| 1842-02-04 |
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History of Jeff. Co. by Western Historical Co. 1879: The Territorial Legislature passed an act empowering DG & Gilmore Kendall to construct a dam across the Rock River for the purpose of improving navigation & affording motive power, to be applied to running mills, etc., & approved 2/4/1842, & on 5/1, the construction of the dam was commenced by DG Kendall & EG Darling, to whom Gilmore Kendal had conveyed his interest. The work was done by these gentlemen assisted by George Crist & others. They constructed a crib work of logs for piers, at short distances from each other, across the river, on the top of which were placed stringers of heavy logs, surmounted by spars of tamarack timbers from 8" to 12" in thickness & about 20' long, one end of which was supported by the stringers, the opposite end slanting down on the upstream side & resting on the river bed. The interstices were filled up with thin hewn pieces of timber, gravel, etc. & the work was completed during the winter of that or the following year. During the next spring, Darling & Kendall constructed a sawmill on the east side of the river near the foot of Dodge St., which was also built under the supervision of Kendall, who raised the frame on 11/13 & during the winter sawed the boards with which to roof the bldg. the premises were completed & was busy for many years, until they were torn down in 1877. On 7/8/1843, Alonzo Wing purchased EG Darling's interest & on 2/15/1844, became sole owner by purchaseing DG Kendall's share & so remained until 1848, when he sold a 1/4 interest to Merick Sawyer & began the erection of a mill on the site of the present Woolen Mill. |