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LIFES
SOCIAL EVENTS
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Monday-Friday
12-1 p.m., Brown Bagging the Arts, Cleveland
County Arts Center, 111 S. Washington St.,
Shelby. Free one-hour art demonstrations and
lectures. Take bag lunch. Drink and dessert fur-
nished. For more information or to reserve a
seat call 484-2787.
10 a.m.-12 p.m., 12:30-2:30 p.m. -
Backcountry Farm and Catawba Village, Schiele
Museum of Natural History, 1500 E. Garrison
Blvd., Gastonia. Guided tours available Monday-
Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Sunday
at 1:30 and 3 p.m. through August 11 (except
July 4). For groups of 15 or more call 854-6676
to register.
Monday-Saturday
10 a.m. and 2 p.m. - Nature and History pro-
grams, Schiele Museum, 1500 E. Garrison Bivd.,
Gastonia. Also, Sunday 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
Meet live reptiles and amphibians in hands-on
program for all ages. Monday is alligator day;
Tuesday and Saturday snake days; Wednesday
and Sunday turtle days; Thursday amphibian day;
and Friday, lizard day.
Mondays
7 p.m. - Second Monday of each month, Kings
Mountain Board of Education, Central School,
105 East Ridge St. ;
10 a.m. - Beginning line dance, every Monday,
* Shelby Senior Center.
10-11 a.m. - Sitting for Fitness, every Monday,
Shelby Senior Center.
12 noon - Boiling Springs Rotary Club, Ritch
Banquet Hall, Gardner-Webb University.
4:15-5:15 p.m. - Cardio tone class, every
Monday, Shelby City Park.
5:30-6:30 p.m. - Overeaters Anonymous, every
Monday, Central United Methodist Church, Kings
Mountain. .
5:30-6:30 p.m. - Early Evening Aerobics, every
Monday, Shelby City Park.
7-8 p.m. - Evening Aerobics, every Monday,
Shelby City Park.
7 p.m. - Parents Without Partners, every
Monday, Shelby Presbyterian Church. For more
information call Alan Smith at 481-2986.
7 p.m. - Hurting Families Support Group, every
Monday, Christopher Road Baptist Church,
Shelby. For information call 538-0410.
8 p.m. - AA Big Book Study, every Monday,
Serenity Club, Highway 74 at Bethlehem Road,
Kings Mountain.
Tuesdays
6 p.m. - Cleveland County Board of
Commissioners, first and third Tuesdays, County
Administration Building, Shelby. ;
. 7 p.m. - Kings Mountain City Council, last,
Tuesday of the month, City Hall, East Gold St.
- Thursdays
10-11 a.m, every Thursday, Sitting For Fitness,
Shelby Senior Center.
11 a.m. - every Thursday, Self Care Program,
Bliss Center in Lawndale, Kings Mountain Senior
Center, Boiling Springs United Methodist Church,
and Charles Place, Shelby. Call Amanda Helms
at 482-3488 for information.
12 noon - Kings Mountain Rotary Club,
Ramada Ltd.
1 p.m. - Every Thursday, Aerobics, Shelby
Senior Center.
6 p.m. - Kings Mountain Kiwanis Club, Central
United Methodist Church.
7 p.m. - Broad River Genealogical Society,
fourth Thursday, Senior Center in Shelby.
Thursday, June 8
5:30-8:30 p.m. - Uptown Alive After 5 block
party, Washington St., Shelby, featuring Band of
Gold. Call 484-3100 for information.
Friday, June 9
10-11 a.m. - Summer Reading Program Kick-
off, Mauney Memorial Library, Kings Mountain.
Mark Lippard will perform comedy, juggling, uni-
cycling and more. For information call Christy
Key at 734-4486.
Sunday, June 11
2 p.m. - Grabblin’ and Fly Tying, Broad River
Greenway, under the bridge. Demonstrations by
expert grabbler Lyman Jones and area fishing
enthusiasts.
Wednesday, June 14
8:30 a.m.-12 noon - Free diabetes classes,
Cleveland County Health Dept., Shelby. Call 484-
5225 to register.
Thursday, June 15
1-4:30 p.m. - Free diabetes classes, Kings
Mountain Hospital. Call 484-5225 to register.
_ Friday, June 16
8 p.m. - Full Moon Canoe Trip, Broad River
Greenway.Meet at parking lot. $15 for canoe and
shuttle. Call 434-6375 for reservations.
10 a.m.-7 p.m. - Shelby Jubilee open horse
show, Cleveland County Fairgrounds. Free to
spectators. For class sheets and information call
Jo Herndon at 482-1564.
