Robert Williams' Mill Dam

Milton F. Williams wrote,

"Across Black Creek [later named Mill Creek], Robert Williams built a dam on which was located a lumber mill and grist mill, and a large pond was formed by the back water.

"No sooner had this dam been completed than a heavy freshet carried it away, making a hole 90 feet in depth from the top of the dam. This was rebuilt, however, and the mills were run until Robert Williams’ death in 1790, when the executors sold the property that included the dam and mills to William Fisher. This property included “a hundred acres of land lying continuous thereto” and was sold for 900 pound current money of the State. It remained in the Fisher family until about 1839 or 1840, when one David S. Jones, who was Fisher’s grandson, inherited part of the property and got part of it by purchase from the other Fisher heirs. The property remained in the Jones family until 1878 or 1879 when the heirs of David S. Jones sold to different parties and the property finally was purchased by Dukes and the Trinity Land Co. of Durham, N.C. and New York, who kept the property as a hunting preserve for several years. It is now (1920) owned by Carteret Lodge, a corporation having its main office at Kinston, N.C.

"The old grist mill used by Robert Williams was washed away by the breaking of the dam about 90 years ago, or about 1829. An overseer of Jones, named Martin, rebuilt these old mills about 65 or 70 years ago."