A Little
History...
The Mill was originally constructed by Charles
Ready in 1812, who operated the mill making constant improvements
until his death in 1859. After Charles' death, the mill was
purchased by his daughter Jane and her husband. The mill was
destroyed by fire under mysterious circumstances during the Civil
War, but rebuilt by Robert Carter who ran the mill until 1889.
After they take over the operation, Hayes & McFerrin add a
sawmill in 1889 and an electric generator in 1900. The generator is
used to power an ice making process, which leads to the addition of
the Icehouse, which still stands today. Later, electricity
generated by the mill is distributed to local homes in the
community, which leads to TVA purchasing the mil's generator in
1937. The mill then passes through several hands before being
placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and
eventually closing operations in 1978. The mill sat silent, slowly
deteriorating until 2006, when Tomm Brady rediscovered this
treasure and began it's restoration. In 2009, the mill was put back
into service, grinding locally grown organic wheat and corn to make
flour, meal and grits. Since that time, restoration of the mill,
outbuildings and grounds has continued, until the Readyville Mill
Complex was ready for visitors.
The Readyville Mill complex consists of five
restored buildings: Mill, Granary, Icehouse, Miller’s Cabin,
and the Smokehouse.
The Mill, a continuing restoration in progress,
is the machine that converts gravity driven water into mechanical
power for doing work: grinding grain, sawing lumber, generating
electricity. The Mill is being restored to once again do these
things and it is available to visitors who are interested in what a
19th Century mill is and how it works. Back when the Mill was
operational, the Granary and the Icehouse were where the products
of the mill were stored. Today the fully air-conditioned and heated
Granary accommodates 75 for family style dining while the open
space of the adjoining Icehouse is ideal for gathering, dancing and
socializing.
Seeking the
cache...
The mill, restaurant and grounds
are only open to visitors on Saturdays from 8:00 AM till 1:00 PM,
and I really suggest that you visit during those times in order to
get the full experience of this historical treasure. The good news
is the cache itself is accessible any day of the week, although I
would discourage night caching, as we would not want to disturb the
neighbors. The cache is placed at the main entrance to the property
and the mill and building are visible from there, so please do not
block the entrance to the mill and be considerate of the nearby
homes and businesses. You are seeking a 2 quart lock n' lock
container painted pale pink with polka dots.
A kind thank
you...
I would like to offer special
thanks to Readyville Mill for opening their property to us. This
cache was placed with the kind permission of Tomm Brady, proprietor
of the Readyville Mill. You may see Tomm grinding corn at the mill
or wandering about, if you do be sure to thank him for sharing this
great treasure with us.