Mill Dam and Raceway

Mill Dam and Raceway. . Mills were located along rivers or creeks that were typically shallow with rapids providing swift flowing waterpower to the machinery in the mill. A dam was used to concentrate the flow of water in a reservoir or mill pond., Construction of a dam occurred when the level of the creek was at its lowest, usually during the summer. The water was diverted using a temporary dam while the actual dam consisted of building a wooden frame projecting from stone abutments. Rocks were used to fill the space inside the frame., The first dam for the Roswell Manufacturing Company was built in the 1830s and was located upstream from the machine shop. It was destroyed by a flood in 1881 and never rebuilt. The current dam was built in the 1850s and supplied power to the pre-Civil War factories and eventually to the 1882 mill downstream. According to the Report to the Stockholders, dated October 29, 1879, the height of the dam was increased by five feet., A raceway conveyed water from the dam to the waterwheel. The original raceway was constructed of wood and was supported by a stone foundation. It was replaced by an iron flume (sometime between 1911 and 1924), a portion of which is still visible on the banks of the creek., Gates at the dam controlled the flow of water through the raceway or flume. A head gate with steel rakes kept most of the debris from damaging the waterwheel., (captions) , Construction of a Dam , Dam and Wooden Raceway, ca. 1898. Courtesy of the Roswell Historical Society, McNeely Family Visual Arts Collection , Thomas (Tom) King Baker on Dam, ca. 1892. Courtesy of the Roswell Historical Society, King, Baker, and Simpson Families Papers