Preston Grist Mill and Dam on Big Spring and Stroubles Creek

In 1815, James Patton Preston (1774–1843), a future governor of Virginia, petitioned the Montgomery County Court to have viewers inspect and approve the construction of a grist mill dam on the Big Spring and Stroubles Creek. We believe this “Big Spring” may have been the spring later known as Painter’s Spring, Palmer Spring, or Spout Spring.

Will Book Vol 1, Index (Montgomery County Court, Christiansburg Virginia)

An even earlier mystery appears in Montgomery County’s road records. During the early years of European settlement, court orders repeatedly mention “The Pond on the Alleghany” east of Blacksburg. Could this be the same area along present-day Clay Street, east of First Baptist Church?

The pond appears in numerous early court records (courtesy of Ed Marsh). For example:

May 5, 1801 (MCOB 12, p. 212): The court ordered viewers to examine proposed routes “from John Ross’s Glade to the top of a pond on the Alleghany Mountain on Peppers Ferry Road.”
July 6, 1802 (MCOB 13, p. 132): Another road order directed viewers to inspect routes “from the Pond on the Alleghany Mountain eastward of Blacksburg to Peppers Ferry on New River.”
Other records also reference roads running “from the Pond on the Alleghany Mountain through Blacksburg…”

These repeated references suggest that the pond was a well-known landmark in the early 1800s, yet its exact location has largely been forgotten.

Could the “Pond on the Alleghany” have been associated with the same spring system later used to power Preston’s mill? Or was it a separate natural feature that disappeared as Blacksburg developed?

We’re continuing to investigate this fascinating piece of Montgomery County’s landscape history. If you’ve come across references to the Pond on the Alleghany or have family stories, maps, or other clues, we’d love to hear from you.

Writ of ad quod Damnum (to what damage) #1

At the January 7, 1815, session of the Montgomery County Court, James Patton Preston’s petition was granted for viewers to examine the proposed grist mill dam on the Big Spring and the waters of Stroubles Creek (Will Book 2, pp. 282–284). The court appointed the following men to inspect the site and determine whether constructing the dam would cause harm or inconvenience to neighboring properties upstream or downstream. (Montgomery County Court, Christiansburg Virginia)

John Slusher
Henry Ott
Lawson Dunnington
John D. Helms
Zach’h Decamp
Samuel Burch
James Mitchell
Wm. Argerbright
John Black
John Robinson
Michael Kinzer
Dangerfield Dobyns

Writ of ad quod Damnum (to what damage) #2

At the January 7, 1815, session of the Montgomery County Court, James Patton Preston’s petition was granted for viewers to examine the second proposed grist mill dam on the Big Spring and the waters of Stroubles Creek (Will Book 2, pp. 284–287). The court appointed the following men to inspect the site and determine whether constructing the dam would cause harm or inconvenience to neighboring properties upstream or downstream. Same men evaluated this dam as the first one.

Why two petitions? We don’t know but perhaps he was proposing two places along the same creek. (Montgomery County Court, Christiansburg Virginia)

Writ of ad quod Damnum (to what damage) #3

At the March 1, 1816, session of the Montgomery County Court, James Patton Preston’s petition was granted for viewers to examine another proposed grist mill, dam, and ditch on the waters of Stroubles Creek (Will Book 2, pp. 357–360). The record also mentions a mill house, suggesting that additional improvements were planned or already existed at the site.

The court appointed the following men to inspect the proposed location and determine whether construction of the dam would cause harm or inconvenience to neighboring properties upstream or downstream. Several of the appointed viewers differed from those named in the earlier petitions. The record also references John P. Preston, the heirs of Granville Smith, and a “mansion,” offering intriguing clues about the surrounding landscape and landownership in the area.