Markle Mill

The Markle Mill was located at the intersection of Mill Dam Road and Rosedale Road on the north side of Terre Haute. It was built in 1817 by Major Abraham Markle. When Markle came to Terre Haute, he was part of the Terre Haute Land Company. The Terre Haute Land Company bought eleven tracts of land in what is now present day Terre Haute. They are responsible not only for building the first shops, stores, and houses, but also for Vigo County and making Terre Haute the county seat. After owning the first land in the area, Markle went to work at creating the first industry for the farmers to convert their crops into marketable products. The mill was built as a gristmill, sawmill, and distillery. The original structure was thirty-six square feet and three stories high. The wood for the mill came from trees cut in the woods behind the mill. The dam was made of large wooden timbers anchored in stone. A small paddle wheel, provided the power to run the gristmill and sawmill. Markle decided to have it placed on Otter Creek, where the water flowed enough to make it possible to run the mill year round. The mill was an economic success because of its proximity to a large population in Terre Haute and to the Wabash River. In 1826, Abraham Markle fell to his death.

Furthermore, after Abraham's death his son Frederick Markle took over the mill until his death in 1866. In the time that Frederick ran the mill, he built the Markle House directly across from the mill location. After Frederick's death, his two sons ran the mill until 1888 when they sold the it to H.S. Creal. The Markle Mill ran successfully for 121 years, before it burnt down in 1938. It is known as the area's first industry. All that remains of it today are the crumbled arches that still stand in Otter Creek. This is a good representation of Terre Haute, all that remains are its crumbled beginnings. There is no doubt in my mind that if this mill had not burned down, it would have already been torn down today.

I actually went and visited the historical site at Otter Creek. It really is breathtaking. When I got out of the car, I could hear the rumble of the waterfall before I could see it. The area is beautiful and full of so much history, even the house that Frederick Markle built still stands across from the creek. It's easy to imagine the booming activity that used to take place there. Now, all you see are cars speeding by, and they probably have no clue what used to be there or that it marked the beginning of the city they live in today.