006_Philo Rothrock Mill

Description:	The mill in this image is commonly known as the “Philo Rothrock Mill,” although it was built by Philo’s sons, George Luther and William Henry Rothrock. Philo Rothrock (1821-1904) did build the original mill at this site in 1856. His sons constructed the mill pictured here in 1909. Philo was a grandson of Peter Rothrock, who had brought his family to southern Indiana in 1819 and was the first Rothrock to erect a mill in the Wyandotte area along Blue River in Crawford County. Peter’s son Solomon soon left the Wyandotte area to establish a mill of his own in Spencer Township in Harrison County. Solomon’s mill was situated on Duke’s Bend, a large and deep bend in Blue River. Philo, Solomon’s son, was born in 1821, and he too struck out on his own as an adult, and in 1856 built a mill along Blue River in Spencer Township south of Depauw. This original Philo Rothrock Mill was a three-story building and housed a saw mill and a grist mill. Lumber and flour from the mill were loaded on to flatboats and traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, where the products, as well as the boat, were sold. The men would catch a steamboat back as far as it would take them, then find a ride if fortunate, or walk the remainder of the distance. After Philo’s death in 1904, his sons continued to operate the mill and then in 1909 they razed the original 1856 structure and built the large two-story, frame building pictured above. They operated a grist and saw mill at the site for many years. They modernized the operation by adding a planer and providing finished wood. After William Henry Rothrock’s death in 1938, the mill ceased operation. The property was then owned by his daughter, Laura Boldt. The mill stood unused for decades, and in 1970, the State of Indiana purchased the mill and surrounding 17 acres to provide public access to Blue River. At first, state officials considered restoring the mill, but after deeming the property unsafe and too costly to restore, tore the mill down in 1986.
Origin:	ca. 1940
Created By:	Albert Wallace
Source:	http://cdm17251.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p17251coll20/id/8
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:	Spencer Township, Harrison County, Indiana
Subjects:	Mills

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