Jerry, You are correct, I misunderstood. I believe Cravens Mill was mentioned in John Van Hoose's diary. Thanks David ----- Original Message ----- From: Jerry W. Murphy <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2004 3:26 PM Subject: Re: [TNWAYNE] Cravens Mills > David, > > I believe you read the following and thought it meant Martin's Mills and > Lutts were the same when actually it's saying the road went through Martin's > Mills and the place that later became Lutts. > > "From the Beckham Hollow is followed the course of Weatherford Creek through > Martin's Mills, present-day Lutts, all the way up the creek to the ridge at > Cypress Inn." > > Martin's Mills is located between Houston and Lutts. > > > Jerry W. Murphy > [email protected] > Jerry's Homepage: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jwmurphy/ > Rootsweb List Administrator: ALFRANKL-L, TNHARDIN-L, TNWASHIN-L, TNWAYNE-L > BRATTON-L, CAVENDER-L, COCHRAN-L, HAFLEY-L, PATTERSON-L, SOWERBY-L > Wayne County, Tennessee Co-County Coordinator: http://www.netease.net/wayne > Wayne County Computer Club: http://www.netease.net/waccc > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Cagle" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2004 2:18 PM > Subject: Re: [TNWAYNE] Cravens Mills > > > > Edgar, > > Thanks for the history lesson. Very interesting. I knew of Cravens Mill, > > but did not know that it was the same as Martins Mill. I have a question. > > Where exactly was Martins Mill etc.? I note you said it was modern day > > Lutts. A topo map I have shows the place located on the road about half > > way form Houston to what I call Lutts today. I guess that would be > > considered Lutts community????? > > > > Another small point. I think Hamburg was about the upper end of the > > Tennessee River traffic in extreme dry weather. I guess Carrollsville was > > established before Hamburg was thought of ? I spent most of yesterday at > > Carrollsville. I am going to lay out some river lots at the old town > site. > > > > Last thing. I have obtained a copy of the civil war diary of Dr. John Van > > Hoose of the "Hardin County Yankee Hunters" and later the First > Confederate > > cavalry. > > There is not a great amount of information in the diary except that he > gave > > the location of the unit almost every day for about a year leading up to > the > > battle of Chickamauga. I am surprised that they crisscrossed Wayne and > > Hardin counties several times and spent a lot of their time in this area > > when I thought they were in Middle & East Tennessee. I don't think that > > Bert Hays was with the unit at the time, but that does give an explanation > > why he might be here. > > I intend to eventually publish the diary in the "Hardin County Historian." > > David > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Edgar D. Byler, III <[email protected]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2004 8:41 AM > > Subject: Re: [TNWAYNE] Cravens Mills > > > > > > > Clay, > > > > > > I'm also sending this to the list as I think it would help a lot of > > people. > > > > > > Cravens Mills was in the same location as what was later called Martin's > > > Mills. > > > > > > The original name of the area, actually a post village, was > Liddensville. > > It > > > was established by Benjamin Lidden as a post office and mill in 1829. > > > > > > Avery Craven became the owner of the mills and in the 1840's a new post > > > office was created under the name Cravens Mills. William J. Strayhorn, > > Jr. > > > of Maury Co., TN bought out the mills in 1854, but the name continued as > > > Cravens Mills until the mills were bought by Edwin B. Martin shortly > > before > > > the Civil war. However, the area was still known as Cravens Mills until > > > later when the post office was re-established after the war (1875) with > > > Edwin B. Martin as the postmaster. > > > > > > There is an interesting story about the burning of the Cravens (Martins) > > > Mills in 1863 during the Civil War. A union unit under the command of > > Capt. > > > Carmichael was sent from Clifton to destroy the mills and to round up > > > Confederates in the area. A Confederate group, under the command of > Capt. > > W. > > > B. "Bert" Hayes reportedly was sent to protect the mills. When the two > > > groups met, a small battle (skirmish) ensued and Hayes lost the day, > > > retreating back to Hardin County. Carmichael set the mills ablaze and > also > > > burned all the surrounding fields