Algonquin
Mill Complex
234 Autumn Rd SW, Carrollton, OH 44615
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The Mill  This
Mill, built about 1826, replaced a log mill built about 1818
by George Tope, and operated by him until his death in 1845.
Members of his family continued to operate the Mill
until it was sold to Alexander Riley in 1865.
Mr. Riley operated it until 1879 when it was bought
by Dr. Jasper Tope. Partial interests were held at various
times by James Rutledge, Jacob Allen, Jackson Tope, William
Davis, William Rutledge, David Brooks, Thomas Rutledge and
Melancthon
Wagner.
In 1890, the Mill was purchased by William N. Corey,
who converted it from water to steam power.
Marion Hardesty bought the Mill in 1900, and operated it with
his son, Clair, who eventually bought it.
In 1917, Mr. Hardesty sold the Mill to John Miller of
Basil(now Baltimore, OH), who installed the second set of
boilers in the Mill.
The
One Room School
Some of the timbers and other building materials from the first
school were used in the construction of the present structure.
The addition to the east was built by Lester Kilgore in 1937. It
was used as a school for 2 years(1937-1939) when consolidation
of county schools closed this school and forced the students to
attend Perrysville or Carrollton.
The teachers at the Petersburg School were Miss Minnie Rutledge,
William ‘Bill’ Shepherd and
The building became the property of Union Township and was a
community gathering place. The building became a community hall
where township meetings, Grange, 4H, farm institutes, reunions,
church picnics, banquets and voting on election day were held
for many years. In 1984, the Carroll County Historical Society
built Union Twp new facilities across the road(SR332) and this
property became a part of the Mill Complex.
The first country Store at the Festival was located here. Later
it was used as a Flea Market for several years, and in 1982 it
was converted to a Cookie Factory and Cheese House-Trail Bologna
headquarters.
The barn, during the days of early Mill operation, was used by
patrons who came from a distance, as a place of rest and for
feeding their horses. There was also a blacksmith shop, across
the bridge, (left background) for the convenience of Mill
patrons.
The building always had either a Mail Pouch or a Kentucky Club
tobacco sign on the North end. The sign was repainted by Harlie
Warrick of Belmont, OH during the 1978 festival. The Bread House
Dr. Jasper Tope MD who served this community for many years. He
lived across the bridge in the house behind the Petersburg
General Store. In 1973, Clair Close, a loyal volunteer, built the outside Bread Oven in the back, which will bake 30 loaves of bread in 30 minutes. It is operational during the Festival only. Merle Long is our present oven operator.
During the Festival, a special group of volunteers begin
at 4:00 am making white bread, wheat bread and cornbread so our
visitors can “get a slice” or buy a loaf. “Take a Peek” through
the Bread House windows and see all the bread rising. Kim Reed
of Carrollton is our Head Baker. |
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The
first log cabin moved and re-erected by the Carroll County
Historical Society was given by Mrs John J(Eleanor Dodds)
Campbell of Hanover, OH, in Harrison County in 1976. Mrs
Campbell and her husband moved into the cabin with their family
in 1938 and lived there until his death in 1956. Seventeen and one half feet square, this cabin reportedly was the lower section of a “Block House” on the road west of Wheeling, later known as the “National Pike.”
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It, like the spinning and weaving cabin, was moved and
re-erected under the direction of Clair Close of Carrollton.
Larger than the first cabin, it is used to house a print shop.
The printing press was purchased from Gale Lawrence of Bradner,
Ohio.
Mr. Lawrence
also donated to the Society several hundred dollars worth of
printing-related equipment.
The printing press is the type formerly known as a
“letter press,” and has been in use at the Mill each year
since 1977.
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Log Cabin #3 was moved here in 1982 from the Stark County Basset
Club.
During the Festival, the three local historical societies,
Magnolia, Malvern and Minerva present their materials in this
heritage building. |
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Mr. Best’s plans for the land (development) called for the
removal of the house. He gave Lynn Hazen of Carrollton
permission to remove whatever materials he could from the house.
In the process, it was discovered there was a log structure in
almost “mint” condition under the weatherboarding.
Hazen, with the help of Mrs. Donna Long approached the
Historical Society about preserving it. At first, it was deemed
impossible, due to it’s size (20’ x 38’) but a sudden interest
in saving this bit of history brought together a group of
workers, many of them senior citizens, in an effort to relocate
the building. Every log was numbered before being removed to
facilitate reconstruction. The Pushkarish Mining Company, the
Carroll County Highway Department and the Carroll Electric
Co-op, Inc moved it in 1977.
No outside help was hired in the reconstruction until the
logs were laid “up to the square”.
As is the history of homemaking in general, when the men
finished reconstruction, the women took over the furnishing of
the house to make it a home.
According to an 85 page abstract given the Society by Mr. Best,
to the then president, O.J. Allen, Andrew Clark, who built the
house, purchased the land in 1819.
In an era when most log houses were about 10’ x 12’ or
12’ x 16’ the size of this house leads to the belief that it may
have been a Stagecoach Inn during the 1820’s through the 40’s.
The house was located directly on the Steubenville to Canton
route. |
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The exact date of when the house was built is not known, but it
is believed to be in the 1870’s.
