If you ask anyone in Tappahannock who remembers the mill, they will most likely tell you about Eddie Howard. He began working at Essex Mill in 1910, at just 14 years old, with only a second-grade education. At the time, the mill was still known as the Hundley-Hoskins Mill, and he started as an apprentice. Over the years, Eddie rose to become the head miller, and by the 1950s, he was the only miller working there. He remained in that role until the mill closed in 1976, when he was 78 years old. Eddie has been described by many as a quiet, kind man.

He was born around 1898 as James Eddie Howard. He eventually married Alice Lee Burch, and together they had two children. After their separation, Eddie married Bessie Johnson, who was born in 1917. There was a 19-year age difference between them. They lived in a house just up the hill from the mill. The house burned down long after they had moved out, but the two sheds and the foundation still remain.

Eddie had a deep, lifelong connection to the mill. It was not only his first job, but the only one he ever held. Even after the mill closed, he continued to care for the building and its equipment into the early 1980s, until his health declined. He often gave informal tours to visitors, explaining how the machinery operated. He continued to do so until the mill was sold outside the Hundley family.

The house Eddie and Bessie lived in was rented to him by the Hundley family, with the intent that he would eventually own it. They also furnished it for him. The family is remembered for treating him well—just as any business should treat someone so loyal. In a 1974 article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Eddie was quoted as saying, “It felt like heaven working here.” By that time, he was earning $25 a month and also receiving Social Security.

Eddie passed away in 1989 at the age of 91. Bessie followed in 1995 at the age of 71. They are buried beside each other at the Rappahannock Christian Church cemetery.

Without Eddie’s loyalty and dedication, Essex Mill likely would not have lasted as long as it did. He may not have been able to read or write—but he could run a mill, and count a dollar.