Clary Mill Tour

[James Patten]

I realize many are traveling today, however I thought I would post this to gauge interest here.  I'll also be polling people this weekend.

Jeff Schumaker has been in contact with the owner of Clary's Mill in North Whitefield regarding an open house, and has asked me to arrange (while Jeff travels today).  The owner is willing to do so.  He'll be in on Sunday, so I propose a Sunday afternoon tour of the mill site, perhaps at 3 PM or so, once work is done.  Is there any interest?

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

Please enlighten those of us who don't know what Clary's Mill is.

[John Kokas]

I would be definitely interested.  What a cool place for a future northern terminus. (just dreaming out loud)  Correct me if I'm wrong, isn't this a state historic site now?

[Stephen Hussar]

They were seeking National Register status, not sure if that came to pass or not...

Stephen

[James Patten]

Clary's Mill was serviced by the WW&F during its operating days.  It's located at the end of Clary Lake, in Whitefield.  It's just north of the town of North Whitefield, on Rt 218, where the WW&F ROW crosses 218 on its way to Weeks Mills.

The mill building and dam still stands.  There's been several attempts at reuse in the last several years.

[Jeff Schumaker]

They were seeking National Register status, not sure if that came to pass or not...

Stephen

I believe they received it. I have a pdf of the application, which I found online somewhere. It contains some neat photos.

I also found some movie clips of mill operations in 1950.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKYVroG2zZ0

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p312FJ8zm2s

Jeff Schumaker

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

Very interesting film. OSHA would have been horrified, but who cares?

[Bill Fortier]

Very interesting film. OSHA would have been horrified, but who cares?

Ah, the OSHA reference reminds me of a conversation I had with someone who had worked in a mill in or around Bridgewater, MA until it closed. This was one of those shaft-and-belt setups and the speed changes on the machines were accomplished on-the-fly with a broom handle to the belt in question. When an OSHA inspector saw the open belts it resulted in guards being applied to same. That's when the belt-related injuries began.

[Paul Kelley]

Dear WW&F Members,

I'm the fellow who helped place the historic Clary Mill on the National Register (we were in fact successful), and I've been coordinating with James and Jeff about arranging a tour of the mill on Sunday. I just found this thread (thanks Jeff!), and would like to personally extend an invitation to any WW&F member who might have interest in a tour.

The current mill was built by Henry Clary c. 1896, and I believe he was both interested in the site and encouraged about its prospects based on the significant talk and activity surrounding the expansion of markets brought about by railroads such as the WW&F. The railway actually crossed the current mill site via a trestle over Pleasant Pond Brook (which was dammed to form Clary Lake) and there is a photo of the entire site showing the main rail line. in addition, the mill was served by a spur off the main rail line, and we have an additional photo of the small gauge running down to the side of the mill.

In addition to carrying away lumber from the mill, we believe the railroad was instrumental in bringing essential material TO the mill, such as the three foot diameter cast iron penstock (delivered in approximate 10' lengths and riveted together to run from the front millpond to the rear powerhouse). The penstock greatly expanded the hydromechanical capacity of the mill, and was used as recently as the 1980's in a hydroelectric set-up.

I know our efforts at historic research and preservation of the mill barely scratched the surface of the interaction between the mill and the WW&F, and I know the mill would be genuinely interested in sharing what it knows, and hearing about your efforts in preservation/re-creation of your facilities.

So, consider yourself invited, and please contact James or Jeff if you want to tag along on Sunday. Best regards, and good luck this weekend.

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

Would it be possible at some point to lay a short bit of track at the old mill site, much as has been done up at Albion?

I say this without knowing what is at the site today or what future plans might be.  Just a thought.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

The tour went well. About 10 people went and we had the chance to look through all 5 levels of the mill.  The ground level that you enter from the road is wide open, 85X32' with ships knees holding the cross beams.  Iron rods that come down from the roof hold the floors in place.  This allowed for no posts.  There isn't much left of the saw mill equipment except for some parts of the line and shaft system.  The penstock is intact and has had repairs to the pipe through the years.  Paul told us that there was an attempt to generate power at the site back in the 1980's and some of that equipment is intact.  He showed us a bunch of photos of the mill from years ago.  One showed the complex from atop the hill to the north.  The view showed the WW&F mainline going straight through from along the pond, across the road and down into the woods.  Another view shows track by the mill (to the left as you look in from the road).  The track is a broad gauge mill tram with rails that may have crossed the road to the drying/shipping lot.  The drying lot was bordered by the WW&F and at one time there was a siding into the lot.  We don't know if the siding ever crossed the road going towards the mills.  It probably didn't since the mill had their own mill tram line.  It's hard to tell from the photo if the trams rails are made of iron or wooden.

The mill has some interesting items inside.  One was a milk can with 9 on the shoulder meaning it was shipped from Head Tide.

Stewart 

[Stephen Hussar]

Thanks, Stewart...wish I could have stayed later on Sunday and gone along on the tour!

Stephen

[Jeff Schumaker]

Hopefully, future tours can be organized so other members can see the mill.

Jeff Schumaker

[Jeff Schumaker]

I looked through Jone's book on the WW&F, particularly the track map sketches done by Linwood Moody. It shows a siding at Clary Mill that does not cross Rt. 218.

Jeff Schumaker

[Dale Reynolds]

how about an organized tour sometime during the annual picnic weekend, when many people from away, like me, will be there? dale