Barnett Canal
Posted by: GeoGordie
N 36° 30.283 W 079° 45.555
17S E 611111 N 4040647
Located in Rockingham County .. Eden, NC
An unusual area where one man brought industry into a growing community.
Waymark Code: WM9HQ
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 03/27/2006
Views: 27
When James Barnett bought Tract #12 of the Byrd - Farley estate in 1813, he chose the Island Ford where the Petersburg to Salem Road crossed Smith River as the site for his grist mill. By building a dam on the river, Barnett forced water into a 4200 foot canal which brought power to the mill. In a family division of property, the grist mill fell to William Barnett, Jr. and became the nucleus for a saw mill, an oil mill, a carding machine, a cotton gin and a general store. In 1836 John M. Morehead, later our governor, became sole owner of the total operation and eventually of the whole tract.
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