Thatcherville and Thatcherville Road based on the description in Seaver.
1908 USGS mapThatcherville was a hamlet on the North Branch of the Saranac River between Lake Kushaqua and Loon Lake. In the mid- to late-1800s it was an important site of the lumber business, and the site of a series of mills run by Albert Turner in 1882, and earlier by Messrs. Caldwell, Comstock, and Jackson. In 1881 the mill was being operated by 16-year-old E. M. Merrill who became famous as an engineer and surveyor.
The only remaining evidence of its existence is Thatcherville Road, which runs for three miles from the Kushaqua-Mud Pond Road to the Port Kent and Hopkinton Turnpike at Hunter's Home, near Loon Lake.
Frederick J. Seaver, Historical Sketches of Franklin County, (1918) p. 362
A mill was built at Thatcherville, three miles above Hunters' Home, about 1840 by Avery Thatcher, and a dozen years later Allan Comstock rebuilt on the same site for his father, Peter, of Franklin Falls. Litigation tied up the property, however, and the mill never did any work. The writer remembers visiting it in 1863, when it had become a wreck. About 1879 or 1880 Albert Turner rebuilt it, and ran it for two or three years — finally selling it to the Hartwells of Plattsburgh. The mill and the houses belonging with it have been swept away by fire, and the site is now owned by the International Paper Company.
The bridge at Thatcherville, now closed.
Mud Pond is at left, the Saranac River at right.Plattsburgh Sentinel, August 11, 1882
THE SARANAC RIVER IMPROVEMENT
Appointment of Commissioners—42,000 Acres of Timber Land to be Made Accessible.
George W. Hartwell, Hon. Andrew Williams, and Wales Parsons were on the 5th inst. appointed by the Governor as commissioners to superintend the removal of obstructions in the north branch of the Saranac river, in accordance with the act passed last winter, appropriating $6,000 for that purpose. Their commissions were received this week, and are handsomely executed documents, bearing the “great seal” of the State.
The improvements to be made will commence at what is known as the Thousand Islands, about nine miles above Clayburgh, or the forks of the river. For the first four miles above Clayburgh, to the mouth of Alder Brook, the river runs smoothly and there is sufficient depth for rafting. Goldsmith used to raft his lumber between these points. For three and a half miles above Alder Brook to the foot of Goldsmith pond the river is rapid, but there are no obstructions to driving logs. The pond sets back about a mile and a half, when we come to the Thousand Islands. Here the stream divides into a dozen sluggish channels, through a cedar swamp for about a mile and a half. The work to be done will consist of bringing the current all into one main and enlarged channel, by means of digging and dredging, and removing obstructions.
For two miles and a half above the Thousand Islands to Thatcherville there is a rocky rapids which will need extensive improvements. Rocks will need to be removed at points all along the stream to provide a suitable run-way for the logs.
Above Thatcherville, a slack-water system is entered upon, extending through Mud Pond, and Round Pond up to Rainbow Lake, the source of the North Branch. No improvements are needed above Thatcherville, except the repairing of the dams at the outlets of Mud and Round Ponds. As we understand it, it will be necessary to bring these dams into requisition for the successful driving of logs, raising the gates at proper times, and producing high water in the stream.
Thatcherville, where Mr. Albert Turner is now running a mill, is a point of considerable importance in the past history of the lumber business, Caldwell's, Corn- stock's, and Jackson's mills having been successively operated there.
The contemplated improvement of the North Branch will open up some forty-two thousand acres of timber land, mostly located above Thatcherville, owned about as follows: Messrs. Hartwell 7,000; Mr. Parsons 4,500; A. Turner 2,000; M. V. B. Turner 2,500; Mrs. Ellis 6,000; Hon. S. M. Weed 1,000; Mr. Hanlon 1,000; the State about 20,000.
With these improvements, the Saranac river will be the natural outlet for the lumber of this region, which is an item of business of no small consideration. It is expected that work on the improvement will be commenced at once and completed if possible this season.
Plattsburgh Sentinel, May 24, 1889
LOON LAKE .
—The first logs of the combined drive went through Cold Brook on Tuesday last.
—The logs are out of Mud Pond and the drivers say they will jump the dam at Thatcherville by Saturday of this week.
—On Tuesday, the 16th, a driver was caught to a jam of logs just as they “hauled” and was hurt. If the jam had moved six feet farther he would, most likely, have been ground to powder, but it came to a sudden stop, and but just to time.
Plattsburgh Press-Republican, January 21, 1947
… “Lem” Merrill was native of Merrillsville and was born on April 10, 1865, a son of Jeremiah and Louise (Washburn) Merrill. He attended the Merrillsville school, but left at the age of 14, going to work on the Merrill farm. When he was 16 he ran the sawmill at Thatcherville on the Saranac's north branch, earning 50 cents a day…
