A Haunting at Montauk Mill
Photo by Shari Harris
Assistant Superintendent Todd Wilkinson stands before a large mill stone which was removed by the CCC workers and which is engraved with the name of their company.
By Shari Harris, Publisher
Montauk State Park hosted an afternoon and evening of crafts and history on Saturday, October 17, with their Haunting of the Mill.
The afternoon began with spooky-fun crafts and games in the picnic area across from the mill. Haunted Mill tours were scheduled on the hour from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and “ghosts” of Montauk’s past shared their stories with guests.
Seasonal Park Naturalist Cheri Low was the tour guide. She explained how water from the mill pond (created by the dam upstream of the bridge) traveled to the mill via a mill race (a channel) and turned the turbines in the bottom of the mill to grind grain into meal.
At one time the mill race was used to raise trout, and the last owner of the mill, Grover Brigman, was known to fish there often, at times from the window of the mill to avoid getting in trouble with the game warden. Jason Stotler portrayed Brigman on Saturday evening, and Darin Biegel was the game warden Brigman tried to outwit.
The State purchased the Mill in 1926, and in 1935, it was restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which spent about two years at the park, building a sewer system, shelters, and cabins. A rock foundation replaced the rotting wood support of the mill, and the mill stones were removed from the building as the floor was too weak to hold them. Todd Wilkinson (Asst. Supt. of Montauk State Park) portrayed a CCC worker, and explained how many of the workers were World War I veterans, and they carved “Veteran Co. 1770, Sec. 2, Feb. 10, 35” on the stone, along with what appears to be some signatures.
The tour next ventured into the mill, where storekeeper Joe Humes (portrayed by Ron Alsup) displayed some “kitchen appliances” and other wares from his time period. Belle Brigman, wife of Grover, also shared some history with the tour (she was played by Evelyn Tyree, Seasonal Park Naturalist).
The tour returned to the mill parking area and was met by a final “ghost” of the past, a young baseball player (Lily Low played this part). The history of Ozark Baseball Camp was shared. It was located where Campgrounds 4 and 5 are currently found. Ty Cobb was a visitor to the camp during its heyday.
For the history lover, this tour through time was a special treat, as the actors brought to life the days gone by in the Montauk valley.
Photos by Shari Harris
