Hamer’s Mill at Spring Mill State Park – Mitchell, IN

Introduction

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One example of a pre-Civil War settlement in southern Indiana which relied on a variety of water-powered mills for income and commerce was Spring Mill. The grist mill was the heart of this civilization, built in 1817 by Thomas and Cuthbert Bullitt. In 1825, the land that the mill and the village sat on would fall into the ownership of Hugh and Thomas Hamer. Other records suggest that the spring water running from nearby caves was also used to power a woolen mill, sawmill, and distillery in the town. Exports from Spring Mill included pork, corn, and whiskey, sometimes being transported as far south as New Orleans!

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Backstory and Context

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Although Spring Mill is an example of a prosperous pioneer village in its time (some of the pioneers were even wealthy enough to own peacocks!), it’s also a prime example of a town that was not able to withstand economic downturn after the Civil War. The mill’s operations became seasonal and ownership of the town was transferred to Jonathan Turley after the death of Hugh Hamer in 1872. Turley eventually sold much of the village to the Lehigh Portland Cement Company in 1892 after many of its occupants moved away. In 1928, a man named Richard Lieber began restoration on the pioneer village in efforts to preserve the natural and historic aspects of the land through the creation of a state park. Spring Mill State Park was opened in 1930. The livelihoods of the pioneers of Spring Mill tell us a lot about the operations of commerce, resource use, and early settlement in the forested reaches of southern Indiana. Observing the rise and fall of this settlement in particular gives insight to the patterns of land use in this area before it became protected as a State Park.

Sources

Kuhl, S. “Spring Mill State Park’s Grist Mill marks 200 years.” Indiana Economic Digest. 8 May 2017, https://indianaeconomicdigest.com/Content/Most-Recent/Region-5/Article/Spring-Mill-State-Park-s-Grist-Mill-marks-200-years/31/83/88050, Accessed 5 Nov. 2020.

Wilkinson, E. “Organizational Note.” Spring Mill State Park Collection. June 2004, https://www.in.gov/library/fa_index/fa_by_letter/s/l225.html, Accessed 5 Nov. 2020.