From "History of Villages - People - Places in Eastern Holmes County" by Clarence Troyer, 1975 Pages 116-119 The 113 Year Old Wool Mill Still Stands When I wrote the story of Troyer's Hollow, I discovered that it was originally called Aultman's Hollow because of the wool mill, saw mill, grist mill and other activities of the Aultman clan. I stated that the equipment of the wool mill was moved 5 miles down Doughty Creek between Beck's Mills and Clark and there a new building was erected, and that John Miller of Berlin now owns the building. I decided that I would like to do more research on this old wool building. I discovered that John goes down to his farm every day to take care of his stock and so I asked him to go along with him some day. I asked Ralph Aling to go along since he is an authority on wool mill equipment. INTERESTING PLACES ALONG THE WAY On a beautiful day in January, Ralph and I got into John's jeep and away we went up and down the hills. I was glad that John drove because I would have lost myself if I had tried to find the place by the route that he took. Then, too, up and down some of those hills the roads are not improved and full of chuck holes. I sat on edge part of the time expecting to land in a ditch at any time, but John had full control of his jeep. The road took us through Saltillo, a place that I had heard about but had never been there. (This hamlet is one of my stories some time later). The road also took us past Mitchell's Hollow, later called Close Hollow. The old Mitchell house is still standing, but vandals have played havoc with the place. THE "BIG ROCK" Harry Logsdon, in his book "The Silent Streams" states, "The Big Rock stands like a mute sentinel to all the historic past." The rock is located in "Lower Doughty" near the creek on what used to be the George Aultman farm, now owned by John Miller. This rock was much larger than it is part of it had to be removed because of the road leading past it. Some people used to call it "Devil's Rock" because of the fear they had of Indians hiding behind it. It was close to this rock where George Carpenter, on his return from visiting his brother, was confronted by a big black bear. He succeeded in killing it, and with the help of his sons, carried it to his home about a mile up the valley. If this rock could talk, it would talk about the Indians hunting close by since this definitely was Indian territory. It could also tell about the midnight riders carrying the runaway slaves to their next "station" in what used to be called the "Underground Railroad." There were houses in this area that served as quarters for these slaves on their way to freedom. THE OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE The first public school building to be erected in the area of "Lower Doughty" was on the south side of the "Big Rock" on the right side of the road leading down the valley on ground then owned by George Aultman. One can still see where the old log school house stood by the stones from the original foundation. This building, according to Harry Logsdon, was approximately 24' x 18' (feet) and was started in the late 1820's. After serving the community for two decades, it was burned to the ground. A NEW SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED In 1903, a new school was built near the "Big Rock" on the left hand side of the road leading down the valley opposite the site of the old original log school building. It is interesting to note that this building was divided the long way into two parts having the first high school in Mechanic township in one part and the elementary grades in the other part. This was a third grade high school. Two of the teachers who taught in this high school were Frank Maple and James Miller brother of Roy Miller, both of Berlin. Dwight Harbaugh was the teacher in the elementary department. Mrs. James Aultman Graham and Floyd Aultman, Millersburg, Ohio, informed me that they attended this high school while Mr. James Miller was the teacher. They remember Mr. Miller not only as a very good teacher, but also as a good disciplinarian. Among the subjects taught in this high school were Latin, English, physical geography, general science, physics and even bookkeeping. In this school the one teacher taught all the subjects. In these days, teachers in most of the high schools teach in one particular field such as English, science, math etc. A teacher in that day had to be qualified to teach all the subjects in the curriculum. That building was still standing when John Miller bought the Aultman farm. He stated that the structure of the building was still in quite good condition, and he had visions of restoring it. However, one night vandals burned it to the ground. A real old landmark went up in flames. We next came to the place where the Aultman mill, built in 1862, stands. Ralph Aling and I went through the old building looking at the machinery still in there. Before I get to this subject, I want to go into the background of the Aultman wool mill in the Doughty glens which led to the building of the mill in the "Lower Doughty" valley. THE AULTMANS IN THE DOUGHTY GLENS It is not the purpose of this article to go into any great detail regarding the genealogy of the Aultmans. If you are interested in the ancestry of George [R.] and Margaret (Conrad) Aultman and a record of their descendants, contact Floyd Aultman, 103 North Monroe, Millersburg, Ohio {note: he died some years after this was written}. I have a copy of the booklet that he wrote