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Tag Archives: eden mill

Kilgore Falls and Kayaking (Doggie Style)

12 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by Ronald Parks in Hiking, kayaking, Photography

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Dams, dogs, eden mill, Hiking, kayaking, Kilgore, mills, nature, photography

It was a nice day to head up to Eden Mill for some kayaking, but first we stopped at Kilgore Falls, on Falling Branch, to do a little hiking. Early enough and cool enough out that there wasn’t a big summer crowd there.

Nice, well worn trails to the falls.

Two paths across the water. I took the easier one since I was carrying Molly in one hand and the camera in the other.

Molly, a poop bag and an alien t-shirt. Life is sweet!

An unobstructed view.

Speaking of aliens, did you ever see the Star Trek episode with Frank Gorshin – Let That Be Your Last Battlefield?

We finished our hike and then headed to the mill for Molly’s first kayak adventure. She was well behaved and only got jumpy once. (When I say jumpy, I mean, we thought she was going to jump ship)

Heading up stream, waiting for me. Another kayaker suggested I move my truck. Shouldn’t park in front of the mill. I thought the mill was closed.

Right after she peeked over the side and realized she was on the water, she panicked some. But calmed down.

The barn and shed upstream a ways. The water was higher than normal. We were hoping to go further up, but…

…just past the farm the water was only a couple inches deep. I got out and walked up some to see if it was deeper upstream. To the curve, it was not.

We brought the kayaks together to drift downstream at an easy pace. Molly decided to jump in my kayak.

Only turtles we saw.

And this guy. We did see a couple deer driving the back road to the dam, but that was it for wildlife.

Speaking of wild life, when I went to get the truck, this guy, in his mastiff taxi, was pulling up! Another weekend of wonderful adventures!!

Eden Mill Kayaking

14 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in HISTORY, Photography, Reservoir, water history

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eden mill, engineering, Hiking, HISTORY, kayaking, mills, Museum, Public Works, water history

Kathy and I went kayaking on one of the most peaceful creeks I know of – Eden Mill at Deer Creek. Back in July 2013 I posted about History and Photography, that people should appreciate the history of the mills and streams they hike. Since I have just started to kayak, I now have a deeper appreciation of the history of Eden Mill. The perspective is so much different on the water than it is walking the trails.

Additional research has shown that there were a few plans for damming Deer Creek. in July of 2013 I wrote that the crest of the proposed dam at the Rocks would be at an elevation of 540’. Another 1933 study put it at 430’. In either case, if the dam was built, the mill would be under water.

The below topography map shows the creek elevation at 342’. The dam is 16’ tall so that brings us to 358’. The mill is three stories so let’s add roughly another 36’ – that’s 394’. So yes, that is still a good 30 feet underwater! The mill is to the right of the word creek, just past the branch stream.

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To know this and to understand the history makes it such a sweet kayaking adventure. Appreciate history. Go kayaking. Be happy!

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Looking upstream from the base of the mill.

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The Mill as it looked in the 1930s

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The mill and top of dam. View from kayaks.

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One of the branch streams that feeds Deer Creek. These two bridges would be under water.

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View from under the bridge. Back in the 30s, this bridge was probably an old wooden one.

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It doesn’t get any better than this!

History and Photography

20 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by Ronald Parks in HISTORY, Photography, water

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Baltimore, eden mill, engineering, FILTRATION, HISTORY, photography, water, water history

Eden Mill

 

It is a typical mill on a typical creek in Maryland. Maryland had many of these years ago. This one still stands and I have been to it many times to take photographs. When I look through my camera and put it into focus, I focus on more than just the building. I focus on the history of this building. For me, it is not a matter of taking a lot of pictures then rushing home to hurry up and put them on Facebook. (Then keep checking FB  every 10 minutes to see who commented. Yes – guilty!) I see something that I’m grateful to be able to see.

Back in Baltimore’s water history, between 1910-1930, there were many consultants and engineers hired to help the City find new sources of water. One of the recommendations was to build a dam, at what is called the ‘Rocks’ on Deer Creek, right where the Ma & Pa train tracks were. The dam would have a crest elevation of 540′. The top of the Eden Mill, pictured above, is at 535′ which means that the mill would have ended up under water and people from 1940 on would not have been able to see it.

So, the next time you take a picture of an older building, dam, bridge, etc., think of its history and not how fast you can upload to FB!!

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