History: White’s Mill (History of Abbotsford) 

Contact: Stan

Surnames: Wing, Smart, Brown 
 

----Source: Abbotsford Tribune (Abbotsford, Clark County, Wis.) 01/22/1953 
 

Written by F. B. Wing 
 

White’s Mill must have been of much importance to the early pioneers, as mention of it appears in the Feb. 25, 1886 issue of the Colby Phonograph:

The locators of the railroad land had reached White’s Mill last Saturday. 3They say the railroad will be built surely from Merrill to Abbotsford. 
 

May 13, 1886 issue: The slasher saw at White’s Mill burst, last Monday and the fragments flew around promiscuously like one piece that took effect on the person of John E. Smart, striking him in the forearm, making an ugly looking though not dangerous wound. Under June 5, 1886 date, mention is made of a picnic on the raging Eau Pleine, near White’s Mill. According to Charles Brown, White’s Mill was located three and one-half miles east and a half mile north of the Eau Pleine river. The mill used only logs of clear pine, for the reason they used only that part up to the first knot. They left the top part of the tree. Later a shingle mill was established, which used the upper part of the trees. They also used the shaky butts from the larger trees. *** Note: The rest of the article was cut off and was not available at the time of transcription.