A portion of the water feed channel to Thompson’s Mill remains tucked away between Brinkhaven and the Mohican River. The lower portion of the mill race was filled in years ago, perhaps as early as the 1913 flood, but this upper portion remains. Credit: Mark Sebastian Jordan

History Knox

Mark Sebastian Jordan authors a column each Saturday reflecting on the history of the community.

BRINKHAVEN — One of the most fun parts of poking around in the past is that you develop an eye for historical details.

Last year, when I was exploring the old bridge in Brinkhaven, I found just such a relic of the past. If you park on Buckeye Alley in Brinkhaven and walk out to the old bridge, you cross over a small body of water on the way.

At first, I couldn’t make any sense of what this body of water was. At first glance, it might seem like a pond, but why build a bridge over a pond? It would make just as much sense to fill in a small pond.

This vintage photograph shows the Thompson Mill prominently in the lower right corner. (Submitted image.)

Yet the body of water continued on in the trees. In fact, it connects to the Mohican River a short distance to the north. After puzzling it over, I finally realized what this body of water is, or was: It was the mill race that once upon a time powered Thompson’s Mill in Brinkhaven.

The mill used to sit in a prominent position on the southwest corner of Brinkhaven, very close to where U.S. 62 now runs. But it was wiped out by the flood in 1913, which also demolished the foundation of the mill and partially filled in the old mill race, which was further deconstructed by searchers looking for bodies after the disastrous waters receded.

From what I understand, the mill was rebuilt in at least some form, but the later structure burned down in the 1940s. To what degree the mill race was restored, I have no idea.

This 1896 map of Brinkhaven shows the location of the Thompson Mill (circled in red) and the mill race (indicated with a blue arrow). (Submitted image.)

Today, the entire lower portion of the mill race is filled in, but the upper portion, from the bridge on what was once Canal Street stretching northward, is still there, unnoticed and unused.

It’s far cry from its busy industrial use throughout the 1800s and into the early 20th century, but if you keep your eyes peeled, you can often discover relics of the past like this, hidden away in our present day.

The old bridge crossing the Mohican River at Brinkhaven was for Canal Street, of which only a tiny portion today remains. (Photo by Mark Jordan.)