Upstream: Randleman Dam

Union Factory (Randleman)

Downstream: US 220 Business Bridge

Vernon (1962) reports that Peter Dicks, a founder of Guilford College, built a gristmill and an oil mill here about 1800, although Dicks Mill is mentioned as early as 1763 in Rowan Ct Min. On the Randolph Historical Map, this is shown as the Dickey Mill dated 1766. Rowan Ct Min for Jul 1766 direct Thomas Dickey to “clear out the upper ford” along the Trading Path and “that said Dickey . . . build a grist mill on Deep River at the place where his saw mill was.” This must have become either the Union Factory dam site.

Blair (1890) says that in 1848 a number of area businessmen founded a cotton mill here called Union Factory. Vernon (1962) says that on Jul 7, 1868 George W. Swepson sold Union Factory to John Randleman and the name of the location changed for good. Randleman had long worked in the cotton mill business and was at one time manager of the High Falls Cotton Mill on the Haw River. The Randleman factory burned in 1885 and was rebuilt. Swain (1899) says there were two mills driven by one 12 foot high, 275 foot long dam with a 500 foot race. Randleman Manufacturing Company later came to own numerous textile mills in the area including Naomi Falls. The mills sold to Deep River Mills, Inc. in 1911 and were auctioned in 1933.

Swain says the Randleman Manf Co dam was 10 feet high and made of stone, concrete and plank.

Saville (1924) identifies this as Deep River Mills Dam #1. The dam was used for hydropower at that time.

Areas for Research

• When was this first built?