Henry Marker Mills, Somerset Co., PA
The Henry Marker Mill
Somerset Co., PA
Henry Marker settled in Somerset County, Pa. in the
Garret area. He is first documented in the assessment list of 1779 in Brothersvalley
Township. He purchased two plots of land, one from Henry Rhoads in 1780
(Somerset Co. PA Deed Book 5, page 618), adjacent the Cassleman River
(previously called the "Little Yough") and encompassing the mouth of Buffalo
Creek. This is the present day town of Garrett. The second plot was
purchased from George Ringer in 1802, and was on the South side of the
Cassleman River, and encompassed Biggs Run. (Somerset County, PA Deed Book
6 page 607)
According to the deed (Book 6 p. 607), Ringer had built
two mills on Biggs Run. "Whereas the said George Ringer hath bargained
sold his gristmill and sawmill and one hundred acres of land ... and all
the water courses and rights with the above named mill as far up said run
... a clear deed unto the said Marker for the above named mills and one
hundred acres. ... Ringer is is to leave the brobir(?) with the sawmill
and the key and the half bushel towl slith two pcik the to the grist
mill and to give peacable possession on the first day May in the year 1802
and said signer reserves the Grain now in the ground and the stove." (Book
6 p. 607)
These mills have not been previously documented
in Somerset County. The following photo, taken in 1934, (courtesy
of Floyd Brant) documents the existance of the mill.
Whether Marker ever actually had the mills in production,
or whether he sublet it is unknown. The mill appears to have been
leased or resold to Nicholas Brand/Barnd the same year, 1802, or so it
is cliamed in court testimony It appears that immediately after Henry
Marker's death, in 1814, (Will proved May 14, 1814) there were a flurry
of lawsuits over the land deals. Evidence that the disputes went into the
Court of Common Pleas of Somerset County shortly after Henry's death,
"that the forgoing evidence of contract between Henry Marker and Nicholas
Brand was exhibited at a Court of Commons pleas held at Somerset in and
for the County of Somerset on the last monday in may Anno Domini and adjudged
by the said Court to be sufficient and directed by the said Court to be
recorded in confirmity to the act of assembly passed the thirty first day
of March 1792." (Deed book 6 page 443)
The location of the mill was just upstream from the
Trimpey&Whipkey Bridge over Biggs Run on present day Decker Street
near Garrett, in Summit Township. Present day evidence includes man
made stone walls on the stream, and a good drop of current to turn the
wheel. Today, several older mobile homes sit on the site of the old mill,
and the present owners have no idea what preceeded them.
