The Holmes County Farmer, Feb. 14, 1924

THE DOUGHTY VALLEY
         
Some Industries That Flourished in That Romantic Locality, Nearly a Century Ago.
         
Our old friend and subscriber, A. A. Aultman of the Doughty Valley neighborhood
becomes reminisent [sic], and sends us the following article:
         
On page 112 of the Standard Atlas of Holmes county, is a picture of the Troyer 
Woolen Mills.  By referring to the map of Mechanic township you will find that 
this factory is located on what is called middle Doughty, near the northeastern 
border of the township.  To me it is the most interesting picture in the atlas,
and the place has been visited by more people in Holmes and surrounding counties
than any other place in the county.  It is my native place and I am beginning 
to realize more and more, the truth of the saying: 'That most of our great men 
had a very humble birthplace.'  I have in my possession two deeds given to 
my grandfather, Isaac Aultman, for land and a water privilege at this place.  
One of the deeds was given by Henry Miller, of Sugarcreek township, Tuscarawas
county.  It was for 40 acres of the unappropriated lands in the military district,
subject to sale at Zanesville, Ohio, and adds that the above described land or 
tract was patented to Henry Miller by Andrew Jackson, president of the United 
States.  The consideration was $175.  The other deed was given by David C. Troyer
for a water right and the consideration was $62.  The Miller deed was made out 
by Andrew Hattery a Justice of the peace and the Troyer deed by Joel Hall, 
a Justice of the peace.  These deeds were not recorded until 1847,
when George F. Newton was county recorder.

The viewpoint of the [picture] {copy too poor to scan} is from the hillside, 
southeast of the factory.  The house shown at the right was grandfather's old
home.  The house at the left was my uncle Elijah's home.  The factory building
the dam, saw mill, his home and other buildings were all built by my grandfather,
in the thirties.  In 1840 he commenced improving another water right down the
creek and put up two dwelling houses and a building for a carding and woolen mill.
My father was 18 years old at this time, and worked three years as an apprentice
under an old carder by the name of Jimison.  The old carding machine was built 
in Massillon and is still standing in our mill today, but it has not been used 
for 25 years.  In 1841 spinning and weaving were added.  Then in a few years 
the entire business saw mill, grist mill, store, blacksmith shop and woolen mill
was run by grandfather, his four sons and two sons-in-law, and the place was 
known as Aultman's Hollow, and at that time was known at the best water power 
and largest business place in the county.

In 1852, by way of inheritance, my mother got the Conrad Mill property, four miles
down the valley and father left the hollow.  A few years later two of my uncles 
left for Iowa, and in 1862 grandfather and Uncle Elijah sold the mill and saw mill
to Yoder & Eash and the woolen mill to my father {George}.  In 1864 we tore down 
the old mill building, built a larger factory building and moved the machinery
from the Hollow to this place and sold the land to Kasers.  Yoder & Eash sold 
the mill and saw mill to Ben Beck who took out the mill machinery and put in 
wool machinery.  He soon after sold to Fisher & Troyer.  A year or two later 
Troyer became the sole owner.  And now since the place was first owned by 
a Troyer and Simon Troyer owned it a few years ago when the picture was taken,
and he died there, I think it is nothing more than right that the place should 
always be known as Troyer's Hollow.  I have heard some wonderful stories about 
this place.

One man said that he would bet that a four-horse team could not haul the money 
that the Aultmans made there; others about the great "deer lick" and the number 
of deer killed there; others about the great cave and its explorations; 
and the great water falls; others that this gorge is about six miles long
and is so deep that the sun can only be seen a few hours during the day, etc.
No doubt that is one of the most romantic places in the county and a place
that I visit almost every year and some years several times; but since it has
become the property of the Oil Company, and they have torn down the old mill 
building, remodeled the old house, built a cement dam above the bridge and 
several rustic cottages on the hillside, it doesn't look so homelike to me
and it seems to me that this gives you the impression that they did this for
their own pleasure and not for the public.  My wife and I and two grand sons
were up there last summer and I found that Amos Ledrick was the only person 
now living in the Hollow and he was not at home.  We fortunately met some 
parties from Baltic and Sugarcreek and had a pleasant talk, but the place 
didn't look like home to me, yet it brought to my mind many memories of the 
past.  It was my privilege in boyhood days to know nearly all the old pioneers
who lived along the valley betwesn Berlin and Bloomfield, and especially 
the mill and factory men, and I can recall the sites of 8 grist mills, 
13 saw mills, 4 wool carding mills and one furniture factory.

Charles Williams entered the first land in Mechanic townshiup and built the
first mill and Mike and Ben Beck the last mill.  Now there is only one water
power and mill on Doughty, no factories or saw mills; and such a thing 
as a grist mill, sash, saw mill or wool carding mill would be a curiosity
to the young people of today; and it might be instructive for them if they
could contrast the work and the trials, the privations and discomforts 
that these old pioneers endured, with the conditions that surround them.

A few weeks ago I attended a Farmers' Institute down here and the subject 
of one of the lectures was, "The Child of Today, the Citizen of Tomorrow."
Her talk was mainly to the Canning and Pig Clubs.  She told the boys that 
they would be better famers and better stockmen than their fathers, and 
the girls that they would he better mothers and better housekeepers than 
their mothers.  She was a maiden lady and a school teacher, and of course 
ought to know, but I could hardly agree with her.  Had she said, "considering
your opportunities you ought to be," it would have sounded better to me, 
and I would suggest that the next time she lectures, she takes for her 
subjects: "The citizens of today are making debts that the child of tomorrow 
will have to pay."  Or this, "The farms of today are being abandoned
or farmed by tenants, and the child of today will not farm them."