Someone's Lunch
Mingus Creek Trail is situated in the area of a former community. Before you even step on the trail, a side trail leads a short distance from the parking area to a slave cemetery with unmarked stones. The grave below is from another cemetery on a side trail about a mile from the trail head.
The trail passes through the site of a former CCC camp. Remains of its water supply are evident in the creek. The trail finally moves away from the creek and rises to a gap and junction with other trails. Heading back, I made the obligatory visit to Mingus Mill. Built in 1886, the mill was one of the first buildings in the park to be restored.
A ladder leads up to a water diversion gate
The sluice carries water from the creek
This mill was modern in 1886. To generate power, water was diverted to mill in a sluice. However, rather than have the water spill out of the sluice to turn a waterwheel, the sluice spills water into a tall water tower of sorts. The pressure created by the water in the tower, turned a turbine at ground level. The turbine has a shaft attached to it which turns a belt. The belt can be used to turn 3 shafts, all utilizing a crude clutch. The 3 shafts would have been used to run various fans and machinery on the 2nd and 3rd floors as well as two stones. One for grinding wheat and other for corn. The hard stones needed to grind wheat came from France and were ordered 2 years in advance of the mill being built. Corn grinding stones were cut nearby in the Raven Fork quarry.
A wooden sluice narrows as it approaches the mill
The builder's initials
Turbine operated by water pressure
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