Upstream: Ragsdale Road Bridge-Dillon Road

109-5 Oakdale Manufacturing Co Mill

Downstream: Harvey Road Bridge

According to Hughes (1988) the first European to settle in this location was Daniel Jean whose land was later stolen from him by Mr. Risdon Moore. Moore’s “land grant” makes reference to “Daniel Jean’s improvement” but it is unclear whether any mill was included. In any case, later the site belonged to Samuel Beeson who built a gristmill about 1815. In 1826, F. W. Davis added a saw mill and a pounding mill for refining gold ore. The 1860's Halsey Copper map shows the gold mill on the west bank of the river. 

During the Civil War the site was converted into a foundry (the water power was used to operate the bellows).  Immediately following the war, Thomas Cook founded Logan Manufacturing Co. and began operating a yarn and twine mill here, probably on the east bank. The picture above dates from that time. The name was changed to Oakdale Manufacturing Co. in 1873. Swain (1899) says the wooden dam was 20 feet high and 260 feet long with a 250 foot race. The 1860's wooden dam must have been replaced about 1900 with a stone dam (see photo below). The frame mill building was rebuilt in brick in 1889 under the leadership of Joseph Ragsdale and his wife, who was the grand-daughter of Thomas Cook. The mill is still owned and operated by the Cooks's descendants through the Ragsdale family.

Bull Run enters just below here.

This photo and others are located at http://www.oakdalecotton.com/about_us.htm

Areas for Research

• When was this first built?

Lawrence Holt and Caesar Cone were involved in operating the company in the 1890’s per Stockard (1902). but this disagrees with the company website.