of corn and wheat. > > > > > > It is said that Hayes' sent a scout ahead to warn the people of the area > > > that Union forces were approaching intent on burning the mills. People > > from > > > the Houston area to what would later be called Lutts rushed to the mills > > and > > > loaded up all the flour and meal that could salvage. Several women > filled > > > their aprons with flour. One story I heard reported that a woman > > (Catherine > > > Banks) and her children all ran as fast as they could to the warehouse > by > > > the mill and filled up whatever container they had with all the flour > and > > > corn meal the could carry. > > > > > > The mills were rebuilt by Edwin B. Martin following the war. The mills > > both > > > prior to the war and afterwards consisted of a flour mill, corn mill, > > cotton > > > gin, and sawmill. It is reported there was also a spinning mill and > power > > > loom in operation there prior to the war, but I have no proof of that. > > > > > > I don't know if it existed prior to the war, but afterwards the village > of > > > Martins Mills was actually laid out in streets and lots. > > > > > > None of that remains today. Even the last vestiges of the dams has been > > > removed by the Department of Conservation in their efforts to "improve" > > > Weatherford Creek. > > > > > > Benjamin Lidden left Wayne County shortly after 1830 moving to > > Mississippi. > > > I have not been able to locate Avery Craven after 1850. > > > > > > A detailed article on the Edwin B. Martin family and the mills was > > published > > > in the "Historian" several years ago. > > > > > > It is also important to note that Liddensville/Cravens Mills/Martins > Mills > > > was located on an extremely important road - The Carrollville - Florence > > > Road. This road was established in 1820 and was the primary > > transportation > > > route between Florence, Alabama and Carrollville, Tennessee between 1820 > > and > > > 1836. The route was important because boats could not ascend or descend > > the > > > Tennessee river between Carrollville (Clifton) and Florence during dry > > > weather. Most business houses in Florence transported their goods to > and > > > fro overland between Florence and Carrollville during dry weather. The > > route > > > of the Carrollville - Florence Road ran from Carrollville almost along > the > > > route of TN 114 south, crossing the ridge between Hardin and Indian > creeks > > > at the head of the Beckham Hollow. From the Beckham Hollow is followed > the > > > course of Weatherford Creek through Martins Mills, present-day Lutts, > all > > > the way up the creek to the ridge at Cypress Inn. At Cypress Inn, it > > crossed > > > Big Cypress Creek on one of the major bridges in the county prior to the > > > civil war (this bridge was burned in 1863 by Federal forces) and > continued > > > south to Florence basically along the route of AL 157 today. > > > > > > The firm of Simpson Brothers of Florence AL (Hugh and James Simpson) had > a > > > large warehouse in Carrollville as early as 1824, and James Irving of > > > Florence also had either an office or a warehouse in Carrollville in the > > > 1830's. > > > > > > Edgar > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Clay Daniels" <[email protected]> > > > To: <[email protected]> > > > Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2004 4:44 AM > > > Subject: [TNWAYNE] Cravens Mills > > > > > > > > > > Where is, or was, Cravens Mills? > > > > > > > > I've got a pretty good map, and I do find Martins Mills north of Lutts > > on > > > > Weatherford Creek, but I can't seem to locate Cravens Mills. I have > been > > > led > > > > to believe Cravens Mills is near Lutts, but do not find it on the map. > > Any > > > > suggestions? > > > > > > > > Clay Daniels > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== TNWAYNE Mailing List ==== > > > > Visit the Wayne County, Tennessee Genealogy and History Page at > > > > http://www.netease.net/wayne > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== TNWAYNE Mailing List ==== > > > Visit the Wayne County, Tennessee Genealogy and History Page at > > > http://www.netease.net/wayne > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== TNWAYNE Mailing List ==== > > Visit the Wayne County, Tennessee Genealogy and History Page at > > http://www.netease.net/wayne > > > > > > > ==== TNWAYNE Mailing List ==== > Visit the Wayne County, Tennessee Genealogy and History Page at > http://www.netease.net/wayne > >