and find it very informative. The Aultman family traces its ancestry to William Aultman who was born in the Province of Alsace Lorraine, Germany in 1744, later emigrating to the coast of Virginia, and still later to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. A son, John and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to the present town of Strasburg in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. The Aultman mill dates back to the 1830's when Isaac Aultman, the son of John Aultman, and his wife Nancy left the Strasburg area and moved to the Doughty Glens. To the average observer, this was a questionable move because of the contour of the land around Strasburg compared to the gorge-like ravine of the Doughty Glens. However, Mr. Aultman saw the possibility of the water power afforded by the Doughty Creek. He purchased a 40 acre tract of land from Henry Miller for $175. Later, he also paid $62 for a nearby water-right over which the water from the Doughty Creek was carried through a mill race to his mills. Mr. Isaac Aultman first erected a dwelling house in the early 1830's, and also the first saw mill, grist mill and mill dam for water power. THE ORIGINAL WOOL MILL WAS BUILT In 1840, Isaac Aultman began improving another water-right a quarter of a mile down stream where he began building the original Aultman wool mill. It stood on the west side of Doughty Creek where many years ago, Fred Ledrich's repair shop and house was located. It was around 1845 when machinery was installed and the manufacture of woolens was actually begun. The Aultmans' sons, George, John, Joshua and Elijah, as well as his sons-in-law, all helped father Isaac build and operate the wool mill, grist mill, store and blacksmith shop during the period from the 1830's to 1860. No wonder this was originally called Aultman's Hollow. THE WOOL MILL MOVED TO ITS PRESENT LOCATION In 1852, the Aultman family set up in Doughty Glens began to weaken. This was brought on by the Aultman family breaking up and moving to other locations. Sons John and Joshua moved to Iowa in 1854. All but the youngest son, Elijah, left. Father Isaac, Elijah, and a Mr. Detweiler kept the wool mills, saw mill and other projects going until 1862 when they sold the grist, mill and saw mill to Yoder and Eash and the wool mill to George Aultman who moved the wool mill equipment to the Conrad tract where he built a new building to house the wool mill equipment. This was 5 miles down Doughty Creek between Beck's Mill and Bloomfield (Clark). The reason for moving the wool business to the Conrad Tract was that Mrs. George Aultman's wife Polly (Conrad) Aultman, inherited from John Jacob Conrad a tract of land in military lots 15 and 16 in Mechanic township. Thus, it was on this land that this new mill was built in 1862. Albert Aultman joined his father here in the manufacture, sale and delivery of woolen goods under the firm name of G.R. Aultman and Son. Mrs. Graham (Hazel Aultman), still remembers seeing her father, Albert, going through the country in his horse drawn van loaded with products made in the wool mill to sell to the people. The mill originally was run by water power. Some time later, a large boiler was installed to run the machinery by steam. This was done because of the uncertainty of water power at times during the year, and also because of the floods that would damage the dam. It was damage to the dam that put an end to the saw mill business. THE MILL AND EQUIPMENT ABANDONED The Aultmans, George and Albert, continued to operate the wool mill until approximately the year 1900. It was during the last years of operation that it became increasingly difficult to meet the competition of the larger mills. This was, in part, because the larger mills were able to produce the products faster. However, there was another reason, and that was because the larger mills produced inferior products. As a result of these reasons, they were able to sell their products cheaper. Rather than to compete on that basis, the mill was closed. MR. & MRS. JOHN MILLER BUY THE AULTMAN FARM In July of 1961, Mr. and Mrs. John Miller, Berlin, Ohio, bought what remained of the Aultman farm - 82.48 acres - including the mill and the equipment. Mr. Miller was a public school teacher, and upon retiring from the profession wanted land to work and a place of relaxation during his retirement years. The farm was in quite a run-down condition when he bought it - weeds and brush everywhere, fences down, and most of the windows in the house needed to be repaired. After doing all this work, the flood of 1969 spoiled things again. Today, no signs of the flood are seen. At the present time, Mr. Miller has 13 head of cattle and hogs on the farm. He goes to the farm every day possible to take care of his stock. During the past years, he did quite a bit of his farming on shares. THE OLD WOOL MILL STILL STANDS - 1975 The old Aultman wool mill, abandoned in the early 1930's, shows a lot of wear and tear as it stands today, yet it is surprising that the structure is as good as it is after weathering the storms of time during its 113 years of existence. Most of the foundation is still intact, being made of large rectangular stones neatly fitted together. There was no mortar used between the stones as was the case in building those early foundations. One can easily imagine the work involved in getting those stones ready with the equipment available in that day. Mrs. Graham remembers that her grandmother Aultman furnished board and