Millstones From Smallsburg

Millstones From Smallsburg. . These millstones were used in the gristmills of John Small in the early 1800s. The mills at Smallsburg were important in the pioneer times of Lawrence County, not only as a place for grinding grain, but as the social center of the area. Small's Mill was located on the Embarrass River near its mouth with the Wabash River, about 6 miles to the west of Vincennes, near the Great Road leading to St. Louis and Kaskaskia. Small's Mill was known as Brown's Mill after 1830, when Small's daughter Angeline and her husband Dr. Joseph Brown became the owners., Historic events in the Smallsburg area included:, 1779 - George Rogers Clark rerouted his march, to retake Vincennes from the British, around the flooded Embarrass River, 1786 - A group of Vincennes militiamen, led by Colonel John Small, fought the Battle of the Embarrass against a band of Peoria warriors, 1801 - John Small, Governor William Henry Harrison, and Francis Vigo selected the best site for a mill near Vincennes, 1805 - John Small built his first mill on the Embarrass River, 1812 - Indians massacred the Harriman family near Small's Mill; later, the Embarrass Blockhouse protected Small's Mill and remaining settlers, 1819 - John Small completed his newest gristmill, planned the town of Smallsburg, and offered lots for sale, 1821 - Lawrenceville became the county-seat of newly created Lawrence County, instead of Smallsburg, Mid-1800s - Brown's Mill closed and Smallsburg was abandoned, (photo captions:), ·This map depicts the approximate location of Smallsburg, location of Small's Mill in relations to other area landmarks., ·While no actual pictures of Smalls Mill exist, the above rendering is typical of the type of grist mill that once stood in Smallsburg on the Embarrass River