Back in March 2015 I wrote about the first flour mill built in Lassen County at Milford. As promised, I would follow up with the other ones. The second mill was constructed in the spring of 1864 near Johnstonville, approximately where the defunct Gables is located. The machinery came from a mill located on Cow Creek, Shasta County, which belonged to John Briceland. The operation was leased to various individuals and it was not until the 1870s that stability of the ownership came to be. In 1875, William Hall and Henry Snyder became partners and remained until it closed.
In 1907, Snyder desired to retire and move to a milder climate. Hall purchased Snyder’s interest, but he too, decided to retire and by 1908, the mill shut down. The mill sat idle for over a decade, and in 1919, as part of the liquidation of Hall’s Estate the mill was sold to M.A. Taylor of Oakland. Taylor attempted to sale it, but there was no interest. He gutted the machinery and took it to the Bay area. Sam Alexander of Standish, salvaged some of the lumber from the building which he used to build a barn at his place.
Good story Tim. I often wondered about the history of this mill. Thanks.
The struggles of yesterday have ‘paved the road.’