Near Meadows of Dan in Floyd County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Challenges
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2021
1. Challenges Marker
Inscription.
Challenges. . Although operating a mill was never easy, Ed Mabry faced special challenges. For one, the quantity of running water, which turned the overshot wheel and powered all the equipment in the mill, was barely adequate. To increase his supply, Mabry built separate flumes, or wooden troughs, to catch the runoff from two small streams. These fed into the single trough, called a race, directly in front of you.
In later years, Mabry's health failed and he stopped maintaining the water wheel and flumes. To furnish power for the mill, he bought an 8-horsepower engine and his wife Lizzie took over mill operations. By the time Ed Mabry died and Lizzie moved away in the mid-1930s, gristmills were becoming obsolete. Larger roller mills and national companies that marketed flour and other grain products in stores across America had replaced the local gristmill.
[photo caption] , Water to the mill came from two sources: one behind you to your left; the other to your right.
Although operating a mill was never easy, Ed Mabry faced special challenges. For one, the quantity of running water, which turned the overshot wheel and powered all the equipment in the mill, was barely adequate. To increase his supply, Mabry built separate flumes, or wooden troughs, to catch the runoff from two small streams. These fed into the single trough, called a race, directly in front of you.
In later years, Mabry's health failed and he stopped maintaining the water wheel and flumes. To furnish power for the mill, he bought an 8-horsepower engine and his wife Lizzie took over mill operations. By the time Ed Mabry died and Lizzie moved away in the mid-1930s, gristmills were becoming obsolete. Larger roller mills and national companies that marketed flour and other grain products in stores across America had replaced the local gristmill.
[photo caption] Water to the mill came from two sources: one behind you to your left; the other to your right.
Erected by National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior.
36° 45.067′ N, 80° 24.357′ W. Marker is near Meadows of Dan, Virginia, in Floyd County. Marker can be reached from Blue Ridge Parkway (at milepost 176.2), 0.2 miles south of Mabry Mill Road SE (Virginia Route 603), on the left when traveling south. Marker is located along the Mabry Mill interpretive trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 266 Mabry Mill Road SE, Meadows of Dan VA 24120, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Mabry Mill
Also see . . . Mabry Mill. The sights and sounds of Rural Appalachia fill the air at Mabry Mill during summer and fall. Ed Mabry built the mill where he and his wife Lizzy ground corn, sawed lumber, and did blacksmithing for three decades. The old mill, cultural demonstrations, and a decades-long
2. Marker detail: Replacing the Water Wheel
Maintaining a mill required skill and labor. Replacing the water wheel was an especially taxing chore. This photo was taken during the 1942 restoration.
tradition of Sunday afternoon music and dancing continue to draw visitors today. (Submitted on June 3, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Marker detail: 1927 Sears, Roebuck and Co. Catalogue
Thanks to local hardware stores and to rural mail delivery, engines could be bought in many sizes and from many sources. This illustration is from the 1927 Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalogue.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2021
4. Challenges Marker
(looking south • mill race in background)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2021
5. Challenges Marker
(looking west • Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Parkway in background)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2021
6. Mabry Mill Flumes
(located uphill from mill race)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 3, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 141 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 3, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
