones to grind the wheat or other grains into a fine powder. Later, someone came up with an idea of using water power to make these milestones turn. Thus, the gristmills were located on small creeks or rivers.

To maintain a good water supply, even during a drought, dams were built on streams to form what was called millponds. Some millponds might back up a small body of water while others formed large lakes. Even with dam control, flooding could be and was a major problem. Sometimes when the stream was in flood stage, the force of the water would take the dams out as well as the mill itself. This was a great loss to the local communities who depended on the mills to grind their meal.

Not only was the gristmill a place to get your wheat or corn ground into flour or cornmeal, but they also served as a local gathering place. While waiting your turn in line to have your grain ground, folks would catch-up on local happening and their children would play in the water or the mill yard. You have to remember that there won’t many papers delivered in rural areas during that time in our history.

Seems unless you lived on a large river or natural lake, the millponds was the only place deep enough to actually swim. Back in the day ,and just a few generations ago, most

people never learned to swim. You see its hard to swim in knee deep water of a small creek. Seems ‘bout the only folks to get their heads under water were of the Baptist faith.

My dad and his brothers learned how to swim in Capel’s Millpond which was located just below their house in upper Richmond County. Dad said he never knew this skill would serve him so well until he was drafted into the army in World War II. He said during the crossing of the Rhine River, going into Germany, a lot of the soldiers drown because they were not strong swimmers.

Next week I’ll tell you more about actual grist mill and where some were located around our area.