Yesterday (November 19), the Susquehanna Ramblers invited me to visit the ruins of an old mill site down in the south-east corner of Peach Bottom Township, York County. This time of year is ideal for these kinds of treks because the normally dense underbrush has died back enough to make it easier to see the ruins. This site was especially interesting to me because it does not appear on any of the other lists of York County mills.
The mill was located along Michael Run less than a mile from the Susquehanna Canal. The 1860 map of York County shows a sawmill near this location but does not show a name. The 1876 Atlas (see below) lists the location as E. B. & S. P. Cooper but does not indicate a mill.
Here is how the site appeared yesterday.
It’s a shame that people view these sites as places to dump trash. In any case, we found the remains of a burr stone in the ruins giving confirmation that this did serve as a grist mill sometime during its operational life. A quick search of county deeds shows there was an Evan B. Cooper who owned land in Peach Bottom Township during the 19th century but no indication of a mill. Perhaps more research will turn up a link.