After the turn of the century, things were different. The
old grist mill ceased to exist and the "community" around the
old covered bridge also disappeared. The area had finally caught up with
the "industrial age.
In 1905, a new rock masonry dam replaced
the old dam, a hydroelectric power plant was built about 300 yards from
the new dam, and a 300 yard long raceway (a manmade canal to move water
from one point to another) was constructed to supply the new hydroelectric
power plant with water for power generation. At the end of the raceway sat
the powerhouse. Water in the raceway would enter the penstock (a pipe which
carries water to a water wheel or turbine) and the force of the water going
through it would turn the power generator. The powerhouse was owned by Jefferson
Mills (a textile mill) and the sole purpose of this powerhouse was to supply
electrical power for the mill site in Crawford - about 10 miles away.
By
the mid 1900s, it was common for the rural areas to have plenty of electricity
and the old powerhouse had become obsolete. So it was decided to close down
the powerhouse. It was easier to get power from a public utility rather
than maintaining the old powerhouse and the 10 miles of power line running
from the powerhouse to the mill site in Crawford. The copper wiring and
metal making up the generating equipment in the powerhouse was sold for
scrap.
A couple of decades went by and then came the move to turn the area
over to the park service and the covered bridge became the focal point of
Watson Mill Bridge State Park. |
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