top of page

Historical Markers

Rigdon's Mill & The Rigdon Cemetery

Location: Lakeview Road & Old Hardy Place Road, Statesboro, Georgia

County: Bulloch

Coordinates: 32.490448, -81.778595

Dedicated: March 20, 1014

Marker Type: Bulloch County Historical Society

MARKER TEXT (FRONT)

RIGDON'S MILL

     On Mill Creek just north of this marker stood one of the oldest and long lasting water mills in Bulloch County.  It was built about 1940 by Daniel Rigdon and his Irish son-in-law, William Gould, using picks, shovels and barrows. The 100 acre lake was created by the dam. About 1880 the mill came into possession of William H. Roberts and became known as “Robert’s Mill.” Roberts served as a postmaster under presidential commission. The post office was known as Gem, Georgia. The mill soon passed to Robert’s son-in-law James Boyd who was killed in an accident at the mill in 1912. The mill ginned cotton, sawed timber, ground corn into grist and served as a community store.

     In 1920 Charles Bland bought the mill and converted it into a recreation facility which he called “Lake View.” Here were held big band dances and water sports such as fishing, boating and swimming. In 1923 Bland sold the mill to a Statesboro consortium for use as a country club. In 1928 the dam broke and was never repaired. The land soon reverted to private ownership.

(Continued on other side)

Supported by the Jack N & Addie D. Averitt Foundation 

MARKER TEXT (BACK)

THE RIGDON CEMETERY

(Continued from other side)

    

     The cemetery at this marker is the “Rigdon Cemetery.” The earliest burial is of Daniel Rigdon (1788 – 1847) who built the mill and owned 3,039 acres of land north of Bulloch County. His wife, Mary “Polly” Touchstone (1788 – 1853) rests here as well. William Gould (1818 – 1906), son-in-law of Rigdon and itinerate Irish dirt worker and Confederate soldier (9th Georgia Regiment) lies herein. Gould enlisted only months after the attack on Fort Sumter and served the entire war, surrendering at Appomattox Courthouse. Most of the graves are those of owners and operators of the mill including Roberts, Boyd and Bland families as well as a large number of their descendants. Also resting here is Sarah Anne “Sally” Hendrix Rigdon (1829 – 1906), daughter-in-law of Daniel Rigdon, who, with her children, Elizabeth, Ann, Daniel, David and Mitchell, faced down a force of General Sherman’s foraging “bummers” in December 1864 by hiding their livestock on an island in the lake.

Supported by the Jack N & Addie D. Averitt Foundation 

The Bulloch County Historical Society’s historical markers are funded by the
Jack N. & Addie D. Averitt Foundation.

bottom of page