Red River was not only the nation’s largest electrical sawmill, it also built one of the largest millponds, in which several people met an untimely end in it. During the afternoon of July 29, 1914,  19-year-old, Willard Pierce was fishing where Robbers Creek entered the millpond. Others the vicinity were swimming and later left.  Later in the day, John Jeffreys discovered Pierce’s body face down in about three inches of water. Jeffreys and Charles Phelan pulled him out of the water, and attempted to resuscitate to no avail. During the Coroner’s Inquest it was revealed that last year Pierce was swimming in the millpond with friends. After swimming, Pierce had a fainting spell and collapsed for no apparent reason. It was presumed that he must have had a spell causing him to fall into the water resulting in an accidental drowning.

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