026_White Mill, Corydon

Description:	The mill in this image was constructed along Little Indian Creek at South Maple Street and Poplar Street in Corydon, Indiana in 1890. Although it operated under various names and owners over the years, it was known throughout as the White Mill, a reflection of its exterior paint color and history. The 1890 building, however, was not the first, but the third mill built at this location. John Rice (1804-1889) constructed the first mill on this site ca. 1845. Rice was also responsible for constructing a millrace and pond to power the mill. An upper dam on Little Indian Creek diverted water into the millrace, and a second dam was situated at the lower end of the millrace at the mill site on Maple Street. Water in the pond reached fifteen to eighteen feet in depth and turned the large water wheel that powered the mill. An island was formed by the millrace on the north and Little Indian Creek on the south. Mill workers lived on the island, which was owned by the mill. As more modern milling methods emerged, the millrace was abandoned in the 1920s and filled in with dirt and rock. The mill built by John Rice in 1845 burned in 1856. Rice rebuilt and mill operations continued at the Maple Street location until 1890, when again fire destroyed the mill. It is unclear how many owners the mill had during this 34-year period; however, Rice moved out of Corydon in 1861, and the 1882 atlas marks the area as Eclipse Mills. A late 19th century newspaper ad for Eclipse Mills reveals that Samuel J. Wright & Son were the proprietors. Still, by the time the mill burned in 1890, it had become known as the White Mill, a name and paint choice likely given to distinguish it from its nearby competitor, the Red Mill (built 1834). Soon, a new White Mill, the third to be built on the site, was completed in 1890. The partnership of Charles Martin, John Loweth, and Samuel Pfrimmer established the new mill, and by 1895 Martin was the sole owner. Later owners included Dr. T. G. Van Hook, John Heimer, William Taylor, Edgar L. Miles, and Harlan Bickel. The new mill contained the latest modern equipment and had a capacity of 80 barrels per day. Two storage warehouses were also constructed and could stock 12,000 bushels. The mill produced the popular brands of Lilly White, Gem, and Humpty Dumpty. Initially named the Corydon Milling Co., the business became the Eureka Milling Company in the 1930s, and by the 1940s was Bickel’s Feed Store. Regardless of its proper name, however, it continued to be known as the “White Mill.”
Origin:	ca. 1940
Created By:	Albert Wallace
Source:	http://cdm17251.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p17251coll20/id/21
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:	Corydon, Harrison County, Indiana
Subjects:	Mills

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