Royston Factory Mill/ Henry Merrell
N 34° 03.733 W 093° 41.405
15S E 436318 N 3769269
Double sided marker located at the Pike County Courthouse, in Murfreesboro, AR.
Waymark Code: WM116D1
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 08/24/2019
Views: 3
Royston Factory Mill -
Henry Merrell built the Royston Factory Mill, Arkansas first textile factory, 3 miles north of Murfreesboro in 1856. The complex also held saw, grist and flour mills. After the Civil War began, the factory made cloth for the Confederacy and Maj. R.C. Wood and his Missouri cavalry were stationed there to guard it from Union patrols. In late 1863, the factory mill was ordered dismantled and moved to Grand Prairie, Texas. Several major parts were lost or damaged during the move, so Merrell was sent to England for spare parts. The war ended before his return.
Henry Merrell -
Henry Merrell, known as the "Industrial Missionary to the South," was born in Utica, N.Y., in 1816. He moved to Arkansas in 1856 and built an industrial complex in Pike Co. He helped draft an anti-secession resolution in 1860, but stayed with his adopted state when the war began. He was made a partisan captain to protect the mill in 1862, and in 1863 became a major of engineers. He tried to block the Arkansas River to protect Little Rock from capture, then retreated to southwest Arkansas with the army. Merrell died Jan. 19, 1883, and is buried in Camden.
Link to Marker: Not listed
History of Marker: Not listed
Additional Parking: Not Listed
|
Visit Instructions:
A clear picture of the Marker or Plaque taken by you. And if you like a picture of you and GPS at the marker.
No copyrighted images without permission.
Credit must be given for web exerpts.