Miltonville in Butler County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Bambo Harris Grist Mill
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 2, 2009
1. Bambo Harris Grist Mill Marker
In c1795 Bambo Harris a freed black slave built and operated the first Water Driven gristmill in the area on Elk Creek. For fifty years his Millstones ground wheat and corn. A member of the Prairie Baptist Church, he was highly respected in the community. Bambo Harris lies at Rest in the Miltonville Cemetery.
Millstones donated by Charles Wesco & Family
Erected by Madison Township Board of Trustees.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 39° 30.068′ N, 84° 27.634′ W. Marker is in Miltonville, Ohio, in Butler County. It is at the intersection of Elk Creek Road and Howe Road, on the right when traveling north on Elk Creek Road. Marker is near the South Madison Township Fire Station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4398 Elk Creek Road, Middletown OH 45042, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cincinnati and in the Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Village of Miltonville (here, next to this marker); The Village of Trenton / The Elk Creek Baptist Church and Cemetery (approx. 1.4 miles away); Founder's Park (approx.
this page online
Regarding Bambo Harris Grist Mill. The Butler Metropolitan Housing Authority demolished Bambo Harris Homes, a c.1942 141-unit public housing project on Front Street in Hamilton, in 2007, due to widespread asbestos and lead paint.
Additional commentary.
1. Bambo Harris' grave
Bambo Harris' grave is unmarked in the Miltonville Cemetery on Howe Road. If there was a stone at one time, it is possible that it was one near the church that was lost by fire in 1949. The fire destroyed many stones that were near the building.
— Submitted March 21, 2011, by Larry Helton of Madison Twp., Butler County, Ohio.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 2, 2009
2. Bambo Harris Grist Mill Marker
South Madison Township Fire station in background.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 2, 2009
3. Millstones at Bambo Harris Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 18, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,336 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 18, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
