Voices from the Past -
Stories of Life in the Village
These stories are of the people who lived here in the past.
Frank Hamer in Hamer Cemetery
Frank Hamer talks the cemetery in a 1981 interview. He said when they were building the railroad about 1900 his mother said the cemetery was used as a potter’s field, and anyone died working on the railroad was buried in Hamer’s Cemetery in unmarked graves. Frank went down the rows and told tidbits about many of the people buried in the cemetery. Told stories about the Hamer family. The family always had 10-12 horses. His grandfather hauled supplies back and forth to Louisville to the village with horse or oxen teams. He said his dad set the stone posts around the cemetery and they left them. His dad took care of the cemetery for many years but did not want to be buried there himself in 1926 because he thought it would be abandoned someday.
Several unmarked graves. Talked about 2 Lynn brothers and a cousin who all served in the same Civil War company, the 67th IN Infantry and all died in 1863 and 1864; Samuel, Solomon and Granville. He talked about traditions of burials and the roses he’d planted around the cemetery.
He also told about early Hamers buried in a cemetery down by Bono and they dug up three skeletons that had been buried about 100 years, put them in a box and reburied them at Hamer Cemetery. Noted the large number of children’s graves. The first grave in the Hamer Cemetery was reputed to be a traveler camped there and died on the site and Hugh Hamer built him a coffin and buried him there. The road by the cemetery was the road to Lawrenceport and would have tied to the Stagecoach Road so a lot of people traveled it. He also tells a bit about his life.
Andy Evans, Spring Mill Park Historian on Granny White (1986)
Granny White died at 94, having lived her life in the log house for 55 years. Sallie Cummins was born in Connecticut in 1784. Married at 18 to Silas Southerland and served as a battlefield aid in the War of 1812. In 1820, with her husband, her brother and 6 young children she headed west. Her husband died in route. She continued to the Leesville area where she settled and married David White with whom she had 3 more children. David White built this house in 1813. It was used as their home and a fort. She not only raised her own 9 children but also several orphans. She was affectionally called Granny White. She conducted school in her home and church services were held here. With the dogtrot in the center- wagons could be unloaded out of the weather, and the area could be used as a work and storage area. It was dismantled and moved to Spring Mill.
Andy Evans, on the Nursery/School Room (1986)
The Nursery was built by the Hamers in 1832. It was to be used as a nursery and schoolroom by the Hamers and the children of their employees. The original French wallpaper was imported by way of New Orleans. Hugh Hamer brought his widowed sister Nancy Crowfoot from Virginia to serve as the teacher. It became so popular children from outside the village attended. The Hamers still largely paid for the costs. The children would group around the fireplace and “Aunt Nancy,” to listen and do their lessons. Each child had a slate but children learned mostly by memory.
Apothecary Shop
Built in 1830 and used by Dr. Jacob Lemon. Lemon was a self taught practitioner. Jacob used locally grown plants and herbs. He compounded salves and ointments and rolled pills. He was both the doctor and pharmacist. Despite his best efforts, death was a common occurrence in the village. Bacteria and germs were not understood. The efforts of Jacob Lemons can only be appreciated when you consider his many victories.
Rows of powders, and tonics made by the local doctor at the Spring Mill Apothecary.
Mohammed Ansari, Village Historian Tape
Side 1 - Mohammed introduces himself and said he had the unique opportunity to research the Spring Mill Village. He said the Grist Mill is the highlight of the pioneer settlement. The story of Spring Mill begins about 1814 when Samuel Jackson, a Canadian, settled here. He established a settlement and built a small grist mill. By 1817, Captain Bullock and his brother Thomas from Louisville had heard of his success and wanted to invest and bought the property from Samuel Jackson.
The structure you see today was built in 1817-1818 by the Bullock brothers. The limestone came from nearby quarries, most from a quarry near Trail 6. The restoration in the 1920s tried to keep the look of the mill from 1917. A three-story structure would have been quite remarkable for its time. When it started operating in 1918, the water wheel was channeled from a flume as you see today. The business was able to operate year-round because it was an over-shot wheel.
The original mill stones are still in the mill though not in use. The same principal for grinding came from ancient Greek culture with the spiral stones requiring periodic stone dressing. Skilled artisans would come around to maintain the stones. Hugh Hamer took ownership of the sawmill.
After the Bullocks, some speculators from Philadelphia bought the property but were absentee landowners. After 9 years, the Montgomerys purchased the property and the Hamers operated it. Hugh and Thomas Hamer – who had heard of the opportunities in the Indiana Territories. The homes built next to the mill had been built for the Bullocks but they never lived here, but the Hamers moved in. The features of the Hamer’s homes (Upper and Lower Residence) have tried to maintain the features they once had. The Hamers maintained a garden adjacent to the mill that the Bullocks had originally laid out between the homes.
