Mills, Gins, Stills and Distilleries

Probably the first mill erected in the county was the water-power corn-mill built by Mr. Goge, on the creek by that name, in about 1809 or 1810.

Previous to the erection of this mill the pioneers carried their corn to Phillips' horse-power mill in Rutherford County, or reduced it to meal by means of the mortar.

In about 1812 Joseph Walker erected a water-mill on Garrison Fork of Duck River, near where the town of Fairfield was afterward located, and David Shipman erected a water-mill at the head of the creek by that name.

The Wilhoit and Germany mills on Duck River, both water-power, were built about 1814 or 1815.

Other early mills were the Cannon Mill, at Shelbyville, on Duck River.

Ledford's mill, on same river.

James Sharp's mill, on Thompson Creek.

John Sim's mill, on Duck River, two miles above Shelbyville.

Henry Wiggins' mill, on Flat Creek, and Conway's and Pruitt's mills, on same creek.
Horseley's mill and Crowell's mill, all of which were water-power.

Joshua Holt's water-power near Flat Creek.

The mills of the present, outside of those located in the different towns heretofore mentioned, are as follows by districts:

Third District, James Mullen's and N. C. Germany's corn-mills, water-power.

Seventh District, Tune & Co.'s flour and corn-mill, waterpower, on Duck River, and Wilhoit Mill, owned by Strick Parsons, on Duck River, waterpower.

Eighth District, G. W. Gregory's saw and grist-mill, water-power, on Falling Creek.

Ninth District, William Taylor's steam grist-mill.

Tenth District, N. R. Taylor's horse-power grist-mill.

Eleventh District, John Hall's water-power saw, corn and flourmill, on Duck River, Fletcher Ray's water-power grist-mill on North Fork Creek, and Adams' & Simmons' steam saw-mill.

Eighteenth District, J. N. Neeley's water-power corn-mill on Sinking Creek, R. M. Sikes' water-power corn-mill on Rock Creek, and Whitehead's steam corn-mill.

Twenty-first District, F. M. Johnson's water-power corn-mill on Flat Creek, and Eugene Blakemore's water-power corn-mill on Duck River.

Twenty-third District, Hix Bros, water-power grist-mill on Flat Creek.

Twenty-fifth District, Mrs. Smith's steam corn-mill. Joseph Wilhoit's water-power corn-mill on Duck River, and Jacob Anthony's water-power corn-mill on Thompson's Creek.

Cotton Gins

One of the first cotton-gins in Bedford County was the Cannon Gin, near Shelbyville, built by Clement Cannon about 1812. Other early gins were those of John Tillman and Tom Mosley, in the Fairfield neighborhood, and later L. P. Fields had a gin in the same neighborhood. There were, no doubt, other early cotton-gins, hut a faithful effort to learn whose they may have been and their location was unrewarded.

The cotton-gins of the present are Taylor & Hester's, in the Tenth District, with which is also a carding machine.

William Taylor's in the Ninth District; W. J. Loyd's cotton-gin and carding machine, in the Eighth District.

George Vernatti's, in the Fifth District, and Mrs. Smith's gin and carding machine in the Twenty-fifth District.

Stills

While there were no doubt a large number of still-houses in the early days, yet they all disappeared years ago, and with few exceptions have passed from the memory of the present citizens.

One of the first, if not the first still was owned by Philip Burrow, father of Nimrod Burrow, Esq., and was situated near the present town of Fiat Creek.

John Holt also had a still at about the same time and in the same neighborhood.

Other early stills were those of Nathan Evans, in the Twentieth District, on Sugar Creek, and of Simpson Neice and Leslie Bobo in the Twenty-second District, on Flat Creek.

Distillery

Later on distilleries were established. The distilleries of the present are four in number, and are as follows:

The Zach Thompson Distillery is the most extensive one in the county, is situated near the town of Wartrace, and full particulars of the same may he found in the history of that town.

Marcus L. Rabey's distillery in the Twenty-second District, and Blakemore & Co.'s distillery, in the same district, each have a capacity of sixty gallons per day.

T. F. Wooton's distillery, in the Twenty-fifth District, has a capacity of forty gallons per day. So it will he seen that whisky forms quite an item in the products and exports of Bedford County.

 AHGP Tennessee

Source: History of Tennessee, Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1886.