The farmhouse is used throughout the year. It is the base for
the “Thursday Work Days” during the colder months. A large room
was added to the house in 1981. Each week the woman use this
area to quilt, make rugs, and ply other housewife trades, while
the men busy themselves with the affairs of the Mill Complex.
A great “Pot Luck” dinner is enjoyed by all each Thursday.
Volunteers always welcome (8:30am-3:00pm). |
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This Forebay Pennsylvania German bank barn was built around 1880
and was used for many years for crop storage and livestock
housing. Threshing was done on the barn floor with the straw
blown out the door under the sign to form the annual “Straw
Stack”.
The adjacent corn crib was used to store and dry the earn corn
harvest before it was ground or shelled for livestock feed. |
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The Summer House
over a spring at the Donald Kennedy property across the valley
north of Canyon Road. When William and Wanda McCaulley purchased
the property, they deemed it too good of a structure to be
destroyed, thus the McCaulley’s gave it to the Society in 1977.
The Carroll County Highway Department assisted in moving
it to this location in December of 1977.
Mr. McCaulley helped with its reconstruction.
It was originally used as a home for the Art Show during the
Festivals but because of need for more space the Art Show was
moved to the Farm Barn floor. The house then became home for the
China Painter’s who met regularly throughout the year to create
their unique plates depicting scenes from the Mill Complex. In
2000, the China Painters disbanded and now the house continues
to be used for the Art Show during the Festivals.
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This building was erected in 1976, a 40’ x 60’ structure, for
the purpose or displaying the many farm implements and early
household items that were given to the Society.
Following the death of Bert Lytle who was in charge of the
building and its contents, the museum was named the “Bert Lytle
Museum.” The later addition is used today as a craft area during
the Festival and the balance of the year stores our large farm
equipment used in maintaining the grounds and some larger museum
acquisitions.
The
Sauerkraut House
In 1973 when the property was purchased, the main building was a
single car garage. It was transformed into a " Kraut"House.
Five tons of cabbage is processed into sauerkraut each year and
it is ready to eat after 6 to 8 weeks of fermentation. An
annex was added to the building where popcorn, pretzels and ice
cream were served for our festival customers.
In 2005, the sauerkraut area needed to expand, so the "Kraut"
venue was extended into the total facility. Also, in 2005
Sauerkraut Soup (consisting of kielbasa, potatoes and
sauerkraut) was introduced to the surprise of our customers.
It was well received and remains a popular food item. In 2006, the area south of the "Kraut House" was created into a small garden patio/rest area with fencing, decorations, table and chairs and a small wood burning chick brooder stove. It was developed to create a place to eat soup, get warm, rest abit, and relax. |
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Watheys Station
At the time that these smaller stations were being phased out by
the railroad, it was sold to the J. D. Crawford family who had
it moved to their homestead in 1935. It was moved by John
Sickafoose.
In 1975, Frances Lafferty of Alliance, Ohio offered the station
to the Carroll Co. Historical Society for $1,500. At the urging
of member Ed Snode, the society made the purchase.
The station was moved in the late spring of 1976 to its present
location on a lowboy furnished by the Pushkarich Mining Co.,
assisted by the Ohio Power Co., Carroll Electric Co-op and the
Counties Highway and Sheriff’s Department plus a goodly number
of volunteer workers.
The crew left the Augusta Twp. site at 11:30 AM and the
structure was placed on a pre-constructed foundation at the Mill
by 3:00 PM the same day.
In the early 1980’s a group of volunteers constructed a HO model
railroad layout inside the station. The layout has been improved
each year and is enjoyed by young and old alike.
Watheys Station was bought from Mrs. Frances Lafferty of Alliance
in 1976, who was the daughter of J.D. Crawford of Augusta Twp.
J.D Crawford’s brother Scott, was the last station agent at
Watheys.
The Lake Erie, Alliance & Wheeling R.R. was incorporated in 1874
and was sold under foreclosure to the Alliance & Lake Erie Co in
1878. Several other transfers included those to Cleveland,
Youngstown & Pittsburg in 1882. It was later sold under
foreclosure to the Lake Erie, Alliance & Southern R.R. in 1884.
The line was built to Minerva between 1883 and 1887 from ????.
There were numerous transfers after that date, with the Wathey
Station being built in 1902. Scott Crawford became station agent
at Wathey’s in 1919
upon his return from World War I. Fred Barnett, a retired railroader from Mechanicstown began working for the railroad in 1922, the year the station was closed as a “block house”. (Block stops were used for shunting cars onto sidings so other trains could pass.)
Perry J.
Vasbinder Arboretum 
This
marker is at the entrance of the Society’s Arboretum that was
established in the fall of 1976.
The arboretum is named in honor of Perry J. Vasbinder, a local
hardware businessman, who originated the idea as the best use of a farm
pasture field when the farm was purchased in 1973. The main section is
located above the Sawmill and the Bert Lytle Farm Museum on the south
side of the 75 acre+ Mill Complex property.
The centerpiece of the arboretum is the “Golden Circle” (D-8)
where plants are given in honor of 50th wedding
anniversaries. Today it contains over 400 different plantings sponsored
by relatives and friends “In Memory” or “In Honor” of special
individuals.
Visit
our arboretum by “picking up” a plant guide from the mailbox east of Log
House #3. |