The Hamer’s, maintained the cemetery from the 1840s on. Many of the Village residents were buried there. The Meeting House may reflect the church that once was in the village. However, some research said there was never a church in the village, but just circuit riders came through and did services in homes. Many of the cabins have been moved in from other areas but they represent the construction techniques of the time. When the Montgomery took over the Village, they put in a Tavern – which was in existence in 1823. It provided comfort for travelers on the stagecoach route. He pointed out the steps which are in the village for dismounting from the stagecoach. He speculates the population was likely once at about 100 people. They had coopers, millers, and the distillers. The left-over corn from the mill made good whiskey. The Dalton family operated it in the early days. Things were shipped from the boat yard on the White River. Taken from Spring Mill by wagon to the boat yard, put on flatboats and sent to New Orleans.
When railroads started coming into the area, Hugh Hamer tried to get the Monon Railroad to come through Spring Mill. Instead it went through what is now Mitchell. George Donaldson bought property from Mr. Linn who lived here. Donaldson wanted things to be left preserved and studied the caves and many things are named after him. Though he did not do methodical research, he was a benefactor and got IU interested.
The Hamer era ran through the 1849 when Thomas Hamer gave up his share leaving Hugh Hamer as sole owner. But in 1872, Hugh Hamer, sole owner, died of cholera. His son operated the mill for another 9 year before leaving the mill to Jonathan Turley. Turley lived in what was a great mansion for its time where the camp store is now. Turley partnered with Solomon Scott for the distillery. It was a prosperous partnership making apple jack and peach brandy. Jonathan Turley also developed the lime kilns in the park to make quick lime for make plaster for construction and lime for farming. By 1893 Scott and Turley dissolved their partnership and Turley wanted to retire. People still came there to picnic on Turley’s land, but the Village was deserted.
The restoration project got underway in 1927. The Donaldson Cave had a lot of research done during that time as well. Richard Lieber came to formulate a plan to restore the village and then the Civilian Conservation Corps were mobilized in the 1930s to help restore the village and help build many of the park facilities, construct the lake. When the park opened it was full of people the first day.
Side 2 – Starts with random noise, Mohammed is giving the historical background of the mill. The mill was built over a 2-year period in 1817/18. People would come from a 50-mile radius to a mill such as this one. At one time they would have had different stones for different grains.
Though they have done a close restoration, it is not an exact replica of how the mill looked in 1917. He’s doing some grinding and there is a long section that is hard to hear. (Fast forward to 9:56 and it clears up again). The Bullock Brothers, wealthy merchants, brought skilled artisans who ensured the Mill and flume were well built. In its later days the flume used to leak a lot but initially there was very little loss of water. He described the mill stones and the different patterns and how the rotations worked with the indentations. The miller was a prominent position in the community. His reputation was based on the quality of his work and to do a good job, required constant maintenance of the mill equipment. It might take 2-3 days to get your grain ground but while you waited you could catch up on the news in the community. Tape ends.
Mill stone
Interior of Mill - Grinding Grain
Recreated Distillery Exhibit.
Saw Mill and Office.
Built in 1824/1825 by the Montgomery brothers to augment the Grist Mill. It is a sash saw. It is rare ot have enough water to run a sawmill. A water-powered sawmill like this could do the work of 20 men doing it by hand. The undershot wheel causes the ratchet to inch the log along the tracks as the saw cuts the log. Along this undershot wheel is the tub wheel which pulls the carriage back for the next cut. It can cut a 16-foot log in 30 minutes. They could produce 2,000 to 2,500 board feet/day. The trees that were cut in this area were primarily ash, beech, cherry, maple, tulip, oak and walnut. They generally charged 25 cents for 100 foot of board or the miller would keep 1/8th of the boards for payment. There are very few vertical sash saws in operation today.
Second side describes the operation of the mill when Thomas Bulloch owned it and Uriah Glover ran the operation. The office was constructed to take care of the milling business. Spring Mill was one of the most successful milling operations in this part of the state. In 1823 the business was sold to the Montgomery brothers – Joseph and William. They in turn sold it to Hugh and Thomas Hamer. Then in 1881 they sold it to Jonathan Turley. Each owner made improvements and created other lines of business. The office continued to be the office as the mill changed hands and the money changing center for the community.
Saw Mill added to Mill in 1824, rebuilt in 1932.
Interview with Rosa Smith, 5/1/1980
Side 1. Rosa and her daughters Mary Elizabeth and Willma Rose Smith are interviewed by Lola Petino, Park Naturalist. Rosa was then 100 years old. Her Uncle was Jonathan Turley. Rosa was a Turley before her marriage. She remembers the mill when Jonathan was actively running it. Rosa would go and help at the mill. They said Jonathan Turley was also a skilled carpenter. The women said a lot of the furniture in the Hamer House originally came from Jonathan Turley’s House.
