A Search For Supplee Mill

 

Periodically I get a request to find a photo of Supplee Mill, in Union County Pa. From the oral accounts, this mill stood until about 1950, on Turtle Creek, south of Lewisburg.  At one time, the area was called "Turtleville".

In 1873, when up for sale, the property was described as:

New Mill House, 36x43 feet, three stories high, with three run of barrs, all necessary gearing, an machinery for doing first class work.

Water Power

The 12 acre property also included a mansion house, a tenant house, a new barn 30x60 feet.

With the mill existing as long as we believe it did - there really should be a photo of it out there somewhere?  But so far, none of us have turned one up.  Every year or so I run new searches - and I realized I am repeating a lot of my work over and over again.  So although I have no photo, here's the time line/history that I have pulled so far.  Perhaps someone with a bit more time and dedication may wish to track down descendants of those who ran the mill - one of the family members may have a photo.

There was at the very least, one saw mill, one fulling mill, and one flour mill on Turtle Creek.  At times, when a mill is mentioned, I cannot be certain which mill is being referred to.  For that reason, I have included all of the mill information I have come across, and I will leave it to others to sort out which is which.

Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World, 1880:

"Turtleville, A hamlet of Union County.  3 miles from Lewisburg.  It has a flour mill and a saw-mill.  "

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According to Water-Powered Gristmills of Union County Pennsylvania 

In 1770 A Connecticut Yankee named William Speddy in 1770 followed a claim on land in Pennsyvania and settled along Turtle Creek on the site where the mill would later be built.  Eventually his deed was deemed defective and he left the area.  "He is remembered in the area by a geographical feature, Speddy's Gap"  https://amzn.to/4l5e4VS  

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1772-1773   
Aurant, John - Jenkins Mill, Turtle Creek 
An 1874 article in the Lewisburg Chronicle lists the mill on Turtle Creek as Jenkins mill, run by John Aurant.

John Dietrich Aurand (afterward Reverend) enlisted in Colonel Stewart's Regiment, General Wayne's brigade. He had been learning milling at his father's mill, on Turtle creek. His father sold the mill this year, and, possibly, going down the country in search of employment, he fell in with the recruiting officer. - Buffalo Valley Annals 

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1833
Cornelius, Jesse 
Jesse's  daughter Jane Cornelius Himmelreich was born at Supplees Mill [1925 birthday announcement, repeated in 1931 obit]

Lewisburg Journal:

Jesse Cornelius, 31 May 1833

Mr. Jesse Cornelius who was attending the mill on Turtle Creek was accidentally killed by falling into the works of the mill...violent pain in the head. Mr. Cornelius was a sober, honest and industrious man, and was generally respected and esteemed by those who knew him. We understand he has left a wife and six children to mourn his meloncholy exit.

1833. May 31, Jesse Cornelius, miller, at Trester's old mill, on Turtle creek, was caught in the machinery. Ribs, breast bone, &c., broken. He died immediately. - Annals of the Buffalo Valley by John Blair Lynn

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1850-1864
Brown, Michael
1850 & 1856 Map of Union County 
& in 1864 Newspaper]

1850 Map, Snyder County Pa

1864 newspaper mentions a sale "near Michael Brown's mill on Turtle Creek"

In the 1850 and 1860 census, Michael's occupation was "Farmer".  In 1870, "retired farmer".

March 1876, Lewisburg Chronicle

Note - The Jefferson School is also recorded as having been named Brown's School, or Supplee's Mill School.

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1865 - Wolfe

William Wolfe, according to his 1922 obituary, was born on "the homestead farm at Supplee's Mill.  He was the 3rd son of Michael R. & Jane Wolfe."

Michael Wolfe 1832-1892

married Rachel Gundy

Son - William

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Supplee Mill

Supplee, G & Co [1868 Map - shown between 2 branches of the creek]

In the 1868 map, business directory

A. Kneuss Grain Dealer, Lumberman

An 1888 article in the Northumberland Press mentions Kneuss - 

"Turtle creek flows into the west branch of the Susquehanna four miles above Northumberland and the above named village is located at its confluence. The Burgmeister of the village appears to rest in the hands of Col. Alf. Kneass, whose tall commanding form can be seen supervising his mills together with about one mile square of land. He is the inventor, architect and mechanic of his mills, and book-keeper and sweeper of his office, and how he manages all and continues to stand straight up all time is not altogether explained in modern physiology. "

Rodenbaugh, J & Son - Supplees Keystone Mill ran by  1872-1877

March 1873, Brown Mill For Sale, listed by  Jacob Rodenbaugh

[Rev. Jacob Rodenbaugh 1812-1894]

In 1873, when up for sale, the property was described as:

New Mill House, 36x43 feet, three stories high, with three run of barrs, all necessary gearing, an machinery for doing first class work.

Water Power

The 12 acre property also included a mansion house, a tenant house, a new barn 30x60 feet.

1873

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1881 - A. H. Supplee [Born 1834]

In 1881 newspapers across the state carried the news that A.H. Supplee Jr, of Supplees Mill, had run off with Mrs. Jere Yeager, the wife of the man who was in charge of the mill, while Yeager was away on business.  Mrs Yeager, who reportedly "eloped" with Supplee, left her young son [age 3 or 4] with a neighbor.  Her parents arrived and took custody of their grandson.

