Little River Dam and Park facts for kids
Little River Dam and Park (also called Jaycee Park) is a small park and dam located along the Little River in the town of Zebulon, North Carolina. It's a great spot to learn about local history and enjoy nature.
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History of the Mill and Dam
The exact year when Foster's Grist and Sawmill was first built at this spot is not known. A gristmill grinds grain into flour, and a sawmill cuts timber into lumber. In August 1868, A. J. Foster sold the mill and 53 acres of land for $2500 to William C. Moore. After this, the mill became known as Moore's Mill.
Mr. Moore and his wife ran the mill through the late 1800s. The mill was used for many things, including hosting visitors overnight and providing meals. For example, in 1882, a newly married couple, Oscar Larkin and Ellie Beckwith Stringfield, stayed at Moore's Mill.
“We got to Raleigh about 9:00 and were met by a man from Mr. W.C. Moore’s who had brought a nice horse and buggy for us to drive to Mr. Moore’s where we were invited to take our wedding dinner. We arrived at 1:00 before Mrs. Moore was ready for us, but Mr. Moore met us and made us welcome. This was 4 miles from Wakefield (two miles north of Zebulon) where we were to live. We spent the night and next day went to Wakefield to meet Mrs. Kemp with whom we were to board[.]”
Moore's Mill also served as the local post office starting in 1874. Postmaster Nancy N. Liles managed the post office. Local farmers and merchants would pick up their mail there, which arrived by pony express. The post office moved in 1888, but records show farmers still got mail at the mill as late as 1896. Mr. Moore passed away in 1913, and the mill was sold.
Powering the Community
Around the mid-1910s, the mill started providing electricity to the community. It used a generator powered by a 12-cylinder Cadillac engine. This generator provided power on Fridays and Saturdays. Later, Zebulon had 36 street lights, all powered by the mill and a nearby electric power plant. Sadly, the power plant was washed away during a flood in 1919.
The town of Zebulon took ownership of the mill and its land in 1923. The mill was later sold to Dave Privette, who owned it until it likely burned down in the 1950s. In 1963, the town of Zebulon built a water filtration plant near the park, which is still there today.
The Park's Story
The park was first built in the 1970s on a three-acre piece of land. It was originally called Jaycee Park. Over time, the park was not used much and was left alone by the Zebulon town parks department. However, in 1985, a citizen named John Middleswarth began working to restore the park. About five years later, Zebulon's park system officially took over the park, and it became known as Little River Park.
Damage and Repairs Over Time
The dam has been damaged and fixed many times throughout its history. A big flood in 1919 destroyed the power equipment at the dam. Graffiti found on stones that were once underwater suggests another flood happened on March 10, 1928.
More recently, hurricanes have caused a lot of damage. Hurricanes in 1996, 1999, and Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, all caused flood damage. The damage from Hurricane Matthew has not yet been repaired.
Future Plans for the Dam
In January, the Zebulon town commission decided not to use FEMA money to rebuild the dam. Instead, they have proposed a plan to restore the streambank. This means they would return the river to its natural state before the dam was built and remove the old dam structures. Some of the money would also be used to add new parts to the park and create trails along the river. As of April 4, 2018, the town commission is still waiting for approval for this streambank revitalization project.
