Deer's Mill or Deer Mill is an unincorporated community in Ripley Township, Montgomery County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.[1]

Deer's Mill, Indiana
Deer's Mill Covered Bridge
Deer's Mill Covered Bridge
Deer's Mill is located in Montgomery County, Indiana
Deer's Mill
Deer's Mill
Location in Montgomery County
Coordinates: 39°56′51″N 87°03′20″W / 39.94750°N 87.05556°W / 39.94750; -87.05556
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyMontgomery
TownshipRipley
Elevation594 ft (181 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
47933
Area code765
FIPS code18-17336[2]
GNIS feature ID433435[1]

History

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Deer's Mill was built by Joel Deer in 1829.

A year after arriving in Montgomery County, in 1829, Joel built the township's first grist and saw mill along the banks of Sugar Creek.[3] It was called Deer's Mill, and that small corner of Montgomery County retains that name to this day. The original millhouse was of log construction with common stones, and primarily ground wheat and corn.

In 1833, Joel platted a small village adjacent to the mill. It was at various times known as Deer's Mill, Deerfield, Deerford, and Bluff Mill. The community, however, never quite developed, and any remnants have long since vanished. Deer's Mill, however, did a thriving business, and in 1839, Joel replaced the original log structure with one made of frame construction. Over time, a woolen mill and general store were added to the Deer's Mill enterprise.[4]

Bridge

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The Deer's Mill bridge was built in 1878 by J. J. Daniels and spans 275 feet (84 m) across Sugar Creek.[4] It was documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in 1974.[5]

 
Deer's Mill Covered Bridge

References

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  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Deer's Mill, Indiana
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ Beckwith, Hiram Williams; Kennedy, P. S. (1881). History of Montgomery County, Together with Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley. H. H. Hill and N. Iddings. p. 350.
  4. ^ a b Montgomery County, Indiana USGenWeb Project
  5. ^ Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. IN-28, "Deer's Mill Covered Bridge, Spanning Sugar Creek at Highway 234, Alamo, Montgomery County, IN"