Though our blogging slowed during the holiday season, we were not entirely useless. We managed to get out a few times despite our varied schedules. The following video and at least one more to come will cover the explorations and excursions we managed to get in over the past 6 - 8 weeks.
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Gorby Road. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gorby Road. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Mill Site at Gorby
On Sunday, October 24th, the EIC Crew joined Pauletta and Vic DeLoach of Gorby to get a look at the old Mill Dam remains located on Piney Creek near where the old Olive Branch School once stood. After a short hike a little way along Piney Creek we came upon the timbers that once were part of the old mill dam and likely even the mill house itself!
Pauletta had e-mailed us several weeks before we joined them with photos she had taken of the site. One photo showed what appeared to be a small wheel with a narrow shaft that we assumed was some debris washed downstream during some of the larger floods we've experienced over the past few years. However, as Rick began poking around along the bank of the creek among some timbers, we found that what we thought was a small steel wheel was actually a large cast iron wheel over 2 feet in diameter and that the shaft was actually a 6 - 8 inch diameter log. As Rick continued to move debris from around the wheel, we discovered that cast into the wheel were cupped bucket structures designed to harness the energy of the flowing creek. We believe that this is at least part of the wheel which generated and transferred power to whatever machinery the mill employed.
Timbers from the mill dam and very likely the structure of the mill itself stretch completely across the creek which is about 70 yards wide.
This is a significant find. We hope to make further excursions to this site in the future and hope to gain permission to excavate the wheel from where it is firmly embedded into the creek bank. Our hope is to find makers marks in the casting and find out if we can trace its origin. Perhaps the public will one day get to see this relic of Izard County's industrial past in one of the county's museums.
There are several more mill sites along Piney Creek in this area. We're hoping to visit others in the future as well and document what is left of them.
Pauletta had e-mailed us several weeks before we joined them with photos she had taken of the site. One photo showed what appeared to be a small wheel with a narrow shaft that we assumed was some debris washed downstream during some of the larger floods we've experienced over the past few years. However, as Rick began poking around along the bank of the creek among some timbers, we found that what we thought was a small steel wheel was actually a large cast iron wheel over 2 feet in diameter and that the shaft was actually a 6 - 8 inch diameter log. As Rick continued to move debris from around the wheel, we discovered that cast into the wheel were cupped bucket structures designed to harness the energy of the flowing creek. We believe that this is at least part of the wheel which generated and transferred power to whatever machinery the mill employed.
Timbers from the mill dam and very likely the structure of the mill itself stretch completely across the creek which is about 70 yards wide.
This is a significant find. We hope to make further excursions to this site in the future and hope to gain permission to excavate the wheel from where it is firmly embedded into the creek bank. Our hope is to find makers marks in the casting and find out if we can trace its origin. Perhaps the public will one day get to see this relic of Izard County's industrial past in one of the county's museums.
There are several more mill sites along Piney Creek in this area. We're hoping to visit others in the future as well and document what is left of them.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Reader Recon: Mill Ruins on Piney Creek
The EIC Crew got a thrill this past week when, to our great delight, a reader e-mailed us photos of the ruins of one of the old water mills located on Piney Creek. The mill in the photos is located near the old Gorby Community near where the old Olive Branch School once stood. Also near the site, two churches once stood...A Baptist Church and a Methodist Church. None of the buildings of the old community still stand. These awesome photos are of some of the only remaining structures showing a community existed at the site!
We are so grateful to the DeLoach Family for taking time to get out and bloodhound a bit. The photos they took of the site are wonderful and it is apparent they also took time to find interesting features to document for us. The EIC Crew has been invited to the Gorby area to visit this amazing site and will be visiting there in the near future equipped with our own cameras
An article by Ruth Biggs Mason that appeared in the January 1987 issue of the Izard County Historian appears to mention this mill site, one among many along Piney Creek:
The article also tells us that one Millwright whose mill was often washed downstream by seasonal floods would always rebuild his mill at the location the waterwheel ended up after the flood waters receded.
Reader participation like this is very welcome and we are always excited to hear about exciting finds like this!
Enjoy!
We are so grateful to the DeLoach Family for taking time to get out and bloodhound a bit. The photos they took of the site are wonderful and it is apparent they also took time to find interesting features to document for us. The EIC Crew has been invited to the Gorby area to visit this amazing site and will be visiting there in the near future equipped with our own cameras
An article by Ruth Biggs Mason that appeared in the January 1987 issue of the Izard County Historian appears to mention this mill site, one among many along Piney Creek:
"There was another mill about a mile downstream from the “Old Water Mill”. It was between the Palestine Cemetery and where the following were located: the Baptist Church, the Olive Branch Methodist Church, and the Olive Branch School. My uncle, Alex Gillihan told me that part of the old dam was there when he was a young boy. He, Albert Mason, Ambrose Woods and Bill Gillihan went swimming there. He said there were boards off and they would shoot through with the water and go splashing below - having a great old time as boys would do. There was a swinging foot bridge at the Palestine Church and another swinging bridge where the OliveBranch School and Olive Branch Methodist Church were located."
The article also tells us that one Millwright whose mill was often washed downstream by seasonal floods would always rebuild his mill at the location the waterwheel ended up after the flood waters receded.
Reader participation like this is very welcome and we are always excited to hear about exciting finds like this!
Enjoy!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Announcing First Ever Group Outing!
Scroll for Awesome New Posts!
Ozarks Skoolin' Road Trip Map
Those of you who have contacted us about joing the crew on an excursion, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE!
The "Ozarks Skoolin' " Road Trip will be on Saturday, April 26th in advance of Izard County's annual "Pioneer Days" the following week and will provide our readers a chance to spend the day with the EIC crew enjoying beautiful and historic Izard County while also raising money for the Old Lunenburg Schoolhouse restoration efforts.
Go read about the event at our new page, EIC Road Trips and contact us if you're interested in joining the fun!
UPDATE!
We have received permission to visit Piney Creek at the rapids just above the high bridge on the Boswell Road!. We will arrive at the sight around lunchtime, so bring your pic-nic lunch and we'll enjoy the creek while we dine!
Tags below represent sights the Road Trip will visit. Scroll for New Posts!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Ozarks Skoolin Road Trip: Filled Tour!
You folks are awesome! We've been able to fill all 12 vehicle slots for the Ozarks Skoolin' Road Trip next Saturday thanks to you.
Included below are photos from some of the sights we'll see!
To keep up with what the weather might look like for this weekend, click here!
Included below are photos from some of the sights we'll see!
To keep up with what the weather might look like for this weekend, click here!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Snow Day (Gorby Road)(Knob Creek)
Thanks for the best month ever at the blog!
Pyramid of Izard (Knob Creek)
Gorby Road (Watermelon Rock & Canyon)
Piney Creek on Gorby Road
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Sunday, May 28, 2006
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