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- Aug 10, 2017
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Years ago, I had an opportunity to go ghost hunting at a site in rural Kentucky. The site included a historic grist mill, saw mill, blacksmith cabin and partially torn down workers' house that had originally been the grist mill owner's personal home until he moved his family further away from the mill itself. The grist mill sat on side of a wide stream and the saw mill sat on the other side. The cabin was located directly across the gravel road and beyond that a large open field. The field was surrounded by thick woods and, along a path winding through the woods, concealed from view, stood the remains of the workers' house.
Though on the historic registry, the entire site lay on private land. It had a long local reputation for being haunted. However, few people ventured there as the grounds were also reputed to be a gathering site for the KKK. They didn't take well to snoopers. My friends and I were all deputies at the time, though, and felt safe in assuming that no one would stop to harass us. The subject of this thread isn't my experience there, however, but what I found when researching the site.
The operation was built around 1850 by William Guyn. It operated until about 1920. During this era, Kentucky was still largely rural. The first permanent settlement occurred in 1774. Fur trapping was a main source of income for many Kentucky pioneers. Those familiar with early pioneers may well recognize the French trapper garb made famous by Daniel Boone. This is exactly the dress that would have been common place at Guyn's Mill. I have included a representation of a fur trappers garb that would have been worn in 1850 rural Kentucky.
The site remained unchanged and preserved in its original state. In 1980, a survey was conducted for the historic registry. The photographs taken were numbered and entered into the US Library of Congress. You can be certain that these photographs were taken for survey purposes and unaltered. If you look closely in the photograph that I posted, you can see a man standing toward the side of the grist mill. He is wearing fur trapper garb customary to the day. You can make out the pouch on his side, the fur cap and long, fur lined coat. He is holding a long object that I presume is a long musket or perhaps oar. Long oars were used to push rafts or logs down the stream. This man is not standing on anything but is, in fact, suspended in air. Having been to the location, I know exactly where he is standing in the photograph. On the other side of the mill and less visible is a small child on a swing. The child is wearing a white dress that girls and young boys of the time wore. The child's knees are together and the feet are crossed as a child on a swing will do. The rope of the swing is partially visible. The mill was a family operation. W. Guyn had children and its likely that they would have played in the area.
Have a close look. Remember, these are survey photos taken for the Library of Congress. They are neither staged nor altered.
Though on the historic registry, the entire site lay on private land. It had a long local reputation for being haunted. However, few people ventured there as the grounds were also reputed to be a gathering site for the KKK. They didn't take well to snoopers. My friends and I were all deputies at the time, though, and felt safe in assuming that no one would stop to harass us. The subject of this thread isn't my experience there, however, but what I found when researching the site.
The operation was built around 1850 by William Guyn. It operated until about 1920. During this era, Kentucky was still largely rural. The first permanent settlement occurred in 1774. Fur trapping was a main source of income for many Kentucky pioneers. Those familiar with early pioneers may well recognize the French trapper garb made famous by Daniel Boone. This is exactly the dress that would have been common place at Guyn's Mill. I have included a representation of a fur trappers garb that would have been worn in 1850 rural Kentucky.
The site remained unchanged and preserved in its original state. In 1980, a survey was conducted for the historic registry. The photographs taken were numbered and entered into the US Library of Congress. You can be certain that these photographs were taken for survey purposes and unaltered. If you look closely in the photograph that I posted, you can see a man standing toward the side of the grist mill. He is wearing fur trapper garb customary to the day. You can make out the pouch on his side, the fur cap and long, fur lined coat. He is holding a long object that I presume is a long musket or perhaps oar. Long oars were used to push rafts or logs down the stream. This man is not standing on anything but is, in fact, suspended in air. Having been to the location, I know exactly where he is standing in the photograph. On the other side of the mill and less visible is a small child on a swing. The child is wearing a white dress that girls and young boys of the time wore. The child's knees are together and the feet are crossed as a child on a swing will do. The rope of the swing is partially visible. The mill was a family operation. W. Guyn had children and its likely that they would have played in the area.
Have a close look. Remember, these are survey photos taken for the Library of Congress. They are neither staged nor altered.
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