Franklin County, Nebraska

For Another Day

Early Franklin County Mills.

Going to the mill a hundred years ago would be like going to the coffee shop today. It would have been times to catch up on all the news of the area, maybe see a neighbor or meet someone new, or even get a message or payment for a bill left with the miller. I have read about some area people selling a bushel or two of grain or more in order to get enough money for simple needs of life.

The road to the mill was always well traveled and full of ruts. Mill Hill Road (a story for another day) ran north and south, just east of us here on Highway 136. This road was here since the beginning of Franklin County. You can still travel parts of it, as it came from the far northern part of country and meandered slowly south to the Bloomington Mill.

There were three good mills in Franklin county: one at Franklin on Center Creek, one at Bloomington on Cottonwood Creek, and one at Naponee on Turkey Creek.

I read in a book called Water Powered Flour Mills In Nebraska, by Thomas Buecker, that Wilt and Polly built a mill near Wauneta Falls, on the Frenchman River. At this place, the water drops over a rocky ledge, producing a fall of about six feet. They built a four-foot dam just above the falls that created a 10-foot fall, sufficient to power their mill. This mill was one of the two water mill sites where a natural fall was directly incorporated into waterpower of flour milling in Nebraska. Wilt and Polly (their last names) once owned the Naponee Mill on Turkey Creek. They bought this Naponee Mill sometime after 1881. James Polly, of Wilt and Polly, was a brother to Samuel Polly of Spring Valley, north of Riverton. Descendants Samuel Polly still resides in Franklin county. The 1905 Atlas has an A. A. Wilt and Mary Polly owning land south of Naponee in section 8 of Turkey Creek Township close to the river bridge. Something else to add is the fact that James and Samuel’s brother, David built the Amboy Mill at Amboy, NE. There were other smaller mills around the county at various times in the past 125 years. We can only see these mills in the picture of the past-except for one. Did you know parts of a mill still exist in our county? This mill was called Sherwood Mill on Turkey Creek (story for another day). The part that remains is the building that once housed the burrs (cutting tools). The only way we know it was part of the mill is because the supporting timbers are so thick.

I have pictures of Sherwood Mill (I love the ring of its name, because it sounds like a quaint English scene). The picture is so busy with family life, of man, wife and children and workhorses. In the photo’s background is a two-story mill house, with bags of grain sitting on the deck ready for the local farmer to pick up. I can see their dugout sod house at the base of the mill building. This was one of the first mills of the county.

I haven’t yet set eyes on his declining building, but plan on going to see this farm in the fall. I know I must not put this off too much longer. I fear this mill will soon join the rest of the sites that lie in ruin. Then all we will have is the picture we hold in our hands. Isn’t that just life? One generation builds up and the next generation tears down?

“Much water goeth by the mill that the miller knoweth not of.” Shakespeare

Rena Donovan, For Another Day.

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