Family and Friends, Joe Jessee has provided this terrific news. The US Department of Interior, Park Service, has declared Jessee's Mill in Russell County to be a National Historic Monument. This follows similar State of Virginia declaration of same last December. Joe sent the press release below to the Lebanon News on May 5, 2005, and the article appeared in the Lebanon News today, Wednesday, May 11, 2005. We will have more to say about all this later via the Jessee List, and in the next Jessee Family Newsletter. This action opens the way to form a non-profit corporation to seek grants and other funding for the acquisition and restoration of Jessee's Mill perhaps as an anchor for a Mill Creek Historic Community someday. It will open other avenues for recognition and support, too. This was the necessary first step to open those doors. Several Jessee Historical Foundation members, Russell County historians and friends did research and gathered the critical information necessary to document the history of Jessee's Mill used in the applications. Most of this body of knowledge and those who contributed to it have been published in the Jessee Website at www.jessee.org and in the Jessee Newsletters over the last decade. Joe Jessee, President of the Jessee Historical Foundation, with support and help from Sherman Wallace the Jessee's Mill owner, has spearheaded this successful effort with the formal State and Federal applications. These recognitions and declarations are historic moments for the Jessee Family, the Mill Creek Community, and Russell County. I offer Joe congratulations and heartfelt thanks. And I thank all those who helped along the way, Jim PRESS RELEASE May 5, 2005 JESSEE'S MILL, A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK The United States Department of the Interior, Park Service, has declared Jessee's Mill in Russell County, Virginia to be a national historic landmark. Prior to this designation the mill was declared a state historical landmark by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Historic Resources. Historical designation applications are first sent to the state office and then if declared eligible by the state, the application for a national designation may be forwarded for consideration to the federal government. Jessee's Mill began operation over two hundred years ago, predating the census and tax records of 1790. The mill was the primary source for ground agricultural products and other trading in the Mill Creek Area. The mill is located on Jessee's Mill Road, State Route 645, north of Route 71, between Lebanon and Cleveland. John Jessee, a first war of independence infantryman and musician, purchased the mill from William Gilmore in 1794. The mill continued mechanical improvement over the years and around 1890 was made into the three story structure which stands today. All of the milling machineries are still in the mill. The mill ceased operations in 1932 during the Great Depression. The mill property is currently owned by Mr. Sherman Wallace of Cleveland. The application was submitted by Joseph Jessee of Lebanon, in cooperation with Mr. Wallace, and Jim Jessee of Chico, California. An historical marker for Jessee's Mill and John Jessee is located on Route 71 about three miles from Lebanon. The state designation was granted in December of 2004 and the federal designation was granted in January of 2005. "Jessee's Mill-PRESS RELEASE-050205" Joseph Jessee, Lebanon, Virginia, 24266-0001, 889-4199.