The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-01-08

ume of water in the Nimishillen would
be considerably diminished.
Time was when the NimishiIlen
was quite q good stream, and furnish
ed good fishing as well as water pow
er for saw mills and grist mills.
Beginning at the western boundary
of this township and following up the
stream we find the site of a mill dam
near Fair Hope where once grist
mill was located that did considerable
custom grinding for the farmers.
Following up the stream half mile
we come to the place where the Roy
er sawmill once was located Follow
ing the stream a little further. then
let us trace the first branch that emp
ties into the stream from the south,
we come to the site where once
stood the Shengle sawmill on what is
now known as the Draime farm.
A little further up this stream was
another sawmill on the Balm farm.
We will follow this still further and
1--WE beg pardon for crossing the line
in Osnaburg township until we come
to Belfort and we find the site where
once stood the Wertz sawmill and al
so wooden mill, This wooden mill
we are told did not do complete line
of work. simply carding, combing. dye.
ing and spinning Samuel Leefong,
Sr, of Belfort, was superintendent of
the work done in this mill, Whine his
brother Jacob Seefong, of Maple
Grove also worked in the mill.
Following this stream still further
we come to the Yohe farm wnere
we find the site of another sawmill
Further up this stream we find the To-
cation OF another sawmill.
We retrace our steps to the Mimi.
shillen and follow up the stream ELL
we reach Louisville and follow the
first branch emptying from the north,
and we find the location of the old
Klingaman dam and sawmill which
many of our residents distinctly re-
member
We next notice the next branch
emptying from the north and we see
the site of the old Paumier sawmill
at the north side of town which many
of us well remember. We follow this
branch north till we reach the Jo-
seph Paumier farm where we are told
a man named Petrie once operated
sawmill. Following this stream still
further and we come to where the
Ringer sawmill mot the present one)
just northeast of the Hickory college
school house. This mill we are told
did good business many years ago.
We now go back to the main stream
and follow cas-. till We arrive at the
Stoner R. r. and electric line cross
ing and here we find another saw
mill once existed Following the
stream up to what is now known as
Wertenberger's siding on the Stark
electric and we arrive at the imme-
diate site of the old Eshelman dam,
and sawmill, which we recollect as
being the last of all to yield to de-
This dam once afforded |
good fishing, and we never read
Riley's poem "The Old Swimming
Hole" without being reminded of this
place, for the Stark electric has filled
the swimming hole where once,
many of us older boys went swim
ming.
We follow the old Nimishillen still
further till we reach the McGinty |
crossing and we see traces of what |
was once the mill race of the Thomas
sawmill. We believe this one stood |
nearest the source of the main |
streams of the Nimishillen.
People of today may wonder why |
SO many sawmills existed The older
inhabitants will readily tell us of the |
of timber. the necessity of |
cutting and saving it, and again |
hey all were water power mills, and |
did not run with the speed of our
modern circular sawmills. Do not mis-
us, as the streams did not |
furnish sufficient power to operate
.hese mills all the year, those located
IN the branches of the stream were
operated probably only three months
each year. In conclusion what was
,nce the beautiful fresh water MIN
shillen has diminished to almost
mere creek