Pribble Mill Is Described
Grain Mills Once Dotted Settlements
By Helen M. White
Of the News Staff
One of the prime necessities in the life of the early settler was a grist mill where they could take their grain to be ground. Until one was built and in operation pioneer women could only crush grain in a mortar and pestil as best they could for their bread.
The Pribble Mill, one of the last of these picturesque old landmarks in our area, stood on the Hughes River at Freeport, two or three miles from where it empties into the Little Kanawha.
This mill was torn down about 1937 by the Rev. J. L. West of Parkersburg who had purchased it for the fine seasoned lumber in it. He removed the timbers piece by piece to the farm, then known as the Dr. Hatfield place, about eight miles east of Freeport, where he built a garage, house and other outbuildings on the farm.
The Pribble Mill was constructed on the site of a much earlier one built in the 1830's at about the same time the Staunton Pike was being constructed.
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NO LONGER NEEDED--Grist mills were once a prime necessity to the economy and well being of the early settlers in any community and could be found on any body of water where the current was swift enough to turn their wheels. The old Pribble Mill at Freeport served a wide area and was a prosperous business for more than a century. It was torn down in 1937 and its timbers used to construct several other buildings. This picture of Pribble's Mill was taken in 1897. |
The original location of the pike passed through Freeport and ran along the river bank. There was not room for the road at the site of the mill and the rock cliffs at that point had to be blasted out before the pike could be built. Some of this rock was used in the building of the mill wall and, they way, may still be seen there.
It could not be learned when the first mill at this place ceased to function or if it was torn down or washed away by some flood.
Named for Pribble FamilyAlthough they did not build it, the Pribble Mill was named for the Pribbles, who were early settlers in the Freeport area and operated the mill for many years.
The mill, a huge structure standing five stories high, was weather boarded with wide planks of yellow poplar. At the time it was torn down the original hand made oak shingles were still in good condition.
At the time the mill at Freeport was humming, farmers from Elizabeth and beyond used to drive the 15 or more miles in ox, or horse-drawn wagons to bring their buckwheat to be ground.
Although there were mills closer to them, at Morristown, Palestine, and even at Elizabeth, they had no facilities for grinding buckwheat which was then an important grain to the settlers.
According to one old record, the usual route to Pribble's Mill from the Elizabeth area was up Parrish Fork of Standing Stone and across the Hughes River at the ford at the mouth of Flint Run.
We are told that this was a better ford than the one at Freeport. There was then no bridge either at the mill or at the mouth of Island Run.
As far back as any record can be found, the first owners of what was later known as Pribble's Mill were, Hale and Demming, Jesse Roach, Hiram Pribble, H. E. Pribble, Pribble and Darnell, and J. F. Darnell.