By MARK GREEN

Special to the Herald

About a mile or so off U.S. Highway 411 on County Road 45 in a beautiful rural setting in Cherokee County, Jerry Don and Peggy Dempsey have undertaken a project that many would not have tackled.  They have almost completed restoration of the old Chandler’s Mill originally built in 1860. 

In that year, brothers William J. Chandler and Jimmy Chandler moved to the Whorton Community from Talladega, Alabama.  At their former home, they had worked in a grist mill owned by their father. 

The Chandler brothers, with the help of neighbors, erected a two-story building for the gristmill.  Since they were about one mile from Spring Creek, many hours of strenuous labor was necessary to dig the raceway that would bring water from the creek to the mill. 

Along the way, ponds and gates ensured the flow of water from the creek to the turbine at the mill to operate the equipment used to grind corn into meal, grits and flour. 

According to the historical records, they had so much grain coming in to the mill that it was necessary at times to grind at night.  Of course, there was no electricity so the only light available for this night work was lanterns.  After a period of time, they added a country store to sell goods to the community.

In July of 2004, Jerry Don and Peggy Dempsey purchased the land where the old mill and the raceway were located from Austin Ashley a descendant of the Chandler family.  According to Dempsey, the land had never been out of the Chandler family since 1860 until he purchased it in 2004. 

Peggy Dempsey stated that “when you rode down through here before we bought it, to look you would never know there was ever anything here.  It was just a jungle on both sides of the road.  Jerry always knew it was here because his dad bought a sawmill from Mr. Whorton when he run the gristmill.  He always knew Chandler’s Mill was here but did not know exactly where till after we bought it and we started clearing it and that’s when he found the original turbine.” 

As the Dempsey’s cleared the land, they found much of the original equipment that was used in the milling process. 

“This is the 55 horsepower turbine down there,” said Dempsey, “It turns the mill.  This is where the rocks are.  The corn goes in here…this is part of the old original gristmill.  It’s got a date on it when they bought it — they bought it in 1874 and they patented it in 1860.  Everything’s hydrolytic…I’ve got hydrolytic lines that pull it all.” 

The corn is shelled by a two-ear sheller, which also was found on the property as part of the original equipment.  It then goes through the grinder, which makes the meal. 

A separator shoots flour out one side, grits out the other side, and the husks come out the front. 

According to Dempsey, the mill has been operational enough for about two months so that he could make meal, flour and grits. 

The cabin, constructed by the Dempsey’s, is made from lumber cut and planed in his own sawmill.  Part of the timber used was cut and sawed from the original site.

In 2007, work was begun on the huge water wheel to produce the power for the gristmill.  The whole family got involved in the building of the water wheel — Jerry Don and his son Joel and grandson Bo Dempsey, Joey Smith and Jerry Don’s nephew Layne Hudson. 

In 2009, metal bands and paddles were made to replace the wooden ones on the 45-foot tall wheel. 

According to Dempsey,  “Berry College had the United State’s tallest water wheel at 43 feet.  I made mine 45 feet so it would be a little bigger than theirs.”  “I started working on this in 2004” said Dempsey, “I’m going to get it going by spring”.

Chandler’s Mill is open now on Saturdays and Sundays selling flour, meal, and grits made just like they were in 1860 even using some of the original equipment. 

A recipe is on the bag — though this is probably something that was not provided in 1860.  But, for the Dempsey’s, this is not some type of business venture…it is truly a labor of love.