Continue along the Company Mill Trail to this cache. The Company Mill Trail can be surprisingly tranquil for its proximity to the capital city. Approximately 25 minutes into the hike Crabtree Creek appears, which is where the Company Mill site existed back in the early 1800s. Remnants of the old dam are visible on both sides. The Company Mill, formerly known as Page Mill, was built in 1810. This mill is one of three water powered grist mills located within William B. Umstead Park in Raleigh, NC. Out of these three grist mills, Company Mill is the most well-known and most accessible mill, as trail goers can visit this site when walking along The Company Mill trail. The Company Mill, owned by the Page family, was used as a source of food and income, building a strong community of 40 families that thrived around the mill. In addition to the mill, there are still a number of graveyards in the surrounding area. The grave of Oscar Page and his wife can be found nearby. The Page family left the area about 1900 but their legacy can be seen throughout the park. The family name can be found throughout the area.
All geocaches placed in NC State Parks must have the explicit permission of the park superintendent. This is one in a series of caches placed as a joint experiment with the NC Geocachers Organization and Umstead State Park management. At this time, they are not issuing permits for any other hides besides this set, so please do not submit a request to the office. If all goes well with this experiment, they will consider individual requests in the future. State Park Permit # S22-5955 was issued for this cache placement.
The park began in 1934, under the Resettlement Administration, federal and state agencies united to buy 5,000 acres of this submarginal land to develop a recreation area. The Civilian Conservation Corps, as well as the Works Progress Administration, helped construct the site while providing much needed jobs. Four camps along with day-use and picnic facilities were built and the park opened to the public in 1937.
The state purchased this area, known as Crabtree Creek Recreation Area, for $1, and more facilities were built as the General Assembly made its first state parks division appropriation in the 1940s. In 1950, more than 1,000 acres of the park were established as a separate park for African-Americans. This area was named Reedy Creek State Park. Crabtree Creek Recreation Area was renamed a few years later after former Governor William Bradley Umstead because of his conservation efforts. In 1966, the Crabtree Creek and Reedy Creek areas were united under the same name; William B. Umstead State Park was open to everyone. Today the park is almost 5600 acres, making it the largest in the system that is directly adjacent to a metropolitan area. The park features 23 listed trails that cover over 32 miles for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. It also offers camping and boating facilities to visitors.
Relics of the past are still found throughout William B. Umstead State Park. The land was once shaped and altered to develop home sites, roadbeds, and agricultural fields. Following designation as a park, young forests returned and recreational facilities were added. The past continues to influence the park’s ecology. The stone dams of grist mills held back sediments and shaped the stream bank. Roadbeds remain marked in the landscape. And ornamental plants continue to endure amidst the forest. The change in land use from farm to forest has allowed signs of lasting human impacts to converge with elements of the natural world. This demonstrates the ways state parks preserve the marks of history as well as the natural ecosystems. Unique flora and fauna native to North Carolina can be found throughout the park.