Logan County Genealogical & Historical Society explores the history of Rankin Mill and Rock House at Rocky Ford
Receives gift of Rankin Mill model from the Wilham Family

 

[October 25, 2021] 

At the October meeting of the Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society member Diane Osborn presented a history of the Rankin Mill, while Gary Freese presented the history of Rock House at Rocky Ford.

The Rankin Mill was built in the 1830s and is now gone. However, the structure lives on through a tabletop model donated to the society by the Lawrence Wilham family of Mount Pulaski. Lawrence made the model. On Monday, October 18th, his son Kevin was at the society meeting to present the model as a gift.

History of Rankin Mill

Construction on Rankin’s Mill was likely begun in the 1830’s, some 20 years before Lincoln was platted.

The Mill was located on Salt Creek at Rocky Ford near the now vanished paper town of Albany. Both the Mill and Albany were located on property which was surveyed by chain and tripod and platted by Abraham Lincoln. And, the Mill was built during Lincoln’s lifetime.

At the time the Mill was built, it was the intent for it to be the nucleus for the new town. It was the first industry in Logan County.

The Mill’s legal address was the northwest quarter of Section 7, Township 19, Range 3 west, which would put it in Broadwell Township about five to seven miles southwest of Lincoln.

When it was beginning to be washed into Salt Creek by the flooding of 1911, it was considered the oldest Mill in Central Illinois.

The land upon which Rankin’s Mill was built was originally entered as government land by William Glenn on Aug. 12, 1829.

In 1833, it passed into the hands of Nicholas Sintz. Upon his death, it went to his heirs.

In 1845, it was purchased by Jonathan Myers, who erected the Mill. It was built by Alexander Samples and Jesse Spencer.

A few months later, it passed into the hands of Ezra Myers, who deeded it to Leo W. Myers, the one-time surveyor of Rocky Ford.

Myers sold the Mill to Edmund Rankin in 1851. By 1911 Rankin heirs owned the property.

The Rankin Mill, which was considered to be strongly constructed, was never built and finished by any one person.

Peter Sentz laid the foundation, and Ezra Myers and John Champion placed the burrs, which were known as, “Lost rocks or Niggerheads,” Rankin later completed the Mill.

Upon acquisition, Rankin made extensive improvements to the Mill.

The stone dam across Rocky Ford was raised and strengthened, sending a great volume of water against the huge wooded water wheel, which generated the power for grinding the grist.

The burrs, immense boulders found in the vicinity of the Mill, with a weight of about 2,100 pounds each, were shaped for crushing grain.

Also introduced was the bolting cloth—known as a great improvement to the art of milling. The water power also operated a saw mill.

Total cost of these improvements was $20,000.

David Haines was the first miller. The Mill was a busy place in its heyday, and required three millers when run steady day and night. Often times twelve and fifteen teams were waiting for their grist.

At an old Settlers Reunion in Lincoln in 1885, Rankin proclaimed his familiarity with water in general and with Salt Creek, declaring he had, “Swam every river from Philadelphia to the Mississippi.”

L to R: Diane Osborn, Kevin Wilham and Gary Freese

In addition to furnishing flour and meal, the Mill was noted for fish, as many as 800 pounds being caught in one night—the largest weighing 92 pounds.

The Mill was a popular place for teamsters who would bring their lunch baskets and stay all night. It was also a popular gathering spot for farm families.

One account tells of a family invited to a Fish Fry at the Mill with each family bringing a basket dinner.

For about 30 years the Mill ground to its capacity. As the road and limestone ford were located on the main traveled way, it became famed to travelers.

It was reported during the Civil War that some of its clapboards were loosening and the Mill’s days of usefulness were nearly gone.

According to a newspaper report dated Oct. 2, 1911, “The last vestige of The Mill is now gone.” The article also noted, “Sentiment which hovered about its ruins gave inspiration to poets.” And it was reported by 1911, “The weather beaten clapboard had turned into mere driftwood.”

Contrary to these statements, a photo in Paul Gleason’s Lincoln: A Pictorial History, shows a photo of Rankin’s Mill, dated 1929. Several attendees of the LCGHS program on the Mill informed they had seen remnants of the Mill during their early years.

The Mill was considered the last noted landmark of the pioneer days.

History of Rock House at Rocky Ford

Another historic site at Rocky Ford was the old Rock House, the only building of its time located at Albany. It was to have been the Railroad Station.

The old Rock House was first used as a grocery store and saloon. The house was built by an old stone mason from Ireland. It was constructed piece by piece from a neighboring quarry. Abraham Lincoln used to stay there when he was running for circuit judge.

The first tenant in the stone house was a man by the name of Bigelow, who dispensed drams of whiskey to the countryside. One of the first occupants of the home went by the family name of Fulk. Later, the Rocky Ford ferryman Johnny Myers lived there with his wife.

Nonnie Loveless, her brother, Wayne Skelton, and their family moved into the stone house in 1944 or 1945 right after World War II. She was six or seven years old at the time.
 

Loveless said she had always been told the house had been used as a stop on the underground railroad. “It was just an empty house when we moved in.” There were two rooms on the first floor and two on the second floor. It had a dirt cellar underneath, where the still had been located.

“In the basement the dirt was not dug all the way to the wall. There was a hollow down there, maybe waist high, with board over the top.” The hollow is believed to have been used as a jail by the saloon keeper, who had a ladder which could be raised or lowered upon request.

Loveless said her family used the space to store salted meat and potatoes, but,“People could have been hidden there.” There was also an outside cellar. The Rock House had a secret compartment between the first and second floors where things could be hidden.

Loveless resided in the stone house until she got married in 1954. Her parents continued to reside there until 1957 or 1958. The house did not get electricity until 1955. The walls were 13 inches thick, and Howard, Loveless’ husband, had to build a special drill to bore into the walls.

After the Skelton Family moved from the house, it was dismantled.

Jean Rankin Anderson, and her father, the late Paul Rankin of Lincoln, are descendants of Edmund Rankin, who owned the Mill at Rocky Ford. The family rejects the Underground Railroad connection to the house, but Paul Rankin has confirmed that Lincoln was definitely in the vicinity. He stated, “There was a stump in the field where my great-grandfather and Abe Lincoln would meet and talk.”

The David Rankin home is the only one of the original Rocky Ford houses to remain standing.

[Diane Osborn]