Chadwick's Mill
Lometa, Lampasas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(Site three miles north) Famous pioneer sawmill, flour mill, and cotton gin. Built 1874 by Henry A. Chadwick and son Milam. A sturdy oak dam across river supplied power. A millrace chiseled in sandstone channeled water to millstones. Mill and gin house were also sandstone. A fish trap in millrace offered food and sport to customers, who often had to wait several days for a turn at the mill. This scenic spot grew to be a popular resort around 1900, with hotel and dance platform. Attracted hundreds of campers. Change in course of river, 1915, forced mill to be abandoned. (1970)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1874 by Henry Chadwick and his son Milam, this sandstone sawmill, flour mill, and cotton gin harnessed an oak dam and a millrace chiseled into rock. Customers sometimes waited days for their turn, fishing the millrace to pass the time, and by about 1900 the scenic spot had grown into a resort with a hotel and dance platform — until a shift in the river's course forced its abandonment in 1915.
Why it matters
Water-powered mills were the beating heart of pioneer economies, doubling as gathering places long before towns took shape.
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Related people
- · Henry A. Chadwick
- · Milam Chadwick
Themes & tags
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