Welcome to the 17th in our Fallin' For Virginia cache series. We are continuing to attempt to bring you to some of Southwest Virginia's most beautiful but little known waterfalls.
The historic Parks Mill is a real eighteenth-century, water-powered, grist mill which is still in operation on the Fifteen Mile Creek in Washington County, Virginia.
THE OLD MILL
The original mill was built around 1780 by Oliver Alexander. It was used to produce stone-ground corn meal, oat and wheat flours.
The Parks family purchased the original mill in 1810 and operated it until it was destroyed by fire during the Civil War. By 1865 they had rebuilt the current three-story mill and ran it until they sold it to Jasper Brown in 1933. First Brown, and then his son, Dave operated the mill into the 1980's.
The current owner, Dave Holcomb, gave permission to place this cache. The mill still operates by the same time-honored, water-powered process used now for more than 220 years at the mill.
You are looking for a (3 X 5 x 5) camo-taped Rubbermaid container. At times there can be a lot of muggles close by. Take a stroll along the creek to the falls, tour the mill, take pictures, eat a barbecue meal or some ice cream and find a cache. Have a good caching day.
NOTE: We are planning a special award for completing the entire series. Nothing drastic but something for your efforts and to remember what you accomplished. We will watch the logs but let us know when you have done it!