The Mill

Baker's Mill on Third Creek in Rowan County provided an anchor for following our family history from the time it was acquired about 1812 until sold by the family in 1873, a period of about 60 years. The mill has a long and interesting history and was an important part of Rowan County.

In 1725 James Brandon received a Granville Grant in Rowan County. A Granville Grant consisted of 640 acres of land, or one square mile, deed to a particioner by an agent in the colony of North Carolina that represented Lord Granville in England. For a one-time rent fee the grantee was free to do whatever he wanted with the land to include subdividing it and selling it for a higher fee. James Brandon established a grist mill on Third Creek as part of his "plantation" which was deemed a public mill by the Rowan County courts in 1763. At his death he left the mill and surrounding land to his son, William.

Our family acquired the mill about 1812 along with soem land from Charles Griffith, son of Zaddock Griffith, who obtained the mill from William Brandon in 1799. I believe we acquired the mill to settle some form of debt that Charles Griffith had incurred. Our family operated the grist mill until it was sold by John Baker to G.L. Shinn for "one dollar and debt." It seems what goes around comes around. Along with the mill went 340 acres of land. This same John Baker was mentioned in an article printed in The Carolina Watchman, a Salisbury newspaper printed before and after the Civil War, commending him for selling flour at $15 dollars a barrel. The mill on Third Creek has been known as Brandon's Mill, Griffith's Mill, Baker's Mill and Shinn's Mill. However, the name of the location on a 1903 map of the area referred to the site as Baker's Mill.