- Collection:
- Georgia Historical Markers
- Title:
- Rigdon's Mill/The Rigdon Cemetery historical marker
- Creator:
- Seibert, David, 1941-2020
- Date of Original:
- 1996/2014
- Subject:
- Historical markers--Georgia--Bulloch County
Mills and mill-work--Georgia--Statesboro
Cemeteries--Georgia--Statesboro - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Bulloch County, Statesboro, 32.44879, -81.78317
- Medium:
- photographs
- Type:
- Still Image
- Format:
- image/jpeg
- Description:
- Location: Located at the the cemetery at Lakeview Road at Old Hardy Pond Road, Statesboro
Text of marker: "RIGDON'S MILL. On Mill Creek just north of this marker stood one of the oldest and long lasting water mills in Bulloch County. It was built about 1840 by Daniel Rigdon and his Irish son-in-law, William Gould, using picks, shovels, and barrows. A 100 acre lake was created by the dam. About 1880 the mill came into possession of William H. Roberts and became known as "Robert's Mill." Roberts served as postmaster under a presidential commission. The post office was known as Gem, Georgia. The mill soon passed to Robert's son-in-law James Boyd who was killed in an accident at the mill in 1912. The mill ginned cotton, sawed timber, ground corn into grist and served as a community store. In 1920 Charles Bland bought the mill and converted it into a recreation facility which he called "Lake View." Here were held big band dances and water sports such as fishing, boating and swimming. In 1925 Bland sold the mill to a Statesboro consortium for use as a country club. In 1928 the dam broke and was never repaired. The land soon reverted to private ownership. (Continued on other side) Supported by the Jack N. and Addie D. Averitt Foundation. THE RIGDON CEMETERY (Continued from other side) The cemetery at this marker is the "Rigdon Cemetery." The earliest burial is of Daniel Rigdon (1788-1847) who built the mill and owned 3,039 acres of land in north Bulloch County. His wife, Mary "Polly" Touchstone (1788-1853) rests here as well. William Gould (1818-1906), son-in-law of Rigdon and an itinerant Irish dirt worker and Confederate soldier (9th Ga. Regt.) lies herein. Gould enlisted only months after the attack on Fort Sumter and served the entire war, surrendering at Appomattox Courthouse. Most of the graves are those of owners and operators of the mill including the Roberts, Boyd, and Bland families as well as a large number of their descendants. Also resting here is Sarah Ann "Sally" Hendrix Rigdon (1829-1906), daughter-in-law of Daniel Rigdon, who, with her children, Elizabeth, Ann, Daniel, David and Mitchell, faced down a force of Gen. Sherman's foraging "bummers" in December 1864 by hiding their livestock on an island in the lake. Supported by the Jack N. and Addie D. Averitt Foundation" - External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_ghm_rigdons-mill-the-rigdon-cemetery
- Digital Object URL:
- http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_ghm_rigdons-mill-the-rigdon-cemetery
- Language:
- eng
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright held by David Seibert. Please contact markers@davidseibert.com about commercial reproduction and use
- Holding Institution:
- Digital Library of Georgia
- Rights:
-
