As one looks upon Mill Fork today it is hard to visualize it as it was before the turn of the century. There were three saw mills in Mill Fork Canyon. Here ties were cut out of Spruce, Pine or whatever was available. It helped supply ties for the Rio Grande Railroad and two branch lines. ALso the lumber was used to build homes here at Mill Fork and up and down the canyon.
There were three Charcoal Kilns located along the highway just west of this cemetery. Men with teams and wagons cut Pinion Pine to burn in these kiln. One can walk for miles on the north side of the highway from Sheep Creek to Tie Fork and count thousands of Pinion Pine stumps left standing.
Hannah Chadwick Atwood told of many times of the upper Charcoal Kilns located about three or four miles east of here, near Garner Hollow. Her husband lived about a half mile east of the cemetery along the side of the hill and had two sons born there.
Many homes were built here in its early life. Some were located across the river to the south on the large flat. Others were built back in some of the side canyons. Some were rock dug-outs.
There was a general store and four section houses for the railroad employees. In 1888 a large water tank was built along the tracks. There was a reservoir located about three-fourth to one-half mile up Mill Fork Canyon that fed the tank with gravity flow water.
There were farms along the river where ever there was a level spot. Beatiful potatoes were grown up here, also hay and grain. Men worked on the section, for the Charcoal Kiln and other means to make a living.
They had dances held in the school house between here and Sheep Creek to the west. One boy burned it down so he wouldn't have to go to school. About 250 people lived here at its peak.