Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1920-12-15
ASHLAND MILL WAS
FIRST IN VALLEY
Pioneer Tells OF Construction Of Old
Flour Mills in Southern Oregon
Delivery Wagons Attacked by In-
dians and Drivers Killed.

o. A. Stearns, one Of the pioneers
of Southern Oregon, settles the query
regarding the first srist mill built
in the upper Rogue River Valley. Mr..
Stearns has personal recollections of
the building of these old mills and
In the following communication tells
an interesting story of the early in
dustries of the valley
I'm recent issue of your paper ap.
peared an article recording the raz-
ing of the old Eagle mill by its pres
ent owner, in which you quote the
old pioneers as being in doubt as
to whether the Eagle or Ashland
Touring mills was first erected.
THE Ashland mill was erected in
lS54-55 in time to grind the har-
vest OF SO, as the writer well re-
members the competition between the
farmers of the nearby section to get
the first grist ground at that mill.
My father was among the first to
take wheat to that mill and | can
remember distinctly the color and
flavor of the biscuits made from the
first home srowl wheat.
Prior to that time we were COM
PEELED to use flour ground in Chile,
South America. which was shipped
by vessel to Scottsburg and packed
across the mountains from there by
mule train. The price of the flour
to the consumer was S}3 per hundred
and as the flour was not protected
while in transit across the mountains
where there Yves almost continual
rain, the flour was wet and some
times mouldy as far as half an inch
or more all around The sacks, which
enabled them to stand alone when
the Hour was removed
There was quite heavy ship
ment OF flour from The Ashland
Mill to the outlying mining camps.
I'm September OF that year four
OK teams loaded with flour from that
mill were ambu3hed by Indians Just
this side of the summit of the Siski- !
YOU mountains, and two of the driv
ers of the foremost wagons were
killed, the oxen shot and the wagons
with their contents nearly all de-
stroyed Calvin Fields and Jonn
Cunningham were the men killed. /
Harrison b. Oatman escaped by
up and over the mountain. /,
never stopping until lie reached the
mining camp OF Cottonwood, near
where now is Hornbrook. Daniel
the fourth man, who was
slow, was ont Of sight
behind the other wagons when, hear
ing the firing he left his team stand
Ing and ran up towards where the
firing was, He saw the Indians in
their work of destruction, and with
out being discovered, turned and ran
down the mountain to the Mountain
House Barron's) and gave the
alarm.
"A party of volunteers was soon
raised, who tracked the Indians
around by way of Dead Indian Prai
rie down Butte creek to the Indian
near Table Rock Here
hey were attacked and many killed,
precipitating the Rogue River War of
1855.
"A large fallen fir tree with the
Dfanches set up along the body, near
he last hin on the upward climb to
he summit of the Siskiyous, was the
place OF ambush for the Indians in
hat attack and was plainly visible
rom the old road for several years
lfter the toll road over the noun
aims was completed several years
Ifter.
"The Phoenix grist mill. built In
1855 was the second mill finished.
md the Eagle nlll was constructed
y John and Toby Thomas, soon after,
nd in connection with their mill they
lso built and operated distlllery
or several years.
This Is in brief q record of those ,