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| Water exposes remains of Jersey Roller Mill |
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| Question: What happened to the Jersey Roller Mill on Crooked Creek? Now that the water in the creek is very low, you can see cement forms of some sort. Are they part of the mill? |
| Answer: According to Fred Hudson, who recently took his camera to the creek to make snapshots of the remains of the Jersey Roller Mill, pictures definitely show where the old mill once stood. So, while the lake is being drained and cleaned, it would be a good time to walk down by the creek some afternoon and see for yourself. |
| A Harrison landmark since 1894, the Jersey Roller Mill was completely destroyed by fire in March 1941. Fire loss of the mill was placed at $500, a low amount since the building contained no equipment and was not in operation at the time. |
| Built in 1884 by Charles Czech, a native of Germany, who died here at the age of 92, the mill originally utilized water power from Crooked Creek from a dam that had been built across the creek. Water power was later replaced with steam boilers and electricity. |
| High March winds fanned the early morning blaze in 1941, which set the hillside east of the mill quickly ablaze. The Clyde Magness home, a two-story frame structure high on the hill above the creek, was partially destroyed by the flames as well. The home suffered a loss valued at $1,000 and was covered by insurance. |
| Flying embers continued to spread fire to the woodlands on top of the hill. The Harrison Fire Department fought the expanding fire from 1:45 a.m. until 4:30 a.m. Some Harrison citizens, awakened by the bright blaze, dressed and went to the scene. Many told of the Magness home catching fire, first on the front porch of the ground floor, and then with the wind whipping the flames quickly to the roof. Credit was given to the Harrison Fire Department for saving other homes on the hill. |
| The swimming hole that many call Mill Pond, located just below the Jersey Roller Mill dam, furnished pleasures for many Harrison citizens, while the grassy embankment above the mill was known as a lovely spot for walks for those "courting" in the early 1900s. |
| Mr. Czech retired from the mill business in 1915 and sold the property to H.W. Redus. The Waymon Taylor family bought the property and operated the mill in connection with the Taylor Tourist Camp. According to a Harrison Times report, Taylor later sold to J.K. Hefley. |
| The Taylor Tourist Camp was featured in an earlier column, and since then, more pictures of the camp have been given to the Heritage Museum. Another bit of information you might find interesting about the Czech family is that their beautiful old family home still stands today across from Harrison Junior High. In the process of being restored at this time by the present owners, the home is sure to remain a showplace in Harrison. |
| The staff and volunteers of the Heritage Museum encourage you to share your old photographs and stories with the museum. Old high school annuals from any school within the county would certainly be a welcome addition to the museum's School Room. We strive to preserve the history of Boone County and its people, and with your help, we can continue to do so. The museum, located on the corner of South Cherry Street and Central Avenue, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Come spend an afternoon with us! |
| This column appears Fridays in the Harrison Daily Times. Mail questions to Boone County Heritage Museum, P. O. Box 1094, Harrison, AR 72601. Marilyn Smith can be contacted at bchm@alltel.net |
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