Shamrock Mill / Charles Hughes Mill / W.A. Reed Mill
Northumberland Co. | Pennsylvania | USA
Watersource: Shamokin Creek.
Shamrock Mill / Charles Hughes Mill / W.A. Reed Mill
From Shamokin go north on Pa 61 about 3-4 miles to Pa 487/W. Valley Ave. on the right. Turn right, cross Shamokin Creek, and take the first left onto Bottle Rd. Go north on Bottle Road/Sr 4012 and take the first road to the left, Shamrock Road/Sr 2010 and go a few 100' to the mill on the right at 2161 Shamrock Road.
The mill was built from between 1774 to 1780. Soliciting any and all information anyone might like to share about this mill.
George Hughes built a smaller mill, perhaps only a two story structure with an overshot wheel powering two sets of buhrstones for grinding.
The rear of the current mill, still operating as a feed mill. The mill has three sections; the center with a fieldstone foundation, the oldest; the part on the left with a brick foundation, probably the first addition; and the right end built on pilings, no doubt the 2nd addition.
Later George's son, Charles, built a larger three story frame mill structure operated by an overshot wheel to turn four sets of buhrstones.
Charles' mill was owned and operated by W. A. Reed by 1890 and maybe longer. The object in the photo appears to be an attrition mill.
Spme type of cleaner to the right of the self-feeding grain bin.
Steel pulleys sandwiching a wooden flywheel-type pulley, installed to keep the revolutions of the shaft steady and regular.
An old drum with rope wound around it still. The wooden wheel on the end would have turned the drum when the lever in the foreground was moved. A belt would tighten on the drums pulley and rope would be let out or rolled up unto the drum. This was all so sacks of grain or raw grain, such as wheat, oats, barley, or corn could be loaded or unloaded into the mill.
Feed in sacks showing that Shamrock Mills LLC are today operating under the authority of Nathan & Craig Richard. The homogenous sacks would be machine sewed with a cardboard label caught in the stitching or else hand tied with twine,including a label using a miller's knot, a knot not too tricky but effective in keeping the bag shut.
The retail store in the mill, selling all sorts of supplements for livestock and other farm supplies. Notice the old wooden auger hanging under the rafters. The auger was used in a piece of milling machinery called a flour dresser.
Grinding, mixing all sorts of feeds since 1774, before the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. The mill, at 2161 Shamrock Road has a mailing address of RR2 Box 634, Paxinos, Pa 17860. tel: 570-672-2240.