Each year the Martin Luther Miller Historical Society meets in Knoxville, Maynardville, and those more curious go down Norris Lake in the vicinity of the Clinch River prior to the impoundment of Norris Lake. I’m always invited to this history brain picking. The adventurers depart Beach Island Boat Dock bright and early the third Sunday every July to document the Global Position System (GPS) readings of some historic places and to pause a little while to honor those early settlers that carved their niche in what would become Union County, Tennessee.

First, I have more questions than answers about my subject! When attempting to track down an historic site that is long since gone, it is hard enough to get a mental picture of the location and site. When there are several places with the same name it’s double or triple trouble to figure out accurate information. Nonetheless, in pioneer times, mills were very important to the livelihood of the people and an economic benefit to the local communities. In Frances Waller Skeen’s writings she noted that in 1857 mills were taxed in Union County.