North Carolina, Wake County, Raleigh
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Listen! That sound of rushing water is the Neuse River flowing over the remnants of an old mill dam. In the early to mid-19th century, this was the site of a bustling industrial enterprise known as Stone's Mills. Carts and wagons arrived here loaded with corn to be ground into sacks of meal. Rough bales of cotton were ginned and then turned into thread or cloth. It was a loud and busy place.
What Was It Like At The Mill?
Mills were community centers where families often spent the day socializing with other families while they waited for their corn to be ground. They could trade their corn for staples such as sugar and coffee and have the local blacksmith re-shod a horse or the mill wheelwright repair a wagon wheel. In the warmer months, adults and children alike enjoyed swimming and fishing in the river and mill pond.
What Happened To The Mills?
As time passed, technology changed. The waterwheel mills were replaced with electric-powered, steel roller mills. These new, larger mills were more efficient and their goods were easier to transport with the arrival of railroads. The old mills fell into disrepair and were gradually reclaimed by the rivers and forests. You can still see remnants of Stone's Mills: the old mill dam in the Neuse River, canals or "races" that carried water to the mill, and low stone walls that were part of a building's foundation.
(caption)
Brazier's 1820 Survey Of Stone's Mill
The mill dam was located where a road crossed the river. Remnants of the dam are still seen today. Compare the 1820 site in the red rectangle with the map from today.
(Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
Listen! That sound of rushing water is the Neuse River flowing over the remnants of an old mill dam. In the early to mid-19th century, this was the site of a bustling industrial enterprise known as Stone's Mills. Carts and wagons arrived here loaded with corn to be ground into sacks of meal. Rough bales of cotton were ginned and then turned into thread or cloth. It was a loud and busy place.What Was It Like At The Mill?
Mills were community centers where families often spent the day socializing with other families while they waited for their corn to be ground. They could trade their corn for staples such as sugar and coffee and have the local blacksmith re-shod a horse or the mill wheelwright repair a wagon wheel. In the warmer months, adults and children alike enjoyed swimming and fishing in the river and mill pond.
What Happened To The Mills?
As time passed, technology changed. The waterwheel mills were replaced with electric-powered, steel roller mills. These new, larger mills were more efficient and their goods were easier to transport with the arrival of railroads. The old mills fell into disrepair and were gradually reclaimed by the rivers and forests. You can still see remnants of Stone's Mills: the old mill dam in the Neuse River, canals or "races" that carried water to the mill, and low stone walls that were part of a building's foundation.
(caption)
Brazier's 1820 Survey Of Stone's Mill
The mill dam was located where a road crossed the river. Remnants of the dam are still seen today. Compare the 1820 site in the red rectangle with the map from today.
(Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
Just upstream from this location, a dam has slowed the waters of the Neuse River for more than 150 years. The greenway bridge is a great place to see the dam.
Look around. Would this be a good place to cross the river? For hundreds of years, people have crossed the Neuse River in this area on horseback or by stagecoach, wagon or car.
Here stands one of the oldest pieces of earth known to man. The complex crystalline structure of this boulder shows that it is not a native of this region but is related to rocks in Canada far north of here. 
Norman D. Nevills took his first major voyage in 1938, floating from Green River, Utah, through the Grand Canyon. This journey included the first woman ever to float Cataract and Grand Canyons. 
In September 1938 on the eve of World War II, three young people from France came to southwest Wyoming for a trip down the Green River. 
Haldane "Buzz" Holstrom wanted to float the Green and Colorado Rivers to Hoover Dam. In the fall of 1937, he found the "right cedar tree" near his home in Oregon and built his own 16-foot Galloway-style riverboat. 
The search for "practical" uses of the canyons of the upper Green River had been on since the turn of the century. In 1914, a U.S. Geologic Survey expedition led by Eugene LaRue floated to the Utah border and noted several damsites in the Flaming Gorge area. 
Ellsworth and Emery Kolb were photographers with a studio on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. They wanted to make a complete photographic record of the canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers, and thus decided to run the rivers themselves. 
An Ohio millionaire and no stranger to the river, Julius Stone wanted to duplicate Major Powell's run down the Green and Colorado Rivers. Stone even went to Washington to meet with the aging Powell. Major Powell, however, was jealous of his achievements and refused to help Stone. 
Created to honor the people of Elmira for their spirit and determination to restore and beautify the Queen City after the devastating flood of July 23, 1972.
Formerly YMCA Hotel
