Our Last Visit to the Old Coffey Mill

In the early 1980s, my father took me to see the old Coffey mill at Cohutta Springs for the last time. We drove slowly across the old wood-beam bridge that had seen better days, and we climbed up into the big empty room of the mill. By then, it was becoming dilapidated. Some of the huge floor beams had given way and fallen in the creek. You could look down between the remaining floor boards and see running water ~ a thing that caused me to tremble just slightly as I looked down into the wide, empty space that was left, and saw the creek water splashing on the rocks, way down down below us. We enjoyed visiting the old mill, but we were sad, too. Sad that it had fallen into decline, that it wouldn't last much longer. Now I drive past the spot where the old mill stood, I think of that day ~ and earlier visits to the old mill, and still feel a little sad.

My sister, early 1980s, at the old Coffey mill at Cohutta Springs in Murray County, Georgia. The mill had seen better days. From this angle, it doesn't look so high, but it sat high above the creek, and you could see the water between the broken floor beams.