lodging for the masons during the building of the wall. She remembers her baking bread in an oven out in the yard. In order to lodge the workers, a number had to sleep in the attic in rather close quarters making the air rather stuffy for breathing. I noticed that a chimney in the mill was also built of large rectangular stones. I am certain that the chimney could last another 100 years the way it was built. The mill is a three story building with a basement under where the water wheel was located and later the steam boiler to furnish power for the machines. The first floor was where the business transactions were made - taking in wool, placing of orders and bookkeeping done. Also, on this floor the wool was washed and made ready for spinning. This was done by washing the wool in large vats with rain water which is soft and free from minerals and sediment. Since my knowledge of the wool mill business is limited, I was glad that Ralph was along to explain some of the procedures. I am certain that he, too, enjoyed the trip. THE EQUIPMENT ON THE SECOND & THIRD FLOORS In order to get to the 2nd floor, Ralph and I had to go up a ladder that was nailed against the side. I am certain that they had a better way of getting to the 2nd floor when the mill was in operation. On this floor we found three machines standing side by side. Ralph said that they were the carding machines - the first breaker, the second breaker and the finisher. The breakers removed seed heads and other foreign materials and the finisher brought the wool out in sheets. We tried to find the dates and place where they were manufactured, but were unsuccessful. It is quite certain, however, that the machines were made at Massillon, Ohio, and since the machines were purchased for the mill in Aultman's Hollow around 1840, they must be approximately 135 years old. Also, a hand loom and a spinning wheel were found on this floor. Mrs. Graham has one of the shuttles that was used with the hand loom. A stairway led us up to the third floor. On this floor we found, what Ralph called, a warper. I do not know just how this machine worked, but I do know that this is the machine where the patterns were made. At least a few of the machines could probably be restored if time and money would be available. There were also other small machines such as the one where bundles of yarn were made. The machinery that the wool mill was adapted to make was woolen cloth, stocking yarn and blankets. Probably the most outstanding item ever made in this Aultman mill was the brightly colored woolen blankets usually known as coverlets. Mrs. Elmer Sowosh of Millersburg has two of them that her mother purchased at the mill in 1894. I talked to Mrs. Sowash and she confirmed the purchase that her mother made. They are approximately 72" x 84" in size. Mrs. James Graham also has two of the blankets that were made at the mill. When I went through this old mill and saw all those machines in almost their original position, I almost had to brush my eyes as if 100 years had gone by to the time when those machines were in operation. I imagined myself seeing George, Albert and their helpers busy washing the wools, carding it, spinning and weaving it into cloth from early morning until late in the evening. It meant long hours and hard work, but I am certain that they enjoyed their work because they were proud of the products they made. THE MILL RACE One can still see traces of the dam and the mill race that supplied the water for the water wheel. The mill race was simply a by-pass of the Doughty Creek. It consisted of a ditch which extended from the creek to the dam and from there to the saw mill and to the wool mill. One can still see the depression in the ground where the water reentered the Doughty Creek. I stated that the mill race supplied water power not only for the wool mill, but also for the saw mill. While cleaning out a shed next to the former saw mill, John found an old note book where the following was written on the inside of the front cover: "Memorandum of George [R]. Aultman, Clark, Ohio, commencing from March 16, 1864 through 1877." This note book listed the prices for sawing in those days. Some of the figures are still legible. I noticed that the prices listed on a page for work done, totalled from $7 to $11.00. 20'- 4x4 - 48c; 48'- 4X3 1/2 - 49c; and 116'- 2 1/2x3 - 46c. This gives one a little idea of prices in that day. I am indebted to the following for help given me in writing this article: John Miller, Ralph Aling, Roy Miller for the picture of the school, and for a delightful afternoon spent with Mrs. James (Hazel) Graham and Floyd Aultman, both grandchildren of George Aultman. Pages 152-154 Troyer's Hollow - Scenic Spot In Holmes County Have you ever heard of Troyer's Hollow, Aultman's Hollow, or Sim's Loch? The chances are that many who will read these articles have heard of the names. However, how much do you know about the history of this place? It had been many years since I had been there, and thus to revive my memories, I asked Orie Oswald and Ralph Aling to accompany me one evening to the Hollow. As a result of this visit and considerable research work the following articles were made possible. Troyer's Hollow, located northeast of Beck's Mills and West of Charm, is part of a two mile long gorge through which Doughty Creek flows. The gorge extends from the site of the former Keim mill on Ohio 557 to within a few miles of Beck's Mills. It is a beautiful spot because of the pine-covered, almost