Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1919-09-25
More About the Old Mill.


The relating of one interesting even
in Shepherdstown's history calls out an
other. The recent article in the Regis
ter concerning the old mill east of tow
brought to the remembrance OF MI
Beltzhoover that some years ago in ex
aiming the records in Hagerstown h,
found an agreement made in 1925 b!
which the owners of the Blackforc
farm, on the Maryland side Of the river
gave permission to George .Reynold:
and Henry Boteler to put an abutmen
Of their proposed dam across the rivel
upon their land, provided the lattel
would never allow any ferry to be es
tablished adjoining lands along thC
river which they might own or con.
troll The Blackfords then owned the
ferry at Shepherdstown and they wise.
| ly wanted no opposition. Edward T
Moler reminds us, also, that his father
the late Lee Henry Moler, and the late
Dr.. Isaac Taylor managed the -four
mill year or two before the Civil
War.
Michael Wright and his brother, Lar
ry Wright, helped manage the cement
mill for number of years and are per-
haps more familiar with its history
than any other persons now living.
Michael Wright gives US some interest
ing information concerning the prop
erty. He says that the dam and mill
were built in 1926. The mill, which
was later known as "the big MILL" had
a wide reputation for flour making,
| grain being hauled from as far as Win
chester by farmers and others. The
original dam was built Of logs on the
rifle that here extends across the riv-
er, making a firm foundation on the
solid ledge of rocks. Engineers re-
ported that 800 horse power could be
developed. Long before this period
some time in the seventeen hundreds
Ia man by the name of Morgan, who
lived in what is now known as the
Thomas Wysong house, near by, un-
dertook to build a mill. He had the
idea that the ledge of rock would dam
the water sufficiently to turn it into the
race way which he built of logs. He
never got as far as building mill,
however. Remains of his log race wall
may still be seen.
The manufacture Of cement began
about 1882. An engineer by the name
of Mcfarland, who was surveying the
route for the Chesapeake & Ohio
Canal, discovered the veins of cement
rock, and it was upon his recommends
ton that the cement industry was
developed. Great quantities of the
cement were used in the construction
of the locks and aqueducts and culverts
on the canal. The work of building
the canal began at Georgetown in 1926,
and by 1882 hundreds of Irish laborers
were working in the Shepherdstown
neighborhood. One of the big jobs on
the waterway was blasting away the
great cliff just above Shepherdstown.
This was of course before the days of
steam drills, and the holes for the
blasts were all drilled by hand. 1t was
in 1882 or 1888 that an epidemic of
cholera broke out among the workmen,
and scores of them died. All this part
of the country was panic stricken by
the frightful epidemic, and a number
of persons here and in Martinsburg
contracted the disease. Some Of the
canal workmen were buried along the
right of way of the canal as soon as they
died. Many others, especially the
Irish Catholics, were buried in the old
chapel graveyard at the northwest edge
of town, as that was consecrated
ground.
Larry Wright came here in 1867
and Michael in 1869. They were de-
voted TO the interests of their employ
ers and were singularly faithful in
their service to the late Major Blunt
as long as the mill was in operation
Cement making was their second ma
ture, and at one time they produced
it at cost as low as fifteen cents bar
rel. 1t sold in Washington for $3.50,
though it dropped as low as rs cents a
barrel later on. Among the important
public works in Washington in which
the Shepherdstown cement was used
were the Georgetown adqueduct, the
great boundary sewer and the State,
War and Navy Department building.
Larry Wright has lived on the place for
more than fifty years, but as the farm
that he occupies has been sold to
Boiling Gait, he will probably move
next spring. The mill shut down IN
1895 because Of litigation. In 1900 it
was started up again. Besides selling
cement to the trade, stock was &C
cumulated for the purpose of rebuild
ing the dam. Mr.. Blunt had made his
plans and had arranged to finance the
construction of a solid dam of stone
and cement, which would have lasted
indefinitely. The work was to have
been done in l901-but alas for human
calculations! Mr.. Blunt died and that
was the last of the famous industry
and the death knell of the old mill. The
old dam gradually went to pieces, until
now there is scarcely a vestige of it
left, the head race filled up with mud
and debris, the forebay got choked up,
and with no one to keep il in order the
whole establishment went into decay.
The old mill has been the scene Of
some well-remembered tragedies and
accidents. In 1871 Ned Lucas, one Of
the workmen in the quarries, slipped
md fell over the quarry cliff, dis
aHoc of about rs feet. 1t seemed
miracle that he survived, but though
many bones were broken, he was not
killed. When he fell, young Mike
Wright was told to speed to town in
hurry for DR.. Reynolds. He mount
ed mule and rode off, but he concluded
that the mule was too slow, so he jump
of and ran to town, reaching the
physicians home in a few moments.
Dr. Reynolds got on his horse and rode
quickly to the quarry, but Mike, run
ming, was there ahead of him. Mr..
Lucas vas carried to town in litter
and in due time got over his hurts.
In October, 1851, John Lamb was