Jonathan Turley had six children. Two of his daughters lived in his home in their later years. They said Jonathan’s daughters had left his home and furnishings to the State to be preserved. But the State let the home get in disrepair. The D.A.R. tried to save the home, but it was limited what they could do. Mary Elizabeth and Willma remember visiting the daughters- Jane and Eliza (Liddy) in their home. They lived there until their death – maybe the 1940s. The State tore the house down and many of the things in the house were destroyed, they started a fire and many precious heirlooms were thrown into the burn pile.
Mary Francis (Franny) Turley was Rosa’s cousin and friend. Rosa said where she went to visit Franny Wright down in the village, she was married then and lived in the Tom Hamer House, the 2-story house. Rosa remembers the Distillery too that Uncle Jonathan ran and the Boat Yard too.
They said Jonathan owned the mill when it was sold to the Cement Plant (1892). The LeHigh people were not interested in the mill- only in the water supply. Even today they own the water in the creek.
The Turley home was located about where the camp store is now. They had a lovely flower garden with wildflowers. There was a screened in brick patio outside the kitchen over to the cellar. The big garden was behind the house. The interviewer said where the flower garden is described to be is where the wild day lilies are now, so they likely belonged to the Turleys.
Talked about how the early Park managers were political appointees and some of them didn’t know anything about managing a park or preservation which is why the Turley House was lost. The women discussed the Turley House, how grand it was. There were three rooms in the front off the porch. The house was one room thick with a dining room built on with a long dining room table. The outside was white clapboard with a porch above and below with deacon benches on the porch.
Rosa’s home, where the interview took place, was built in 1866 by her father and she was born in the house on April 19, 1880. They had a windmill that brought the water up from the spring. Rosa’s father was William Turley- Jonathan’s brother.
Side 2. Fast forward to 2:28. The first part is irrelevant; then Lola Petino, Park Naturalist continues her interview with Rosa Smith, Willma Rose Smith and Mary Elizabeth Smith at the Smith Farm. Rosa’s father - William Turley was born in 1835. Her mother, Eliza Hall was born in 1837. Rosa was born in 1880, one of 7 children. They lived in Rivervale- an area west of Spring Mill on a 640-acre farm.
Rivervale was called Stocksdale before it came to be called Rivervale in the mid 1800s. This side is very hard to hear, lots of knocking of the microphone making noise. The older women also are too far away and talking softly. They discuss a murder at Spring Mill, ghosts in the village, but its difficult to make out everything they are saying. They talk about exploring the caves before the boat rides began in 1929? Lola asked how was it that nothing was vandalized in all the years that the village was abandoned, and the Smiths said that wasn’t done in those days. People treated places with respect but someone did cut a bee tree in Donaldson Woods at some point.
Discussed how the old roads used to be laid out in the area as you came in off Lawrenceport Road. They talked about a Tree-of-heaven one of the daughters planted in their yard. She pulled up a sprout when they were out at Jane and Liddie Turley’s one day and she brought it home and planted it in her yard. It grew to be about 4 feet in diameter and so many sprouts that they finally cut it down. Lola said today, where the old Turley residence is by the Camp Store there are still a lot of Tree of Heaven in the area from that same tree they took a sprout from! The tape ends when the owl start hooting at 40:30.
Roving Interpretation - August 13, 1986
Interpretive talk about some of the businesses in Spring Mill. While most pioneers could repair their shoes, few of them could make an entire shoe or boot so there was a need for a shoemaker or cobbler. Amzi Munson who lived from 1828 to 1888 was a skilled cobbler. He had a cabin and shop in the Village where he lived with his wife Maria- daughter of Hugh Hamer. He made shoes, harness, saddles, and bags. The audio describes the tools that Mr. Munson used and how he made his products. He also used hemp and wooden pegs in addition to leather.
They then visit the blacksmith shop. The blacksmith is one of the most important artisans in the frontier. They shod and doctored animals and made farming implements, nails, hinges, shoes, and other tools. Spring Mill Village had a blacksmith shop but no regular blacksmith. Neighboring smiths were hired and came in. Explains how blacksmiths forge and form their iron and shape it. Steel was used for tools that needed to hold up longer. Almost everyone needed the blacksmith to make tools at some point.
Farmers could hollow out a log but it was easier to get a barrel from a cooper. Josiah Cleveland, a local cooper made many barrels locally that were used for a variety of purposes. The audio describes how barrel staves are shaped. The barrels were used in the distillery and for salt pork and many of them were floated down the river to markets.
In a town like Spring Village a carpenter had to build his own tools and materials. He had to hew a log square for the cabins- (it would take him about 2 hours). A froe was used to make shingles then smoothed with a draw knife. A carpenter shop in Spring Mill was run for many years by Henry Fitzpatrick until 1831. One of his principal furniture items was a clothes cupboard since there were no closets in the buildings. The tape ends abruptly.
Rosa Turley Smith, lived 101 years in the Spring Mill area.
Willma Rose Smith and her sister Mary Elizabeth Smith were interviewed on this tape with their mother.
Amaziah Levi Munson, Village Cobbler and Proprietor of the Leather Shop.
Tombstone of Henry Fitzpatrick, Village Carpenter.