Harford County Mills (June 2, 2006) ABERDEEN IRON FOUNDRY ( ) An advertisement in the Aegis of August 6, 1869, offered the Aberdeen Iron Foundry and Machine Shop of which T. B. C. Stump was proprietor. ADAIR AND BUCHANAN FORGE (5) Robert Adair and Archibald Buchanan took out a writ of ad quod damnum for 100 acres "on a draught of Water of Deer Creek near a place called the Mine or old fields," for a forge, October 6, 1761. This inquiry was taken on Deer Creek on George Ridgdon's Spring Branch near a place called “the Mine Old Fields." The land was valued at £ 5 present damages, " but was already in possession of Adair and Buchanan by a Caution and Survey. The grant was made August 27, 1762. Chancery Records, Liber 9:105, MSA. Spring Branch is also called Mine Branch or Body Run. It enters Deer Creek from the north. Mine Old Fields is roughly east of Nursery Road; west of Mine Run, and between Minefield and Cherry Hill, MHM, 50:15. Also, OHH, p. 143. ALDERSONS TANNERY (4) Abel Alderson's son, Thomas, conducted a tannery, c. l84_, near Jarrettsvi11e, Directory, p. 297. The l880 census listed James B. Alderson, tanner, with $2500 capital, 2 employees, and production of 300 skins annually worth $600 by horse power. ALLEN BONE MILL (S) See Stafford Mill. ALLEN MILL (2) See Union Mill. AMERICAN POTTERY SUPPLY FURNACE (5) In 1902, the American Pottery Supply Co. of Baltimore bought from Joseph T. and Florida F. Deckman 245 acres between Sulphur Run and Scarboro Road, bounded on the south by Deer Creek, HCLR WSF 104:1S3. James C. Gittings was president of the company. In 1906, the Baltimore firm transferred title to American Pottery Supply Co. of Delaware. In 1907, the company was in receivership after being sued 1 by Frank Ehlen. The property was sold to C. Phelps, and then to the Cohens and Kahoes, and in 1956 to the county. The abandoned flint furnace was standing [1971] on the east side of Scarboro Road north of Boyd Road. AMES MILL ( ) Joshua Ames owned one wooden gristmill, 30 x 2S, out of order, on the tract Foxhill, 1798 tax list of Bush River Upper and Eden Hundred. AMOS MILL (4) Amos Mill John Amos in 1965 AMOSS MILL ROAD Amos Mill on Amoss Mill Road and Island Branch is a mixture of stone, frame, log, and chink construction, very antique in appearance, but is not found on the 1783 or 1798 tax lists. Recent deeds speak of the mill as standing on the tract Good Prospect, but Good Prospect did not enter the Wiley family until 1840, and Good Prospect was 704 acres of vacant land when patented in 1797 by David West who sold it that same year to William Foltz. Per tradition, the mill was founded by the Wiley family and was presumably part of the 110-acre Lot No.1 bequeathed by Matthew Wiley, the pioneer, to his son David N. Wiley in 1840 (HC Wills Liber TBS No.5, folio 435). "The road leading from David N. Wiley's Mill towards the Duncans Blacksmith shop" was mentioned in a deed of 1849 (HC Deeds Liber HD No. 35, folio 69). David N. Wiley and his daughter Sarah A. L. Wiley bought portions of Good Prospect from the Almonys in 1840 and 1849--the first ownership of any of Good Prospect by any Wileys. Not explained is what enterprise was afoot when Abraham Almony bought water rights on Island Branch from John Dunlop in 1815 (HC Deeds Liber HD No. Z, folio 152); also unclear is the meaning of the stream name; 2 Oil Mill Branch mentioned as flowing through Good Prospect property in deeds of 1817 and 1833 in the disposal of the property by the executors of William Foltz (HC Deeds Liber HD No.1, folio 44, and HD No.3, folio 248). No mills are shown in this neighborhood on the 1795 State map by Dennis Griffith, and Island Branch is entirely missing from Herrick's 1858 map of Harford County--on that map, the illustrator apparently ran out of space in the northwest corner of the county and had to compress the western area. Also to be accounted for is the separate Joseph- James Wiley sawmill on Island Branch for which William Wiley, owner of "Still House," bequeathed water privileges to "Joseph Wiley, nephew," in 1846 (HC Wills, TSB No. 6, folio 106). David N. Wiley died in 1868 and left instructions that "my mill property with 20 acres belonging thereto to be sold." Orphans Court Sales, Liber JRE No.1, folio 17, records that the executor sold the mill and water rights to Charles Shroades at public auction in March 