White Deer Woolen Mills

The Statten, Markel & Co "Woolen Factory" appears on the 1854 map of Union County. 

 The White Deer Woolen Mills were build in 1850 by Isaac Statten, John Finney, David Marr, and David Steninger.  "West of the Iredell survey was the Michael Gilbert 305 acres on which White Deer Woolen Factory Stands"

"Marr & Co, beginning this work in the woods in the latter part of 1849 and the machinery was put in in 1850-51." The first season, the hands lived in shanties in the woods until houses were built.

William Brumbach was born in Exeter township and "brought up in the manufacturing of woolen goods" In 1853 he purchased the Daniel Housin grist mill, which he converted into a woolen factory.  In 1863 his mills were lost in a fire.  At that time, he joined the Marr & Griffley Co firm, owners and operators of the White Deer Woolen Mills.

After the death of Mr Marr, the firm became Griffey and Brumbach.

The mill manufactured cassimere's, tricot, diagonal, tweed, flannels, worsted goods and yarns.

During the war, the mill made fifty thousand army blankets.

The mill was  washed out by a sudden flood on August 17 1867.  "The White Deer Creek is notes for such" For the next 5 years, the business "stood idle".  

In 1872 Mr Pardee became a partner with Benjamin Griffey.  At that time, the dam and walls were rebuilt, and a hat manufactory added with the capacity of three hundred dozens a day. All of the local papers had something to say about the number of hats the company planned to manufacture:

The Sunbury Gazette, June 1872

The Lewisburg Journal, June 1872

April 1874

In May of 1877, an attempt was made to burn the Mill.

"The incendiary was alarmed in time ot frustrate his plan.  It was discovered that cola oil was freely used among a log ot waste materials in the finishing house."

The mill burnt to the ground on August 30 1879. The water wheel was left standing.

"Early Sunday afternoon a fire broke out in the White Deer Woolen mills, in White Deer Valley, Union County.  The buildings being frame, and very dry, the flames spread rapidly and soon the whole structure was enveloped in a cloud of fire and smoke.  Every effort was made to combat the progress of the devouring fire, but without making an impression upon it, and only when the mills and hat factory together with the fine brick house in close proximity had been consumed, were the flames stayed."

The Watsontown steamer was taken across the river "on a flat" to help fight the fire.

The  cause of this fire was believed to have been accidental.

At the time of the fire, the buildings were described to have been five stories high.  Between "125 and 150 persons were left without employment".

In January of 1900 the Lewisburg Journal reported that the lumber out of the building at the White Deer Woolen mill site was being hauled to Watsontown for the building of a new shirt factory.

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September 1879, Lewisburg Journal

Mr Griffey was also a railroad contractor and bridge builder.  He supervised the construction of the bridges at Linden and Montgomery, on the Phildalphia and Erie Railroad line.

History of that Part of the Susquehanna and Juniata Valleys VII, Franklin Ellis

 "Mr Griffey was a practical mill wright and bridge builder and of the best in the country and it was conceded that the mill built under his supervision was an elegant and substantial affair.  It is driven by water a wheel standing to this day escaping the fire is an icon a marvel of workmanship eighty five horse power .

The building with basement six story forty eight by eighty feet with annex for the hat factory forty five by seventy feet.

 The woolen mill had four setts and the reputation of the goods manufactured was wide spread.

 By the time the mills were built there was a handsome and substantial village of seventeen cottages around it upon which no expense was spared.

 The factory building itself was originally by Benjamin Griffey as also the White Deer grist mill at the same time and at mouth of the White Deer Creek a large saw  mill which was swept away in 1865.  Next west Wm McCorkle three hundred and nineteen acres on which Barnett's cabin is marked by surveyor who surveyed it October 23 1769 .  Next west along the creek dividing it on both sides as do the others the John Littlehop's three hundred and four acres surveyed on December 1772 "