Valliant in McCurtain County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
Clear Creek Water Mill
Photographed By Byron Hooks, October 20, 2009
1. Clear Creek Water Mill Marker
Inscription.
Clear Creek Water Mill. . Water powered grist mill in operation on Clear Creek early as 1819 by white settlers in old Miller County, Arkansas Territory. New mill built in 1837 by Choctaw Joel Kemp. A later owner, Choctaw John Wilson, replaced crude undershot wheel with turbine-type which also powered cotton gin. John Prince acquired mill site in 1909, updated machinery and replaced log dam with concrete, drilled two artesian wells and supplied water to town of Valliant for many years. Adjacent swimming pool was a favorite recreational facility. Mill ceased operation about 1944; swimming pool closed 1962. Remnants of mill remain. Tradition holds that two black slaves, Wallace and Minerva Willis, first gave voice to renowned Negro spirituals such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" on nearby plantation.
Water powered grist mill in operation on Clear Creek early as 1819 by white settlers in old Miller County, Arkansas Territory. New mill built in 1837 by Choctaw Joel Kemp. A later owner, Choctaw John Wilson, replaced crude undershot wheel with turbine-type which also powered cotton gin. John Prince acquired mill site in 1909, updated machinery and replaced log dam with concrete, drilled two artesian wells and supplied water to town of Valliant for many years. Adjacent swimming pool was a favorite recreational facility. Mill ceased operation about 1944; swimming pool closed 1962. Remnants of mill remain. Tradition holds that two black slaves, Wallace and Minerva Willis, first gave voice to renowned Negro spirituals such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" on nearby plantation.
Erected 1995 by Oklahoma Historical Society. (Marker Number 196.)
Location. 34° 0.38′ N, 95° 7.165′ W. Marker is in Valliant, Oklahoma, in McCurtain County. Marker is on U.S. 70 east of Oklahoma
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Highway N4450, on the left when traveling west. Located at the Valliant Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Valliant OK 74764, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2009, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 2,026 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 11, 2009, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