perpendicular hills that let the sunlight into the valley but a few hours each day. Doughty Creek rises north of Berlin and flows south until it reaches the gorge, for many years called the Doughty Glens, meaning a narrow secluded valley which certainly fits the description of Troyer's Hollow. The creek winds onward in a southwestern direction through Beck's Mills and past Clark. WHY CALLED TROYER'S HOLLOW The name Troyer's Hollow, a name by which it has been known for approximately 100 years, dates back to 1873. At that time, Simon D. Troyer became owner of the land at the upper end and middle of the gorge where the large iron bridge used to span Doughty Creek. He also bought the woolmill and operated it until his death in 1915 - 42 years. Albert A. Aultman said, "Since the woolmill and the home were owned and operated by Simon D. Troyer the longest of anyone in the Hollow, I think it is no more than right that the place be always called Troyer's Hollow." AULTMAN'S HOLLOW A name that dates back farther than Troyers Hollow, is Aultman's Hollow. This dated back to 1840, when Isaac Aultman bought 40 acres of land from Henry Miller for $175.00 and proceeded to build a sawmill, a gristmill, and the Aultman wool mill, forerunner of the Aling wool mill (More on this later). THE DOUGHTY Another name that you hear quite often is the Doughty. This name as applied to both the creek and the valley dates back to the days when the earliest settlers came to the area. Just when or by whom the name was first used is not definitely known. Two theories are in existence relative to the name. One story has it that the creek and valley were named after Col. Doughty who was in charge of the newly created land office in Zanesville. It was the duty of Col. Doughty to see that entry claims were quickly forwarded to Washington, and deeds delivered promptly to the new owners. Deed records show 1810 as the year the Carpenter brothers became two of Doughty Valley's earliest settlers. George Carpenter was appointed local land agent for the Doughty Valley soil. Nobody knows, but it is likely that the surveyors in their maps may have used the name Doughty in honor of Col. Doughty. Then, too, there is the story of an Indian Chief Doughty after whom the creek was named. Many of the early pioneers remembered Chief Doughty as a very peaceable Indian and not given to violence. He was described as a lazy old fellow who went from house to house begging for food and clothing. However, he is also known for another side of his nature. The following incident will reveal this. George Phillips was hunting one day and had brought down a deer which he hung on a sapling and started in pursuit of another. In his haste, he left his hat behind. When he returned, both his hat and the deer were gone. Sometime later he recognized a silver buckle that belonged to his hat in Cambridge. The manager stated that he bought the buckle from an Indian named Doughty. SIM'S LOCH Another name sometimes applied to the Hollow is Sim's Loch, the German for Sim's Hole. Some applied this name to the cave and others referred it to the gorge in general. Referring to this picturesque place as a "hole" proves that not everybody admires scenic beauty. In contrast to Sim's Loch, others have even called it the "Little Switzerland of Holmes County". THE AULTMAN WOOL MILL As I stated earlier, Isaac Aultman bought a 40 acre tract of land from Henry Miller in 1840. To the average observer, this was 40 of most worthless acres in Mechanic Township. It was difficult to believe that a man and his wife coming from the Strasburg area where the contour of the land was so much more agreeable, would move into such a gorge-like ravine. Also, there were almost unpassable steep hills leading down into the gorge. The reasons [seem] to be in the fact that he saw the possibility of making use of water power afforded by Doughty Creek. He no doubt had visions of a sawmill, a gristmill, and a woolmill, all of which later became realities later on. The original Aultman woolmill was built on the west side of Doughty Creek where the former old road started uphill southward toward Beck's Mills. He also erected small houses for his employees. By 1850, Aultman's Hollow was full of activity with its sawmill, gristmill, woolmill and blacksmith shop. All this was made possible by unlimited water power. In 1850, this was rated as the largest one-family enterprise in the Upper Muskingun Valley. In 1862, Isaac Aultman sold the woolmill to his son, George, who razed the building and moved it with all the equipment five miles down the valley between Beck's Mills and Bloomfield (Clark). This 113 year old mill is still standing, and is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. John H. Miller, Berlin. THE FLOODS Throughout the years, there have been many floods in Troyer's Hollow. If you are acquainted with this place, you will know the reason why. There are steep hills to the east and to the west of the Hollow; the space between the hills is rather narrow, being at the widest part only about 20 rods; and the Doughty Creek is winding, narrow and shallow. As a result of these things, it does not require too much of a rainfall to bring water to the gorge. I will mention three floods that were particularly damaging - 1913, 1935, and 1969. THE FLOOD OF 1913 The flood of 1913 was at least partially the result of the dam that had been built many years ago, breaking during a heavy rain. As a result of this flood, the water power for Simon Troyer's wool mill