1869, but the sale was declared void following a court action instituted by Sarah A. L. Wiley. The executors, Joseph and Matthew Wiley did not convey the mill property until 1881, when they deeded to Charles Shroads "the Mill Property of Matthew Wiley." Shroads conveyed the mill to Matthew Wiley on the same day for the same price (HC Deeds, Liber ALD No. 42, folios 160:106). The 1880 census of manufactures still listed the works as the Matthew Wiley Mill with $2000 capital investment, no employees, 3 run of stones, and a maximum daily output of 50 bushels. All the business was custom work; i.e., everything done on a barter basis. A 22-foot fall of water drove a 15 horsepower overshot wheel 4 feet broad at 20 rpm. Annual output was 200 barrels of flour, 25 tons of buckwheat, and 67 tons of meal, all worth $3767. In 1887, the mill was conveyed by trustee to Joseph B. Payne for $1300. Payne soon died and the court appointed Walter F. Preston to sell the "Wileys Mill Property." The advertisement inserted in the Bel Air Aegis by W. W. Preston before the sale that took place on June 11, 1889, stated: The improvements on this property consist of A GRIST MILL in good order with a large Run of custom. Preston's report to the court stated that he received no bid at the public auction and later disposed of the property at private sale to Isaac Amos for $1400 (HC Equity Records ALJ 39:163). Isaac Amos took title in March 1890. The mill site has remained intact since then, passing to John Amos in 1929. John Amos was the last person to operate the mill. John Amos was born in the mill in 1890. He rebuilt the sluice and installed a steel Fitz water wheel in 1926. He also had a 35-acre farm and operated a store and gas pumps until a new highway bypassed the location. Mr. Amos had four daughters but no son to carry on the business. About 1968 he stopped operating the mill but 3 continued to live there in an upper room. The mill has been listed on State highway maps as a landmark and it appeared on the cover of Maryland Teacher in the November 1957 issue and in Maryland Magazine, Spring 1972, page 22f. Mr. Amos was much interviewed by writers and in early 1965, he showed John McGrain and Terrence F. Coles around the mill. The entire building trembled when all the machinery got into motion. The miller was a long time member of the Fawn Grove Citizens Fire Company. Mr. Amos died at age 82 on December 13, 1972. One of the interviewers reported that Mr. Amos remembered an old song: One hand in the hopper, one in the bag As the wheel goes round, you holler out grab. The Evening Sun answered a reader's inquiry about the mill on April 8, 1975; the article reproduced a photo of the mill taken by A. Aubrey Bodine in 1948 and noted, "The wheel is known as an undershot because the water from nearby Deer Creek pushed the wheel from the bottom"--which is entirely wrong. The article continued quoting: William Whiteford, administrator of Harford County and a resident of Norrisville, who said he believed the mill became inoperative about four or five years ago, "I understand there are still some family members of the Amos family there but I can't give you any details about the mill." A letter to the editor of the Stewartstown, Pa., Record-Advertiser published on February 11, 1976, read as follows: Dear Sir: I viewed with interest the picture of Amos Mill on p. 2 of The Record- Advertiser Jan. 22, 1976. My Grandmother Caskey was born in the room in the Upper level of the building to the right side of the picture. She was born Sarah Ann Wiley, August 8, 1842. Her Mother was Jane Lloyd, the second wife to David Nelson Wiley, the owner of the Mill. Sarah Ann Wiley married Robert Caskey and settled in New Market, now Maryland Line, Md., Baltimore County. My Father was born to them Dec. 30,1880, William C. Caskey. He married Elsie Shearer who now is 90 years old and presently staying with my sister just south of Maryland Line. Yours very truly, Carl W. Caskey Railroad, Pa. On a visit of June 28, 1981, the author noticed that the launder or wooden sluice was caving in. The Amos heirs allowed no one to visit the mill. In September 20, 2001, Al Lintz informed the author that Miss Goldie Amos had died at age 83 the week before. Her nephew was said to be interested in producing a book she had started. 4 Bibliography: See Harford County Directory, 1953, p.