Adams Mills, Ohio facts for kids

Adams Mills is a small, quiet community in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. It's not a big city but a place where people live, located on Ohio State Route 16, about four miles northeast of Dresden, Ohio. In the early 1900s, it was mostly a stop for groceries. This community grew around a flour mill built by the Adams brothers in the 1830s.

A Look Back at Adams Mills

How Adams Mills Started

The village of Adams Mills began because of a flour mill. This mill was built by two brothers, George Willison Adams and Edward Adams. It was located right by the Ohio and Erie Canal locks. These locks were like water elevators that helped canal boats move up and down hills.

The mill itself was moved in the early 1900s to a nearby town called Dresden. There, it was used to grind animal feed until it sadly burned down on February 12, 2009. Around the 1840s, the Adams brothers bought the land near their mill. They gave this land to their employees for free so they could build homes. This helped the community grow.

Past Services and Nearby Places

Even though Adams Mills isn't an official town, it used to have its own post office. This post office was open from 1944 to 1990. The same person, G.H. Billman, was the postmaster for all 46 years! The old post office building is still there today, but it's now a home.

Across the railroad tracks from Adams Mills is another small community called Preston. Preston used to have its own school, which is also now a home. Today, only about 15 homes are located there.

Munro Basin's Role

Along State Route 16, you'll find a place called Munro Basin. Back when canals were the main way to travel and move goods, this basin was very important. It was a spot where canal boats could stop, rest, or even turn around.

Old Buildings in Adams Mills

Adams Mills is home to some interesting old buildings from the 1800s:

• The Edward Adams House (built around 1841)
• Madison Presbyterian Church (built in 1882)

Madison Presbyterian Church History

The Madison Presbyterian Church is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was started in 1837 by people who lived north of Dresden. They wanted their own church closer to home. The first church building was made of wood and was located across the Muskingum River.

A few years later, the church moved to a small hill in the growing village of Adams Mills. Another wooden church was built there. As Adams Mills became busier because of the Ohio and Erie Canal, the community became richer. This allowed them to build a new, stronger church made of brick in 1882. The beautiful stained-glass windows for the church came all the way from the Marshall Brothers Company in Pennsylvania.

Historic Structures

You can still see parts of the old Ohio and Erie Canal in Adams Mills. The remains of locks 28 and 29 are located on the north side of State Route 16. These locks are on either side of the town. The ditch where the canal boats used to travel is still visible today!

Education in Adams Mills

Children living in Adams Mills go to school in the Tri-Valley Local School District. This means they attend elementary, middle, and high school in nearby Dresden, Ohio. Before the schools were combined into one district, Adams Mills actually had two different school buildings right in town.

Images for kids

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  Location of Adams Mills, Ohio