Documenting the History of the Forest

While there are many historical sites scattered across the Duke Forest, much of the history of these sites is unknown, even to the Duke Forest staff. With help from local historians, we are beginning to learn more about the fascinating story of the lands that now make up the Forest.

 Recent research of one historian, Stewart Dunaway, has brought a number of pieces of the puzzle to light. Dunaway, a resident of Hillsborough, initially began researching colonial roads and bridges. He has catalogued over 6,000 pages of recorded documents at the State Archives, and quickly realized that "you couldn't get from here to there without passing a mill." An engineer by training, his interests turned to the mills on New Hope Creek in and around the Korstian Division. Locals have long known that the Creek supported numerous mills over the past 200 years. A number of historians have contributed greatly to the body of knowledge of these mills, including Dunaway's friend and mentor, David Southern. Dunaway's research has uncovered two particularly interesting pieces of the Creek's mill history, new even to many familiar with the area.  

Arguably one of the most well-preserved mill sites on New Hope Creek, Robson mill, is named after William Robson's family, the longest owners of the site. This mill, however, was actually built by George Johnston - the same family associated with the more modern Johnston Mill located near Turkey Farm Road, built by Charles Johnston. The first Johnston mill was sold by Johnston to Robson, and a couple of years later, Johnston built a second mill downstream from his first. Dunaway was able to discover this due to his research; in addition to the mill petition, he uncovered documents of a lawsuit between the two neighbors. Robson accused Johnston of flooding a portion of his property with this new dam, with much mudslinging on both sides. For whatever reasons, Robson lost the suit, and Johnston's second mill was permitted to continue operating. Robson, however, perhaps had the last word: after Johnston died, Robson bought much of the Johnston land. The exact location of George Johnston's second mill is currently unknown.  

A second mystery Dunaway is researching is the location of NC's first paper mill. Residents of Hillsborough may recall a sign on Churton Street that states the mill was nearby, but Dunaway contends that there is no evidence that the mill was in town. Thanks to the discovery of a lost plat, he thinks the location of the mill was on land owned by William Courtney, who applied for permission to build a paper and saw mill during a paper shortage caused by the Revolutionary War. This land is now part of the Korstian Division, near the Concrete Bridge. Because of the age of the mill, there is likely no physical evidence remaining. "Everyone always wants to say, ‘Show me right here on the map' but that is a difficult thing to do," Dunaway recently remarked at the Forest's Annual Gathering. The location of the paper mill may never be known.

While Dunaway's research has led to more questions, it has also shed light on amazing stories and previously forgotten details. Thanks to this research, we are able to document and protect these sites, and teach the public about their importance. Staff will host two separate history tours in the coming months; for more information, please see page 7. Without the dedication of historians like Dunaway, much of the history of the Duke Forest and surrounding areas would still be locked away in the archives.