The Mills of Hebble Creek

I grew up in a new plat suburban home in Fairborn on the edge of the countryside.  I guess the love of nature and solo wandering was born into me, and I spent a lot of time in the woods and fields exploring, sometimes pretty far afield.  I was intrigued by the small stream that flowed near our house, Hebble Creek, and loved to follow it.  

A few years ago when I was doing my research on Huffman Prairie I became intrigued with the creek again, as it is the main stream that drains the area around the prairie, and researching its history.  Pulling historical threads is fascinating, and as I looked into it (with the help of the Greene County Archives) I slowly filled in a story of early pioneers and their efforts to harness the power of the stream for grist and sawmills.  Millwrights and millers were amazingly creative and industrious, moving water from the creek to their mill sites, sometimes by changing the course of a stream.  Three mills were built along Hebble Creek between 1815 and 1822, small industries that were vitally important for many years but are now forgotten.  

In 2020 I submitted an article about these mills, their history, and their environmental impact to the Ohio History Journal, including original art depicting the mills created by local artist Ann Geise.  The article appeared in the Spring, 2021 edition of Ohio History, with one of Ann's illustrations on the cover.  I am putting it here in hopes that it will be available to more local people who might be interested in this topic.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/erac2aewkrutm5e/Three%20Early%20Water-Powered%20Mills%20in%20Northwest%20Greene%20County%2C%20Ohio%20and%20their%20Impacts%20on%20the%20Landscape.pdf?dl=0