002_Rothrocks Mill, White Cloud, black & white print

Description:	William Rothrock (1826-1914) built this three-story water mill in the small community of White Cloud along Blue River in what originally was Scott Township around 1880. William had previously operated a mill on the river at Wyandotte that had been established by his father and grandfather, Henry P. and Peter Rothrock. The mill that William established at White Cloud operated as a flour, saw, and grist mill and proved to be one of the largest and most prominent mills in the region. Constructed at a cost of $18,000, it featured stone burrs brought from France, and three water wheels – two 48-inch and one 40-inch – that together harnessed 50 horsepower from Blue River. White Cloud’s first post office along with a small general store were located in one room of the building. William and his son Julius operated the mill, and following William’s death in 1914, Julius and his three sons, Victor, Albert, and Russell, continued the business. In 1929, one of the mill’s large wheels was used to make electrical current to provide electricity for lighting the homes of Julius and his three sons. By the 1940s, Ruskin and Eldon Rothrock, sons of Albert and Russell, respectively, became the sixth generation of Rothrocks to enter the mill industry and the fourth to operate the White Cloud Mill. The mill remained in use until ca. 1950. The building stood for another several years, gradually deteriorating, until it collapsed in 1968.
Origin:	ca. 1890
Source:	http://cdm17251.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p17251coll20/id/2
Collection:	Mills of Harrison County
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/
Copyright:	This image may be printed or downloaded by individuals, schools or libraries for study, research or classroom teaching without permission. For other uses contact: genealogy@hcpl.lib.in.us
Geography:	White Cloud, Harrison County, Indiana
Subjects:	Mills logs

Further information on this record can be found at its source.