 A.H. Supplee was not yet 21 years of age, Mrs Yeager was "about 24 and is said to be quite good looking."  Supplee had taken some $3,000  [close to $100,000 in 2025] out of his account, before leaving with the woman.  The mill books were examined and found to be in good condition.  

In the 1870 Census, Johnathan and Eliza Suplee were in East Buffalo Twp, with 9 year old Alexander.  [Also Howard 12, and Jennie 5].  Alexander Howard Supplee, born Aug 2 1860

In the 1880 Census, Alexander, age 20, was listed as a "boarder", and a miller, in East Buffalo Twp. In the same household were Jeremiah Yeager, his wife 22 year old wife Elinore [Barner], and their 3 year old son Benjamin.

Although I can't be certain, it does appear that Elinore returned to her husband Jeremiah before too long.

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1876 Leedam & Robert's

1876

On March 26th 1877, "Mill stock and Personal Property Of Leedom and Robert's Supplee Mill" sold at public auction.

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1883- A.H. Supplee

A. H. Supplee

[Alexander Henderson Supplee died in 1882  - but I am uncertain how he is related to the A.H. Supplee who ran off with Yeagers wife]

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1885

Overhauled Flour Mill now under the efficient management of 

Mr. J.W. Zeller

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1886 - S. S. Meyers

Samuel S. Meyers 1839-1921, wife Phebe

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1892 - M.R. Supplee

From Abrams, Montgomery County

Owns Mill, visits to check on it about once a year.

Possibly Mark Rambo Supplee  1836-1901?

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1894 Mr. S. Potter

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1910 - Potters Mill, Jacob Fetzer

1920 Postal Map - which I have not yet located myself

Jacob K. Fetzer, genial miller at Potters Mill East Buffalo Twp

In 1922, "Mrs Emma Fetzer, wife of Jacob Fetzer, died at the age of 62 at their home at Supplee's Mill, East Buffalo Township" - The Miltonian

Jacob Fetzer 1854-1924

Wife Emma Watson Fetzer, Adopted daughter Hazel

1920 Census - Miller, Chop Mill East Buffalo, Union, Pennsylvania.  Also there in 1910. 

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1936 - part of a historical tour

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Torn Down About 1950

Local resident reported that the mill was taken down in 1950

According to Water-Powered Gristmills of Union County Pennsylvania by  Rich Thomas P and David W Del Testa:

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Turtle Creek Mentions in Lynn's Annals Of Buffalo Valley: 

Turtle creek was so called before 1769, and in the latter year I found the stream below it, traversing Dry valley, called Lee's run, after John Lee, the first settler of the site of Winfield.

He [William Speddy] chose for his residence the prettiest little dale in Buffalo Valley. It is on Turtle creek, near what is now Supplee's (formerly Treaster's) mill. Jacob Brown now owns the place. 

On the 3d of October, John Aurand bought the " Jenkin's mill " property, on Turtle creek, and it went by the name of " Aurand's mill," when he sold it to Morgan Jenkin. It is still owned by the Jenkin's family. Doctor Harbaugh, in his " Fathers of the German Reformed Church," states, upon the authority of John Aurand, of Yellow Springs, Blair county, a grandson of John Aurand, that the latter built both flour and saw-mill at Turtle creek. Wilson, however, had some sort of a mill there as early as 1771. John Wilson died during the year 1772, according to my researches — Miss Sandford, ante, says in 1774.

John Dietrich Aurand (afterward Reverend) enlisted in Colonel Stewart's Regiment, General Wayne's brigade. He had been learning milling at his father's mill, on Turtle creek. His father sold the mill this year, and, possibly, going down the country in search of employment, he fell in with the recruiting officer.

Improvements of this year — Wendell Baker's saw-mill, (at Cowan;) Alexander Beatty's tan-yard, at New Berlin ; Christopher Weiser's fulling-mill, on Turtle creek, now Peter Wolfe's.  [Note, a fulling mill is a cloth mill ]

Dietrich Aurand, who had followed milling at different places down the river, removed, with his family, into the Valley, and settled on a farm on Turtle creek, midway between its source and outlet, about five miles above Jenkins' mill. The farm he was on had a reserved water right, and was given to him by his father, with the design that he should build a merchant mill on it, and he intended so to do ; but the Hessian fly having proved very destructive to the wheat crops for upwards of ten years, he lost severely in purchases of wheat for the French, and lost by bailing, so he could not build the mill, and had to sell and remove to an adjoining farm, in 1801.

1838 - In the fall, the iron ore below the mouth of Turtle creek was found to be of a superior quality, and its development was commenced by Napoleon Hughes, of Franklin county, a short distance above the site of the present furnace of Beaver, Marsh & Co., a few hundred yards from the river bank. 

1846 - Friday evening, March 13, Thomas Follmer and his son Henry and William Gundy, son of Major John Gundy, who were managing the Farmers' company store at Turtle creek, were drowned at the mouth of that creek. They were going in a boat, about ten, p. m., to visit the store-house on the opposite side of the creek, and were on their return, when the mill dam gave way, and the boat struck a timber raft. William Gundy's body was found in the boat under the raft, the next day; the others were carried down the river, and their bodies were found three weeks afterward, some miles below. The flood in the river at this time exceeded that of 1810, being six and one half inches above the mark of that date on Kremer's store-house. The canal was broken, mails stopped, the Milton bridge badly injured, the bridge on the North Branch, at Northumberland, carried away, as well as the one at Duncan's island, and the Harrisburg bridge in pa

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