Hunters Mill
Hunters Mill
Hunter’s Mill, also known as Hunter Brothers' Shingle Mill, was owned by the Hunter brothers: James, John, and David. The mill was located in the northeastern part of Greene County in Highland Township between Calvertsville and Newark on County Road 450 East. Hunter’s Mill was located in the heavily timbered land along Goose Creek. Because of the lack of good roads and bridges, along with the great demand for timber, Hunter’s Mill was able to stay in operation even with the nearby sawmills in Calvertsville and Newark.
Trees were harvested using various methods. Two common practices used during the winter were (1) to let the trees fall down from the winter frost and (2) to wrap chains around the trees and have horses pull them down. The logs would then be stacked at random by a clearing near Hunter’s Mill.
Small accidents at sawmills were not uncommon during pioneer days because of the type of machinery used and lack of safety standards. However, the accident at Hunter’s Mill in March, 1876, was not soon forgotten. The March thaw had not yet occurred and the creek on which the sawmill was located was still ice cold. The boiler of the steam sawmill had run dry and was red hot. When the ice cold water was poured into the red-hot boiler, almost instantly it exploded. People could hear the sound of the explosion miles away. The sawmill was scattered with destruction.
On that day nineteen men and boys were present at the sawmill. Twelve of them were killed outright; one was mortally wounded; six were seriously injured. Those that were killed were James Hunter, John Hunter, John Spelts, Absalom Vandeventer, John Wilkie, two little sons of David Hunter, a son of John Hamilton, a son of George Rea, a son of Henry Sarver, a son of George Bended, and a son of Jacob Brubaker. James Hunter had a son present who later died from the blast. Today if a person were to go to the sawmill site, one would see only a saucer-shaped ditch where the mill once stood. Grass, trees, and wildlife have reclaimed the area. A sense of peace and quiet now fill the air, but the explosion at Hunter’s Mill will be remembered as the event that brought the mill to its untimely end.
This information was used with permission from the Linton-Stockton School Corporation.
