Gaston's Mill-Lock No. 36, Sandy and Beaver Canal District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gaston's Mill-Lock No. 36, Sandy And Beaver Canal District
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Water wheel at Gaston's Mill
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Clarkson, Ohio |
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| Area | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
| Built | 1834 |
| Architect | Samuel Conkle |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001423 |
| Added to NRHP | May 23, 1974 |
Gaston's Mill and Lock 36 are part of a special historic area in Beaver Creek State Park, Ohio. This area is called the Gaston's Mill-Lock No. 36, Sandy and Beaver Canal District. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site. You can find it about one mile south of Clarkson, Ohio.
Gaston's Mill was built in 1837. It used the power of Little Beaver Creek to grind grains. Lock 36 was one of 90 locks on the Sandy and Beaver Canal. Locks are like water elevators that help boats move up or down between different water levels. Building this canal started in 1834 and finished in 1848.
Today, Gaston's Mill is the only working water-powered grist mill in Columbiana County. It still grinds whole wheat flour, corn meal, and buckwheat flour. The mill was brought back to life starting in 1964. Lock 36 was rebuilt between 1988 and 1991. It shows visitors how canal locks worked long ago.
Contents
The History of Gaston's Mill and Lock 36
Building the Mill and Canal
Samuel Conkle built Gaston's Mill around 1837. It was on land that belonged to his father, Jacob. Samuel took over the land in 1843 after his father passed away. The mill was very busy, grinding many types of grains. These included corn, wheat, oats, and buckwheat.
In 1849, Samuel sold the mill and land to James Gaston. The mill is named after James's son, Philander Gaston. Philander owned the mill for a longer time than anyone else. The mill used water power until 1886. After that, it changed to steam power, then to gasoline. The mill kept working until World War I. At its busiest, it made almost 200 pounds of flour every day.
Lock 36 was one of 90 locks on the Sandy and Beaver Canal. This canal was built between 1828 and 1848. It was a "feeder" canal, meaning it connected to the larger Ohio and Erie Canal. This helped boats travel across Ohio.
Bringing History Back to Life
Restoring the Mill
The Friends of Beaver Creek State Park helped fix up Gaston's Mill. The restoration work began in January 1964. Lorin Cameron led the project to bring the mill back to its original state. During the work, the building was made straight again. Old wood beams in the basement were replaced.
Workers also replaced the mill's outside walls and some of the floors. A new roof was put on the building. The shingles for the roof were made using an old shingle machine from 1857. Most of the large wood timbers and posts in the mill are still the original ones.
Rebuilding Lock 36
The rebuilding of Lock 36 started in 1988 and finished in 1991. The special wooden gates for the lock were built during a workshop at Beaver Creek State Park. The builders, Christian & Son Timber, used tools from the 1800s. They even dressed like craftsmen from that time!
Today, the restored mill and lock are part of Pioneer Village. This village is in Beaver Creek State Park and is open to visitors. The Friends of Beaver Creek State Park run the village.
Why This Place is Special
Gaston's Mill-Lock No. 36, Sandy And Beaver Canal District, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May 1974. It was chosen because it played a big part in history. It also shows how things were built a long time ago.
This district is important because it's rare. In the past, there were six mills along the route from Elkton and Fredericktown. But Gaston's Mill is the only one that is still standing today.
Images for kids
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Lock 36
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Mill race Leading to Gaston's Mill
