When the glacier gouged out the Unadilla River Valley it left many of its tributary streams higher than the valley floor. The result is manifest today as a series of waterfalls. Those I know about, from north to south on the west side are: Buttermilk Falls in New Berlin, White Store Falls in Norwich, and East Guilford Falls in Guilford. The topographic maps reveal other possibilities.
All this land along the valley is private, so my explorations are limited to those for which I have landowner permission. In the photo Bill Comings, the proud owner, is showing me the frothy spillway of the White Store Falls. Our local waterfalls come in two major types, those that fall straight down and those that cascade down rocky slopes. Bill’s falls run over a dome-shaped rock outcrop which churns the water into a white foam. A similar falls about seven miles north is named Buttermilk Falls because of its resemblance to flowing buttermilk.
The White Store Falls are named after the eponymous hamlet about a half-mile down stream. Hamlets have no boundaries, but White Store seems to lie on State Route 8 between County Road 34 and White Store Road. The White Store Falls are on an unnamed stream, which flows into the White Store Brook just north of White Store Road. The stone culvert under the road here exhibits some wonderful workmanship. White Store had its own post office from 1822 through 1905.
The hamlet is so named because of a store painted white. Most contemporary buildings at the time were unpainted or painted red. For more information see Mert Brownell’s 1976 book, “Unadilla Valley; White Store to East Guilford 1788-1976,” pages 92-97. See also the upcoming book by Thomas Gray, the Town Historian of Guilford, “The Days of the Mill and the Mansion.” It focuses on Rockwells Mills but reaches to the White Store area. It is currently in press but will be available soon.
White Store Brook flows out of Whites Pond. The pond, in the Town of New Berlin, was apparently named for its owner and the double use of “White” is just a coincidence. It is called Whites Pond on the 1875 map but not on earlier maps.
Our local waterfalls resemble the extreme behavior differences exhibited by that little girl with the forehead curl in the nursery rhyme, who was either very good or horrid. When they have water they flow magnificently with powerful gusto. But in drought years they are sometimes bone dry. Which probably explains the history of the mill.
The first saw-gristmill in the Unadilla Valley was built by the Mersereau brothers, Joshua and John, in 1789 in East Guilford, according to Thomas Gray. In 1793, Stephen Steere built the second gristmill (Brownell calls it the first) at the “foot” of White Store Falls. In 1847, David Milks moved it down to the Unadilla River and expanded his operation to include a sawmill. He used the effluent from a carding mill that was already there. I looked for the remains of the 1793 grist mill both up and downstream from the falls, but could not find any. Although Milks moved the mill, he would probably have left any stone structures, such as the dam abutments, in place.
The gorge area immediately downstream of the falls is narrow but would not be a good place to build a dam because when torrential water roared through, it would be knocked out. Besides, mill operators prefer to harness water power from millponds, where they have more control. Mills usually have a bypass channel so that excess water can be diverted away from their dams. Free running streams are either too rampant or too stagnant to rely on.
Therefore, when Brownell says the mill was at the foot of the falls, I have my doubts. It would have been washed away. About a quarter-mile downstream from the falls, the gorge fans out and a nice flat area, suitable for a millpond, presents itself. I suspect that the dam and mill site were located here. Although I still could not find any remains. But then, mid summer is not a good time to be searching for historical remains, because the lush vegetation obstructs vision.
The mills at both East Guilford and at Upperville, in Smyrna, were atop or alongside the falls, according to old photos. The area on top of White Store Falls is wide and flat enough to have been suitable, but here too, I found no remains.
Bill and his wife Jody have owned this waterfall and the land surrounding it for 12 years. When they bought this property, the falls area was being abused by trespassers. So Bill convinced them to leave and heavily posted his land. Bill is mighty persuasive. When he suggests to trespassers that they should leave, I bet they immediately recognize the wisdom in complying. Consequently, the White Store Falls are not open to the public. However, by special arrangement, Bill will escort interested visitors to view them.