Steam Power Water Power Grist Mills

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Harry Anderson said that during periods of drought the water level was so low that you can see the remains of four dams at Anderson Mill. The first dam was constructed of rocks, brush (cedar trees) and mud. This was a temporary dam to channel the water in the creek through the race so that a permanent dam of rocks and mud could be constructed below the temporary dam. A log dam was constructed later in front of the rock and mud dam, and the present stone dam was constructed in front of the log dam. During periods of drought all the water flowing down the creek was needed to run the mill at full power. For the past twenty years, the creek has never frozen over.

Harry Anderson said that in the 1960s, Heisey's Orchard dredged Licking Creek above the covered bridge, to improve water flow. The remains of a log dam was found between the covered bridge and the barn, a short distance above the bridge. Chester Anderson said that there was a nail factory that operated at this site. They also dug up numerous pieces of iron and nails. During this dredging operation, they dug up the remains of a stone dam located about three-quarters of a mile above the covered bridge on Licking Creek, and beside an old stone house at the corner of Heisey and Orchard Road. This site was the location of a woolen factory or fulling mill in the 1800s.

Archibald Irwin II died in 1840. He was the last Irwin to own Irwinton Mills. The property had to be sold to cover bills. According to tax records, Irwinton's Grist Mill and Sawmill were transferred to Matthew Vandear in 1845. The old grist mill burned in 1850, and the current grist mill was constructed in 1856 at the exact location by Jerry Witter and Kuhn. In the 1860s Union Mills was the trade name for the grist mill and sawmill, operated by Kuhn and Witter at this location. It appears that the operation failed financially in the early 1870s and Union Mills was sold in 1873. Union Mills was modernized in the 1890s. Roller mills were installed to make flour instead of using the burr stones.

Anderson Grist Mill was the nucleus of a group of structures still standing today that enables one to envision what mid-1800s rural Franklin County looked like. Still standing at the grist mill complex are the 1760s stone house and log barn, log hog pen and log smoke house and an early 1800s bank barn. Located within a half mile of the mill are two more stone houses, a stone barn, a two-arch stone bridge, a red wooded covered bridge and a brick one-room school house.

For more information about the Anderson Grist Mill please call (717) 328-3335 or write to Anderson Mill, 9717 Anderson Road, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania 17236.

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LeRoy Walker from Glen Rock PA and his 25-75 HP Aultman-Taylor steam traction engine built in 1911. It is one of two in existence today built with an Alberta boiler. The engine was trucked to Union Mills by Harry Forry & Sons from Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania, and the driver was Jeff Amspacker, driving their White diesel. The engine was trucked to Union Mills after the Mason-Dixon Historical Society's 35th show on the grounds of Carroll County Farm Museum, Westminster, Maryland. For further information about the MasonDixon Show call Mr. Herb Wessel, telephone 1-410-374-2273.

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