Back to the Same Old Grind

Back to the Same Old Grind. . , The Big and Little Darby Creeks are important waterways to all who inhabited their banks and nearby land, past and present. In 1805, a grist mill was erected by Samuel Dyer to grind grains into flour for local farmers. This mill was powered by water diverted from Little Darby Creek through a hand-dug channel. In times of drought a second hand-dug channel, over 100 yards in length, would allow water to flow from Big Darby Creek. The miller would open a sluice gate allowing the water to flow through a millrace that directed the water closer to the mill. The water would drop off the end onto a large wheel to make it spin. , , This 1,740 pound stone is a remnant of that grist mill which was located near the Little Darby Picnic Area. It was recovered by the Baker Family while the existing two bridges were being constructed. In 2015, the Baker's graciously donated the stone to Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. After years of weathering the grooves are no longer present but one can imagine standing in the mill, grain dust flying about as the stones went to work. , , The Dyer's Mill never burnt down, though many grist mills did. Instead, it was destroyed by the Great Flood of 1913 which caused an estimated 2 billion dollars worth of damage, in present day terms, to towns across Ohio and the Midwest. , , Ask park personnel inside to see the grooves on a piece of another millstone also found in the Dyer Mill area.