Activity that once surrounded mill easily imagined.
By Joanne Hammer
Just as she did when she was a child, Karen Favre enjoys walking along Otter Creek's shores in Markle Mill Park, listening to water falling over the dam.
"It's so peaceful," said Favre, with her feet in the water.
No one is alive to remember the hub of activity that used to surround Markle Mill in North Terre Haute in the early 1800s, but it can be imagined by looking at the stately arches that stand half-crumbled in the creek.
Before the mill and storeroom burned down in 1938, it was known as the longest-operating grist mill east of the Mississippi River. Now all that remains of the mill is its foundation next to Mill Dam on a quiet, 8-acre park.
In 1816, Maj. Abraham Markle, a veteran of the War of 1812, bought three shares of land and built a dam across the creek. In 1817, the water-powered grain mill and corn whiskey distillery began operating.
At the time, the grist mill and distillery were considered the county's earliest industry.
Markle was one of five men who founded the Terre Haute Land Co., which two years later established the city as the seat of Vigo County.
Across Mill Dam Road sits the stately Markle House, built in 1848 in Greek Revival/Italianate architectural style by Markle's son, Frederick.
The area was not always the tranquil spot it is today.
Markle Mill could produce 22-27 barrels of flour in a 10-hour day and it was not unusual for patrons to wait at least a day for their grain to be milled, according to documents from the Vigo County Historical Society. Customers could barter for the mill's goods with pelts, wool, cotton, logs and grain.
In September 1938, fire destroyed the mill and storeroom, which was owned by The Hansel Millery Co. The cause of the fire was never reported, but two employees who were working a late shift smelled smoke in the building, according to Vigo County Historical Society documents.
Destroyed in the fire were antiques and a bookcase owned by Chauncey Rose, according to historical documents.
In 1999, Hulman and Co. donated the tract of land to Vigo County Parks and continues to donate money for improvements, said Darlene Norman, Vigo County Parks assistant superintendent.
"The peace and quiet of the area" is what attracts people to eat lunch, read, walk or fish in the park, she said.
And although the substantial limestone mill no longer stands, those who walk through the park are taking a step back into the history of Terre Haute.
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Tribune-Star/Bob Poynter |
| Here we flow again: Water flows over the Markle Mill Dam on August 15. The site formerly was a grist mill with a water wheel until a fire partially destroyed it in 1938. |
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MARKLE MILL FAST FACTS
Location: The park is at the intersection of Mill Dam Road and Rosedale Road in northern Vigo County.
Historical significance: Markle Mill was a landmark for the region because no other mills were in operation near the area.
- The site and house across the street were placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1979.
- Historical accounts claim the mill was used as a station for the Underground Railroad during the Civil War.
Source: Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department