I spent a pleasant afternoon with Carl Toko and Kim Black exploring a stretch of the Souhegan River downstream from the Wheeler Dam in New Ipswich, NH.  The river  level had fallen significantly after weeks of drought and we were able to walk along the riverbed to see the remnants of what was once a mill.

It is my understanding the mill was built in the late 1700s by Zachariah Adams and John Breed. I’ll refer to it as Wheeler Mill since it is downstream from Wheeler Dam. Nothing remains of the mill but a few odd pieces of machinery and lots of stone walls.  I returned a few days after to take some photos and attempt to visualize how the mill might have been constructed.

I suspect that these two rock walls formed a sluiceway to divert water to drive a turbine. A piece of heavy machinery is almost completely covered with leaves and soil.

There are several pieces of machinery poking through the leaves including a large gear on a shaft. I have no idea what this thing is.

There is a deep chasm which I suspect was the original location of the dam that powered  the mill. It was very steep but I was determined to get down to the water level for a photo. The leaves were slippery so I scooted down on my butt. I suspect that this was probably the location of the bottom of the dam when the mill was in operation.

What goes down must go up, so after I took this photo I crawled back to the ledge on my hands and knees. Safety first when you are are a septuagenarian.

It is wonderful to live in a place with a history. Especially when it is not paved over or turned into a parking lot. This spot is only a short walk from my house.