Samuel Jackson 1814 - 1817
• Origins and Early Life: Samuel Jackson was born on April 4, 1789, in Catawissa, Pennsylvania. His family was Quaker and his father was Samuel Jackson Sr., a hat maker from whom Samuel Jr. learned the trade. At an unspecified time, his large family (nine boys and two girls) relocated to Toronto, Canada (then York), where he continued hat manufacturing.
• War of 1812 Service: The war dramatically changed his life. Samuel Jackson Jr. joined Colonel Joseph Willcocks's regiment, the Canadian Volunteers, composed of U.S. citizens in Canada. He held the rank of Lieutenant and is also identified as an Ensign in other records. He achieved the rank of captain in the American army. Samuel Jr. was imprisoned in Toronto for refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the British Government, eventually being bailed out to join his family in Willcocks's regiment. He participated in the Battle of Lundy's Lane on July 25, 1814. He may have been wounded at the Battle of Fort Erie, rendering him unfit for further service. The war led to the confiscation of his family's valuable property in Canada, leaving them impoverished.
• Relocation to Indiana and Mill Construction: After the war, Samuel Jackson Jr. returned to Berwick, Pennsylvania, and resumed hat-making. He married Hannah Shiner on September 29, 1814, in Berwick. Driven by a desire for health and prosperity, Samuel and Hannah moved to the Indiana Territory. In 1814, Samuel found a sheltered cove in present-day Lawrence County, near Mitchell, with a spirited stream suitable for power, and there he built a cabin and a small mill, grinding corn for local settlers.
• Land Patent and Sale: On October 26, 1816, Samuel Jackson received a land patent from President James Madison, granting him a three-quarter section of land in Indiana (specifically the Southeast quarter of Section 32, Township 4 North, Range 1 East; the Southeast Quarter of Section 18, Township 3 North, Range 1 East; and the Northeast Quarter of Section 15, Township 5 North, Range 1 East) as a Canadian who swore allegiance to the United States. This land included the site of the later "old stone mill" and Hamer's cave. However, just five months after acquiring the land grant, in March 1817, Samuel and Hannah Jackson sold their property for five thousand dollars (despite an initial deed stating four hundred and eighty dollars) to Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt, and returned to Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Their swift departure likely coincided with the "Year Without a Summer" in 1816, a severe global climate abnormality that caused major food shortages and harsh weather in the northeastern US and southeastern Canada, hindering crop growth and contributing to Samuel's decision to leave.
Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt 1817 - 1823
• Origins and Family Background: Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt were of French-Hugenot origin, their family having emigrated from Languedoc, France, to Maryland in 1685 to escape persecution. They later moved to Virginia, settling near Mount Vernon. They were sons of Major William and Mary Burbridge Bullitt.
• Move to Louisville and Marriages: They came to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1804. Cuthbert married Ann Neville (daughter of Gen. Joseph Neville) in 1800. Thomas married Diana Moore Gwathmey, niece of George Rogers Clark. They established homes side-by-side in Louisville and became leading merchants, acquiring significant landholdings in both Kentucky and Indiana.
• Purchase of Mill Property and Development: On March 3, 1817, Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt bought 480 acres of land from Samuel Jackson in Lawrence County, Indiana. They were known as "Merchants of Louisville" and early "speculators" in Indiana. Recognizing the small Jackson mill wouldn't meet their demands, they began construction of a new mill in March 1817. This mill, completed by October 1817, was a large, three-story stone structure with three-foot thick walls and massive timbers, including an overshot wheel powered by a strong stream from a nearby cavern. They also built a lower house for the Glover family (Uriah Glover supervised construction and managed the mill) and an upper house for themselves. Other buildings, including a mill office, were constructed in 1818. The area was initially known as "Bullitt's Mills".
• Sale of Property: In 1823, the Bullitts, having acquired almost another 1,000 acres, sold the land (1440 acres), the mill, houses, and other buildings to William and Joseph Montgomery. The sale was dated June 28, 1823, and the property was sold for $20,000.
William and Joseph Montgomery 1823 - 1831
• Family Background: William Montgomery (1752–1831) was a merchant who established a transatlantic commercial business in Philadelphia. His son, Joseph Montgomery (1788–1864), continued the firm.
• Purchase of Mill Property: William and Joseph Montgomery, merchants from Philadelphia, bought the mill and property from Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt on November 14, 1823. The purchase included 1,760 acres across Lawrence County and Vigo County, along with the mill and houses for a total of $21,640. The main mill property was the Southeast quarter of Section 32, Township 4 North, Range 1 East, containing 160 acres, including all improvements.
