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| Cultivating and harvesting a crop was critically important
to Shelby County, Ohio, pioneers. Larger
harvests gave rise to a need to grind the corn for use as food for the settlers or feed
for their animals. Mills, usually water driven, were established to provide this service.
These grist mills typically created two other products, both important on the frontier,
cut lumber and distilled whiskey. The Maxwell family dominated the milling business in the Sidney area. Headed by their patriarch, 'Grandfather' Maxwell, the family obtained exclusive water rights to Mosquito Creek at an early date and constructed a mill there. Grandfather's son, B. W. Maxwell, substantially advanced the business. He purchased and enlarged a mill site on the east bank of the Miami River (illustration at top) which was originally erected by Cummins and Mathers. This mill, powered by water from the Tawawa Creek, concentrated on wool and grain milling. (According to what was apparently the local custom, whiskey could also be purchased on the premises. In those days, pioneers believed that "immunity from ...sickness and similar plagues was only secured by the aid of a "stout dram.") The foundations of the old mill are still visible off the west side of Brooklyn Avenue, 50 yards south of the gas station, (located at the corner of Brooklyn and North Street), and just north of the water works building. B. W. Maxwell also operated a large mill in Sidney at the east end of Clinton Street (now known as Adams Street) next to the Great Miami River. Today the site is used by Shelby Manufacturing. William Fielding established a saw mill on Starrett's run in the village at an early date. The mill was located at the current Water Street location of the county chapter of the American Red Cross. [Back] [Next] [Up] [New Search] Industry segment written in January, 1998 by Rich Wallace |