Old Spencer Mill

There is nothing more relaxing than the sound of gently flowing water.

A giant water wheel, a babbling brook and beautiful autumn leaves make "Old Spencer Mill" one of the most peaceful places in the Midstate.

Fox 17's Miranda Cohen takes us to Dickson county in tonights Travelin' Tennessee.
The dulcimer, like the old-fashion grist mill may be a throw back to a by-gone era....but you can find both here at old spencer's mill.

The gentle turn of this one hundred year old water wheel takes you back to simpler way of life.

This mill was once the center piece of one of Tennessee's oldest towns.

Trish miller / Owner of Old Spencer's Mill: "This goes back to the 1800's or late 1700's there was a settlement here. Native Americans here. There's a lot of history here. Communities formed around grist mill for survival."

These huge grist stones once ground corn and flour for food now the owners run the mill for fun and education..

Trish Miller: "We do living history mainly, we dress in period dress... From colonial to civil war and we promote the best of the past through educating. It's very important to know where all things came from, where your family heritage came from. It answers a lot of questions because you don't know where you're going until you know where you came from."

Tim and Trish Miller bought the property in 1987 and Tim feels milling is a part of his heritage.

Tim Miller: "I've been drawn to mills and water wheels my whole life so it might be in my blood"

Now they're committed to restoring this vital part of the past and preserving the way of life for the future.

And if you time your visit right, you can learn how to throw a primitive weapon, learn about the first form of country music and even pick up survival tricks from a direct decedent from Daniel Boone, frontier educator Ed Konruff.

Frontiersmen Ed Konruff: "You can read it in books and that's fine but when you actually see and are able to talk to someone about the time period it's more interesting to them."

The mill has another purpose now. It's also a backdrop for family reunions and weddings and hosts camp-outs for kids.

As for the millers, they have big plans to keep adding to their tiny town.

Trish Miller: "Continue to collect the stories of the ancestors here and continue to share them and especially educate children who have no idea about their history."

You too can a take a walk back in time.

Old Spencers Mill is open year round in Dickson.

For more information just go to our website and click on fox links and look for Old Spencer Mill.Old Spencer Mill