was gone. The power for the mill was furnished by a steam engine for the last two years of its existence. Ralph Aling, then a boy of 16, states that they were awakened in the night when the cider barrels in the cellar began bumping against the floor of their house. His father took the family to higher ground. Ralph also relates that they had hams in his Grandfather's smoke house on the east side of the creek. Not being able to get to it because of the flood, Quinby Hoover threw a ham across the raging river, and that his father caught it. THE FLOOD OF 1935 Orie stated that Troyer's Hollow was a residential place up to 1935. There were three houses in the upper part of the Hollow and to the east of the creek. The three families that lived there weree the Emmon Kaser, the Amos Ledrichs, and the Floyd Kasers. Floyd Kaser had built a new house and it was damaged so badly during the flood that it was abandoned. Also, there were three cottages on the west side of the creek that had been built by the Medina Oil and Gas Company. When the big flood of 1935 came, it tore out the west side of the dam and flooded the entire valley. The water in the houses mentioned above practically ruined every one of them. Soon after this flood, every family moved out of the Hollow, and things began to run down. For the next twenty years it looked like a wilderness. It was not possible to drive in anymore as the road was washed out. ORIE OSWALD RESTORES TROYER'S HOLLOW In the early 1950's, Orie got the idea that it would be nice to restore the grounds where his grandparents had spent so many years. Also, he thought that this would be a fine place to go and relax after a busy day or at the end of the week. One can easily imagine the amount of time and effort that was required to restore the grounds that had once been a bee-hive of activity during the days of the Aultmans and the Simon Troyers. It was during this time that Orie changed the upper part of Doughty Creek farther to the west in order to give him more ground space. After cleaning up the grounds and restoring the road bed leading into the Hollow, he built two shelters, one on the west side of the creek and the other on the east side. These were rented to people for reunions, picnics, church services, etc. TROYER'S WOOL MILL ORIGINALLY A GRIST MILL After reading an article written by W.E. Farver and checking with Ralph Aling and Orie Oswald, I have come to the conclusion that the mill that you see in the picture with the house where Mr. and Mrs. Henry W. Aling, parents of Ralph Aling, lived, was originally a grist mill and not a wool mill. In 1864, Benjamin Beck bought the Aultman Hollow gristmill from Yoder and Eash and removed the grist mill equipment, not the building, to his mill at Beck's Mills. His idea was that people would sooner drive a few miles farther to his mill than to go up and down the steep hills. He thus hoped to increase his business at the store, post office and the blacksmith shop. Mr. Beck also thought of starting a wool mill at Beck's Mills, but that venture failed. His idea then was to start a wool mill in Aultman's Hollow, since wool mills in the Hollow were so successful. Thus, he installed wool mill equipment in the same building in Aultman's Hollow from which he had earlier removed the grist mill equipment. Incidentally, the picture gives one the idea that the house was right up against the mill. This was not true, since there was a road between the house and the mill. SIMON D. TROYER BUYS THE MILL Benjamin Beck sold the mill to Franklin Fisher in 1869, who soon after took in Simon D. Troyer as his partner. This partnership lasted until 1873 when Simon Troyer assumed entire control. He operated the mill until he died in 1915. During the 42 years he operated the mill he made only minor additions and repairs. He did add a room which housed a steam engine which was used when the water power was too low to turn the wheel or during the winter time when the mill race froze up. Mr. Troyer did a thriving business during the time he operated the mill. However, he had strong competition, there being five woolmills located within a radius of 25 miles, and Simon was located in the middle of them. Also, he had too much overhead expenses due to over-diversification. One time when Ralph, a young boy, reminded him of that, Simon didn't like it. He replied, "I am still able to run my business, and need no high school squirt to tell me how to run it." MEDINA OIL & GAS COMPANY BUYS THE HOLLOW Shortly after the death of Simon Troyer in 1915, a public sale was held to settle up his estate. At that time, the wool mill property, premises and all were purchased by Medina Oil and Gas Company and was converted into a recreation park for the company's employees. This included not only the mill and the house where Ralph Aling and his parents lived on the west side of Doughty Creek, but also the residence of Simon Troyer on the east side of the creek. They built a new dam to replace the one built about 80 years before and ruined by the 1913 flood. The old mill was torn down and the lumber used to build cottages on the west side of Doughty Creek. This project, however, was not successful. Because of floods, the new dam that they had built was soon filled with mud. Also, the recreation grounds were seldom used because of the distance the employees had to travel to get to them. After a few years, the company sold the property to Dr. Pomerene and left the area. Later, Dr. Pomerene sold the property to the local residents.