Mill Village Yard

Mill Village Yard. . , Most mill houses did not have grass in their yards. The yard was often "swept dirt" with vegetable gardens, flowers and fruit trees, including plum and peach trees. Workers might keep a few chickens for fresh eggs, and of course children played in their yards., The design of the village included alleys behind many of the houses. These alleys served numerous purposes. A coal wagon could travel down this alley and unload coal to small sheds in the backyards. The, Olympia Mill sold coal at cost to mill workers in the early 1900s. Families would then bring coal into the house and keep a bucket near the fireplace, which is what kept families warm in winter., With no washing machines or dryers for laundry, yards often had a large kettle for washing and a clothes line for drying.