{"id":17686,"date":"2014-12-02T12:35:30","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T12:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rootsandrecall.com\/york-county-sc\/?post_type=buildings&p=17686"},"modified":"2024-08-23T11:28:12","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T11:28:12","slug":"mcelwee-or-deas-mill-on-fishing-creek","status":"publish","type":"buildings","link":"https:\/\/www.rootsandrecall.com\/york-county-sc\/buildings\/mcelwee-or-deas-mill-on-fishing-creek\/","title":{"rendered":"McElwee or Deas Grist Mill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yorkville Enquirer<\/em><\/strong>, Thursday, June 27, 1861 –\u00a0N. McElwee resumed position of Postmaster\u00a0at Taylor\u2019s Creek (resigned as Federal Postmaster)<\/b><\/p>\n

Jona. N. McElwee, Jr. resumed his duties as Postmaster at Taylor\u2019s Creek P. O. under the authority of the Confederate Postmaster General.\u00a0 McElwee suspended his work. \u00a0\u201cThe reason of the suspension of the office, was my unwillingness to hold a commission under a Black Republican.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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R&R HISTORY LINK: McElwee’s Trip to Virginia<\/p><\/div>\n

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City Directories and History:<\/strong><\/span> The historic McElwee or Deas Mill was constructed on Fishing Creek, just south of Rock Hill, S.C. to allow the community to take advantage of water power to operate both the cotton gins and grist milling operation of post Civil War redevelopment.\u00a0 Inspection of the old mill reveals the use of an undershot wheel to originally power the mill and was later converted to a turbine powered operation.\u00a0 Construction details and available historic information suggests the mill could date to ca. 1870-80, but there is not sufficient documentation to clarify an exact date of construction.<\/p>\n

Western York County Historian, Mr. J.L. West writes in his article about 1879 – 80: “The county was seeing more mechanization in July, when Jonathan Newman McElwee, Sr.<\/a><\/span> not\u00a0J. N. McElwee<\/span><\/span><\/a> installed a turbine\u00a0water wheel\u00a0at his Bullock\u2019s Creek mill, and a new bolting cloth machine. The mills were under supervision of Joseph Wood, a miller with 30 years experience. The<\/em><\/p>\n

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Image of J.N. McElwee, III – Courtesy of the Rhea Collection – AFLLC<\/p><\/div>\n

following\u00a0November Newton Whitesides, the 18 year old son of Major T. P. Whitesides, broke his leg while operating the bolting machine. McElwee\u2019s competitors, the Herndon Brothers, were upgrading their mill as well. J<\/span>oseph Herndon<\/span><\/a><\/span> installed a turbine water wheel at their mill on Turkey Creek. The brothers were agents for the Farrar Turbine Water wheel.” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

J.N. McElwee of western York County, \u00a0may have also played a part in getting the McElwee’s Fishing Creek mill placed in operation, in conjunction with the younger J.N. McElwee, II of Rock Hill and the Taylor’s Creek Communities. \u00a0It appears the McElwee – Deas mill was placed in operation, using the turbine system, at approximately the same time when the elder McElwee was building the turbine gin on Bullock’s Creek. Mr. McElwee was living near Mt. Holly and wanted to see the area prosper.<\/p>\n

So, no sooner had Mrs. Ann H. White purchased the lands of the late James Miller than sundry citizens of the community, led by a Rock Hill merchant, Jonathan N. McElwee, Jr., petitioned the South Carolina Senate to open a new road from the Rock Hill Depot to the residence\/plantation of Mr. McElwee, located some four or five miles south of Rock Hill (where the present Mount Holly community is now located).\u00a0 This proposed road would have cut across the Miller property aforesaid, and \u201cThe Widow White\u201d was entirely averse to having her new fields and forests invaded by unwelcome travelers.\u00a0 Accordingly, she filed a counter petition with the South Carolina Senate in November, 1853.\u00a0(Along the Landsford Road,<\/em> by Wm. B. White, Jr. Vol., I – 2008)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Rev. Donald Scoggins reported to R&R’s founder, Wade B. Fairey, that the old Jonathan Newman McElwee – Deas Mill on<\/p>\n

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Levy Deas – Ginner, 1933 courtesy of the Hicklin Papers WU Archives, 2023<\/p><\/div>\n

Fishing Creek was owned by his Grandfather, Mr. Levy Deas, who had originally owned the Deas Grocery Store in Rock Hill. He also worked as the yard foreman at the Blue Buckle Mill in Rock Hill prior to moving to Rambo Road to operate the mill. Rev. Scoggins recalled his mother stating she (Niven Deas) and a friend, who lived on the Rambo property across the street, Thelma Porter, often stomped cotton into the baling press at the mill complex.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 12, 1900\u00a0 the Herald reported, “on Wednesday of last week, near McElwee’s Mill, five miles south of Rock Hill, an infant was drowned in Fishing Creek.”<\/p>\n

The Herald reported on Jan. 30, 1901 – “Mr. George Ayers, who is an experienced miller is now in charge of the McElwee Mill.”<\/p>\n

The Herald reported on Nov. 2, 1918 – “Levy Deas and family will return to Rock Hill from Fort Mill. They will occupy a residence on East White Street.” (The 1922 City Directory lists Mr. Deas and his wife, Mittie living at 503 Hutchinson Street and listed his occupation as carpenter at the Blue Buckle Mill.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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McElwee’s Mill on Fishing Creek – All images courtesy of Brian Davis 2014<\/p><\/div>\n

[Another-words, using hydroponic power provided from the turbine mill, cotton was not only ginning but also pressed into bales at the mill. It also provided a hammer mill for feed stock.] Besides operating the grocery, Levy Deas was known for making taffy candy which was sold at his store. His grandson, also stated that his grandfather, had planted many of the historic Willow Oaks, which surrounded the Northside Community in Rock Hill.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Kate J. Hutchison<\/span> <\/a>on March 4, 1935 – “Mr. Deas ginned two bales of cotton.”<\/p>\n

Also see the MORE INFORMATION<\/strong><\/span> link below the primary image for a 1896 map of York County.<\/p>\n

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R&R HISTORY LIINK: Mr. Levy Deas fights the City of Rock Hill – Stephen Turner, Author<\/p><\/div>\n

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R&R HISTORY LINK: the Old Caliham’s or Price’s Mill<\/p><\/div>\n

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R&R HISTORY LINK: The Liddell Company of Charlotte, N.C.<\/p><\/div>\n

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R&R HISTORY LINK: McElwee’s Mill (on Bullock’s Creek) becomes a P.O. site.<\/p><\/div>\n

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R&R HISTORY LINK: The J. N. McElwee upgrades equipment at his Bullock’s Creek Mill.<\/p><\/div>\n

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R&R HISTORY LINK: The J. N. McElwee – Mt. Holly Community<\/p><\/div>\n

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R&R HISTORY LINK: RAMBO FAMILY AND HOUSE<\/p><\/div>\n

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R&R HISTORY LINK: MANCHESTER COTTON MILL<\/p><\/div>\n

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Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public<\/em><\/p>\n

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Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.
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DEAS MILL IMAGE GALLERY – 2018<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t\t