Saturday June 17
11 a.m.-1 p.m. - Catawba Indian Nation
Dancers and Drummers, Kings Mountain State
Park Farm, 1277 Park Road, Blacksburg, SC.
Each dance tells a story that holds important
meanings.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. - Midsummer Festival 2000,
Schiele Museum, Gastonia. Family fun and spe-
cial activities on Nature Trail and in Backcountry
Farm & Catawba Indian Village, & the Schiele
Planetarium. Guest performer Pamlico Joe adds
his blend of coastal ecology & environmental
music at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the NC Hall.
Outdoor activities & Pamlico Joe performances
are free; Museum admission & Planetarium fees.
7 p.m. - JMX Motocross, grandstand, Cleveland
County Fairgrounds. For more information call
Joe Williams at 460-0408.
7:30 p.m. - Miller-Rowe Consort, Kings
Mountain National Military Park. Hammer dul-
cimer and classical guitar, Appalachian, Celtic,
early American and traditional music. For infor-
mation call (864) 936-7921.
TYLES
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BY ALAN HODGE Staff Writer
LAYOUT BY SHELLEY CAMPBEL.."
Long before there were cornbread mixes that
just needed water to make batter, folks took their
corn to mills and had it ground into meal. Today,
there are still a surprising number of water-driven
grist mills remaining in North Carolina. Though
they may be from a bygone era, the old mills of
North Carolina still command a place of interest in
our digital age.
According to the book “Exploring the Old Mills
of North Carolina,” there are several dozen grist
mills left in the state. Though some are in need of
tender loving care, many have been restored as his-
torical attractions or business ventures. Legacies of
the days when streams and rivers were a major
- source of power for many North Carolina indus-
tries, these mills have stood the test of time.
The closest grist mill to Cleveland County is
Cleghorn Mill in Rutherfordton. Located on the
grounds of Rutherford Country Club, the Cleghorn
Mill is currently in a state of disrepair. Age of the
structure is uncertain, though hand-hewn framing
‘indicates it could be quite old.
Basic configuration of Cleghorn Mill is two sto-
ries. One end of the building is embedded into an
embankment and makes the mill appear shorter.
The lower end is made of stone. A few pieces of mill
machinery remain on this lower floor.
The dam at Cleghorn Mill provides a pond that
is part of the golf course. Cleghorn’s water wheel is
a steel affair that spans 20 feet. The mill is located on
State Road 1148 behind a hill at the edge of a green.
Next closest mill to Cleveland County is
Murrays Mill off Highway 16 near Catawba.
Operated by the Catawba County Historic
Association, Murrays Mill is one of the finest exam-
ples of a Piedmont region water-powered grist mill
in existence.
Situated on Balls Creek, Murrays Mill dates back
to the late 19th century. Power for the mill’s internal
workings is via a 28-foot wheel. The dam at
Murray’s Mill was originally made of wood, but the
current one is a sturdy concrete affair. The dam has
formed a large pond on Balls Creek that makes for
a scenic spot to picnic or stroll.
Alot of time, effort and money has been spent on
Murrays Mill. The mill innards are restored and
tours to see them are available. Next to the mill itself
is a two-story grain house that’s also been
reworked. Other buildings on the site include a
large barn, several storage buildings, the restored
. home of John Murray, and a couple of other houses
which have recently been moved to the other side of
the pond.
Just across the road from the mill is an old time.
country store that sells candy, drinks, curios, and
other items. Visitors can sit in rockers and spend
some time reflecting on how calm life used to be.
Union Grove in northern Iredell County just off
1-77 is home to Linneys Mill. This mill is one of 11
such structures that have at one time or another
been on the banks of Rocky Creek. Linneys Mill is
SRE
Kings Mountain Herald
ee
June 8, 2000
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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY NC DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
reached by State Road 1598 about four miles west
off Highway 155.
Linneys Mill is constructed of the remains of
what was called Mayberrys Mill. That mill had a
history that went all the way back to 1836. The
building that visitors to Linneys Mill see these days
is the result of a 1937 restoration by the Linney
family. :
Mechanical workings for Linneys Mill include
a 16-foot by 8-foot overshot water wheel that is
supposedly capable of producing 40 raging horse-
power. The wheel twirls vertical Meadows mill-
stones and grain cleaning machinery. Linneys Mill
mainly produces stock feed, but can also make
meal for human folks.
The property around Linneys Mill is used as a
campground these days. Besides hookups, the
grounds have a swimming hole on Rocky Creek
and bathhouses. Churches sometimes use the
swimming hole for baptisms.
