Tennessee Mill Company Records
The Tennessee Mill Company Records, 1903-1909, document the business of a flour, corn meal, and feed processing factory in Estill Springs, Tennessee.
Included are mentions of corn shipments in which the quality of the corn has come into question, wheat shipments in which the price paid does not compare favorably with other wheat sales, and railroad troubles in which the company is facing a roadblock in its attempt to reship grain through Nashville.
The majority of the correspondence and all of the bills of sale relate to Charles H. Corn, superintendent of the Estill Springs factory. These letters document the day-to-day workings of the mill but also demonstrate the high status of the mill among area politicians. Letters from Senator James B. Frazier and Lawrence D. Tyson ask for political support from Corn.
The correspondence also documents the vast number of mills in Tennessee around the turn of the 20th century. Among the facilities represented in this collection are the Ross-Meehan Foundry Company in Chattanooga, the Hardy Grain Company in Union City, the Ransom Brothers & Company (grain and cotton) in Murfreesboro, and Liberty Mills (flour, meal and grits) in Nashville. A number of letters to or from officials with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and the North Carolina & St. Louis Railroad can also be found in these records.
Dates
- 1903-1909
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.1 Linear Feet (2 folders)
Abstract
The Tennessee Mill Company Records, 1903-1909, document the business of a flour, corn meal, and feed processing factory in Estill Springs, Tennessee. Most of the records consist of correspondence to or from Charles H. Corn, superintendent of the plant.
Biographical/Historical Note
The Tennessee Mill Company was established in Estill Springs, Franklin County, Tennessee and processed flour, corn meal, and feed in a plant on the Elk River. Charles H. Corn (1859-1943) served as the superintendent of the plant throughout the period covered by these records. On letterhead from 1906, R. J. Riddle is listed as the company's proprietor. Additionally, the company had a second plant in Birmingham, Alabama, which was managed by W. H. Makin.
Arrangement
Collection consists of two folders.
Acquisition Note
This collection was purchased by Special Collections in January 1995.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository