The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-04-22


COUNTY HALF A CENTURY Aco.--Wc have
from Mr.. Jeremiah l.. Leslie, native of this
county. but for the last half century citizen
Of Ohio, an interesting letter, part Of it in an
sver to certain Inquiries about the mills and
manufactures on the streams Of this county
1t the commencement Of the present century
Mr.. Leslie, who is upwards of SO years OF
age, still writes an excellent letter in Il bold
rand but slightly trcmulons with age. He is
I, cousin of Miss Leslie the well known writer
| of England, and has still many rel.tves in
his county.
His rrcolcctions in relation to the mills Of
the county will, doubtless, be interesting TO
many Of our readers, and we print that part
Of his letter. He says:
Zone of the first occupants of mill on
Big Elk was Moses Foreman, who time
went by the name Of 'Recdy-moncy llosry,
but it afterwards got to be 'liosey-in bra,'
md-shorts, or -Nosey o"t.of-hr-mM.' There
was also mill owned by a Rickctts--per-
haps VIM, and another by Levi Tyson. both
on Big Fix; this last was above Mays forge,
which afterwards became Stephen Hays.
Capt. John Evans owned the next water works
and then came the rolling mill and nail fac
tory of Ellis Passmore. If my memory docs
not deceive me Doct. VILLAGE owned a mill
near the Rock Meeting House. These arc
the mills and factories can call to mind on
the Big Elk. On second thought Walla 'e's
mill must have been on Little Elk.
On Little Elk was Jonathan and Ebt nczor
Eooth's mill, ihen Henry IIollingsworth' S mill
and saw mill-aftorwards nail factory and
tilt forge carried on by myself and since con-
vert.d into an Iron Works by Stephen Hayes.
Immt diately above was woolcn factory,
II 1t, if my memory serves Inc, by a comra-
an Englishman named John Wilson. 4 little
farther up was John AndcrSon's saw mill
and | rccolle:t no other water works on Little
Elk ,. unless Wal!acc's was there
As far as my recollection and knowledge cx-
tcrrls the following is list Of the other water
works in the county at that time. Thomas
Maffit's mill at the mouth of the creek below
the iuncturc of Big and Little North East.
Russrll's two Iron Works were Immediately
above the lower forge embraced the water Of
both strcams-tle upper that of Big North
Fast alone. On the little branch, in ascend
ing, Andrew Reeds mill was the first, VIM.
Mllcr's the next, then Robert Clouds saw
mill and if my memory does not deceive me.
Thos. Rogers owned mill OH this stream.
In ascending Big North East the first above
Ru sells new forge was saw mill built by
Robert Leslie, who sold it to Charles johnson,
who moved it farther down and built wooden
factory. The next in my day was Gilpin s
mill, at Gilpin's Falls; the next Thomas Tn
derhill's mill; the next, if am correct, was
Joseph Reynolds mill, then Levi Kirk S mill,
besides which rccollcct no other. On reflcc.
ton, l think there was fuling mill OH Big
North East, owned by Roger Kirk. There
was a small stream which emptied into the
head of North East river, called Stony Run,
on which in olden time there was saw mill
owned by man named Crookshanks. and
above this short distance was mill built
by John Hall.
Near the mouth of small stream called
Prmcippi, between Charlestown and the
Lower Ferry was furnace and mill. This
closes my recollectlons of water works in
Cecil county"
If the old gentleman could visit his nativ,
county again, he would lie astonishcd at The
Changes wrought since the time of which h,
writes.