Soapstone Mill
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This is a 1905 photograph of the Soapstone Mill on Sandy River. At this time the mill was operated by James McDowell who is holding the baby, Lewis Bullington. At left is Belium Bullington and Mae Bullington. On the porch is Mae Bullington and John Bullington holding the long rifle. Along the front row are Addie McDowell, Ria the maid, Martha McDowell Bullington (Martha is James McDowell’s sister who married Jackson Bullington in 1860. Jackson was killed in battle on May 31, 1862 and never saw his son James Robert Bullington who was born Nov. 4, 1861 and died Apr. 22, 1914), Laura Bullington, Jennie Fuller, and Robert Bullington. On the mule are Ernest Fuller and Mal Payne. Payne was the postmaster and owner of a large country store just up the road as short distance from the mill. The two dogs are unidentified.

Soapstone Mansion House – Built 1819 by Thomas Garrett.

The Soapstone Mill was built in 1818 by Thomas Garrett. In 1819, he built the Soapstone Mansion House. In 1978, Danny Ricketts and family purchased the 85-acre Soapstone tract above the mill site with the old house. There are three massive five-foot wide soapstone chimneys topped with hand made brick. Large timbers were sawn at the sawmill which was located upstream of the mill. The sawmill had its own dam and small waterwheel (See photographs below). Ice from the pond was sawn into blocks and stored in the earth. The dirt was cut out from a creek bank and the blocks of ice stacked and covered with straw. In early days, this ice lasted for months. There was no other source.

ABOVE - Soapstone Sawmill. The Soapstone Mill is in the background.

Cutting ice at Soapstone 1905. Note the wooden dam. Beavers’ Mill dam was probably similar to this one. Sawmills required less power to operate and the wheels were usually small.