• Operations as Absentee Owners: For nine years, the village continued to grow under their absentee ownership, as they lived in Philadelphia. They hired two young brothers to run the mill during their absents, Hugh and Thomas Hamer. They were a significant force in global commerce, operating from Philadelphia and extending their trade network to Europe, the Caribbean, and the American frontier. They added a still house, sawmill, and a tavern to Spring Mill during their ownership. They imported textiles, hardware, industrial components like millstones and gears, printed matter, and goods from the Caribbean, dispatching them westward. From the frontier (including Spring Mill), they shipped grain products (flour and cornmeal), whiskey, hogs, pork sides, timber, and staves.
• Sale of Property: In 1831, after William Montgomery's death, Joseph Montgomery, as executor of William's will, sold the mill property to Hugh and Thomas Hamer for $7,000. This transaction took place on September 6, 1831.
Hugh and Thomas Hamer 1831 - 1881
• Origins and Arrival: Hugh Hamer was a native of Geneva, New York. He came to the Spring Mill valley with his brother, Thomas.
• Acquisition and Operations: In 1828, Hugh and Thomas Hamer rented the mill. They officially bought the mill in 1831 for $7,000, payable in seven annual installments. Hugh Hamer took complete control around 1849 and held it until his death in 1872. The mill became widely known as Hamer's Mill.
• Business Ventures: Under Hamer leadership, the village experienced its busiest and most profitable years. Hugh Hamer started a store, re-established the distillery, and engaged in extensive hauling of produce by wagons from Louisville and shipping products to New Orleans via White River on flatboats. They had "ox fleets" of 12 oxen each, continuously operating between Spring Mill and Louisville, transporting flour, grain, pork, furs, whiskey, and lumber. The sawmill reportedly ran night and day.
• Civic and Political Engagement: Hugh Hamer was a prominent man in the community. He was appointed postmaster in 1831 by President Andrew Jackson, and the village's name was changed from Bullitt's Mill to Spring Mill. He served two terms as a state representative (1839-40) and two terms as a state senator (1844) for Lawrence County. He was also a county commissioner in the 1830s. Hugh Hamer was known for his love of horses and his hunting skills. He was among those who guarded the first shipment of gold and silver for The State Bank of Indiana, sent from Louisville.
• Death and Legacy: Hugh Hamer died on March 30, 1872, from smallpox at the age of 72. He was buried in a nearby graveyard he had donated to the community. His will bequeathed his real and personal estate to his wife, Elizabeth Hamer. After his death, his son, Robert Hamer, inherited the mill property, followed by another son, George Hamer, who managed it for three years.
Jonathan Turley 1881 - 1892
• Origins and Early Life: Jonathan Turley was the only major owner of the mill to be an Indiana native. He was born on May 2, 1827, near Palestine, Indiana, to Benjamin and Permelia (Wright) Turley. He was the oldest of 12 children. His youth was spent farming and attending subscription schools. The Turley family moved to Orange County, where Jonathan married Julia Hall in the late 1840s. By 1860, he and Julia had four children: Mary, Sarah, Robert, and Eliza. His property grew to over 200 acres. He served in the Union Army for one year during the Civil War in 1864.
• Acquisition of Mill Property: Turley took an interest in the property owned by Robert Hamer (Hugh Hamer's youngest son). He bought the mill and surrounding area from Robert Hamer in 1881.
• Efforts to Revive the Mill: Turley made efforts to save the "faltering mill business," which was struggling due to steam-powered mills. He ran the mill for 11 years, until 1892. He installed modern turbines to increase the gristmill's power and efficiency. He also continued the distillery, renaming the mill Daisy Spring Mill, and sold whiskey and fruit brandies under that name. He partnered with Solomon Scott, an Orange County resident, for the distillery, with Scott running the operation and Turley handling business matters. Turley also started a lime business, building kilns in the park property.
• Civic Engagement and Business Acumen: Turley's stature as a community leader grew after the war. In 1874, he helped establish a chapter of the Grange society of farmers called Big Spring Grange. He also served as the local Justice of the Peace for many years. He was an intelligent businessman, frequently buying and selling land, and lending/borrowing money.
• Challenges and End of Era: Despite his efforts, the mill business faced challenges, and his lime business deteriorated. The general recession of 1893, combined with the ailing local economy, brought an end to the Turley period at Spring Mill. The mill shut down in 1892, and the lime business stopped around the same time. Turley sold the mill and land to Lehigh Portland Cement Company in 1892 and continued to run the distillery until his death in 1896.
• Death and Homestead Bequest: Turley's wife, Julia, died in October 1892. Jonathan Turley died on August 1, 1896, with the distillery still in operation. His homestead, consisting of 216 acres, passed to his unmarried daughter, Eliza Turley. Upon Eliza's death in 1934, she bequeathed this land, including the Turley house, to the Spring Mill State Park.