Not far from Salisbury, Kerr Plantation Mill
was once part of the estate of planter Joseph Kerr.
' This gent’s holdings in 1820 consisted of over 1,000
acres of land and 45 slaves to work them. The mill
is a sturdy brick structure on Sloans Creek. Unlike
too many grist mills who are abandoned and
allowed to self-destruct, Kerr Plantation Mill was
given by the Sloan family to Rowan County for
preservation. Work to preserve the mill was also
kicked off by a $25,000 grant from the North
Carolina Legislature. The project was directed by
the Rowan County Historic Properties
Commission.
Perhaps the most interesting part about Kerr
Plantation Mill is its construction. When this mill
was built, only the best would do. Heavy interior
sills and joists are all hand sawn and form an inter-
esting pattern. Sturdy brick walls rise up from
stone bases and are capped by molded brick cor-
nices. Inside, there's even a large fireplace.
During its days as a working establishment,
Kerr Plantation Mill was mainly used as a source of
grain and meal for the farm itself. Old records indi-
cate that around the time of the Civil War, relative-
ly little product was sold on the open market.
One of North Carolina’s largest water wheels
can be found at Stepps Mill less than an hour from
Cleveland County near Hendersonville. At over 34
feet in diameter, the wheel at Stepps Mill is a steel,
overshot type that never fails to impress visitors
with its girth.
Located on State Road 1734 at the intersection
of Highways 26 and 64, Stepps Mill has a history
that goes back to the latter part of the 19th century.
Over the decades, the mill and its dam have risen
progressively higher. Inside, some of the original
millstones are still in place. One part of the milling
machinery is called a Midget Marvel Mill and pro-
duces flour. Author Carl Sandburg used to be a fre-
quent visitor to Stepps Mill when he was in town.
An unusual adaptation of an old time grist mill
can be found near Flat Rock. Known as Jordans
Mill, this structure dates back to 1830 and has not
only acted as a place for grinding meal, but once
saw use as a furniture factory. Today, Jordans Mill
is a popular lodging place where visitors spend
the night in the mill itself.
Even though Jordans Mill is now a place for
tourists to lay their heads, it was once a rather
thriving commercial mill. From the 1860s, it con-
tinued to provide a variety of meal products
until at least 1930. The main mill building has
nothing to fear from rot- it’s constructed of solid
concrete.
Winebargers Mill near Boone has been in con-
tinuous operation by the Winebarger family
since 1840. The current mill building was built in
1910 to replace the original which was destroyed
by fire. Located off Highway 194 near the Meat
Camp Volunteer Fire Department, Winebargers
Mill is operated by an unusual water wheel
called a pitch back type that throws the water
back into buckets. It sounds complicated, but has
served Winebargers Mill quite well for many
decades.
Water to the mill comes from Meat Camp
Creek via a headrace and last section of 24 inch
metal pipe. The mill makes corn meal, and rye,
wheat, and buckwheat flour. Local stores are big
customers as are area residents and tourists. The
mill works themselves include a “Midget Mill”
that was purchased in 1929 for $550.
Winebargers Mill has also made the movies. In
1973, the mill was used as a backdrop for the film
“Where the Lilies Bloom.”
One of the most popular, if not the most pop-
ular grist mill in North Carolina is Mingus Mill
four miles north of Cherokee on Highway 441.
Dating back to 1886 when Dr. John Mingus con-
tracted Virginia millwright Scion Early to build
it, Mingus Mill is now the property of the
National Park Service.
A three-story building located a the end of a
lovely trail through the rhododendrons, Mingus
Mill still cranks up its wheels and turns out meal
for sale. When the Park Service took over the
mill, its output was as high as 40 to 50 bushels
per day. Power for the operation comes from a
three-foot-wide flume that spins out 11 horse-
power from the turbine at 400 RPM.
One last old time grist mill in the western part
of North Carolina is Weaverville Milling
Company on Rheéems Creek in Weaverville. In
operation as a grist mill from 1912 until 1965, the
building has since 1981 been a highly popular
restaurant.
If ever a place exuded what restaurateurs
call “atmosphere,” then Weaverville Milling
Company does. Hanging from nearly every inch
of the restaurant’s interior are old time objects of
every sort. Though no part of the original milling
machinery is in action, diners do plenty of grind-
ing with their teeth on the good food the restau-
rant serves.
For more information on the subject of our
state’s rich grist mill heritage, get a copy of
“exploring the Old Mills of North Carolina” by
Grimsley Hobbs.