Whites Mill

History of Whites Mill by Whites Mill

Founded in the 1790's, and then expanded over the next two centuries, White's Mill tells the story of rural America before the days of electricity or motorized vehicles.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, familes grew crops, carried their grain to the mill in horse drawn wagons, by horseback, carts and sleds and then took the ground meal and flour back home to make bread, biscuits and other family staples. While at the mill, men shared news of their families, the Civil War or the move westward through the Cumberland Gap. Children could be seen playing in the stream until it was time to help re-load the wagon for the trip back home. In later years, women purchased cloth and other items at the mercantile. As the center of the community, it was not surprising that White's Mill also served as the community's post office and voting station.

Although many water powered grist mills existed in rural America, few are as old or as well preserved as White's Mill is today.