§8 After the Mills

We suspect that competition from more modern mills in more populous areas and the hard economic times statewide eventually led to the decline of this local industry. However, the closure of the mills in the mid-1800's was not the end of the community of Mt. Ross.

Today the hills are heavy with second-growth timber, mostly hardwoods. But a postcard dated 1906 shows us that another industry did, indeed, exist earlier. Almost completely naked hillsides tell us that the timbering of early growth hardwood, no doubt for charcoal, took place. It probably was used in the refining of lead ore, a very active industry in nearby Ancram. We may also conclude that the small businesses mentioned during the heyday of the mills continued to function well into the 1900’s. Their existence is frequently mentioned by the writers of the ‘Memory’ chapters. And certainly the small farms in the area continued to be most active enterprises. With the population increasing, the need for a school was realized (see school chapter), and the coming of the railroad (see RR chapter) added to the hamlet’s activities. An ice and coal delivery business was established, an upholstery and awning shop appeared, and a week-end restaurant opened in the Gardner place (now Elsohns). The boarding house business was most active, catering to guests who arrived by train and carriage to enjoy weekends or vacations in the beautiful country. The Hazel Glenn House, also known as the Mt. Ross Hotel, was the largest of these lodgings although many smaller homes were also available to summer folk. The Glenn House, located on the northeast side of the bridge, burned sometime around 1930. It is thought by some that the Hotel was built on the earlier building’s foundation and was later demolished. When the era of modern transportation arrived, the small schools centralized, and the railroad discontinued… not until then did the active hamlet of Mt. Ross slide gracefully into the role of a sleepy little neighborhood.

The Mills at Mt. Ross	Table of Contents		Mount Ross School
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