Peach

Peach is located on the county line between Lawrence and Giles County, TN  The mill at Peach was started by a man named Powell before the Civil War.  It was located on the Florence Road at the crossing of Sugar Creek. Troop movement maps from the Army of the Cumberland (Union) indicate that it was passed through several times. In the 1880, the current owner T. Hawkins sold the mill (Hawkins Mill) and 55 acres to  Ephraim Watkins & Mrs. L Lanier.  According to a story told By Mike Watkins ( Great Grandson of Ephraim Watkins) when Ephraim Watkins was asked what he was going to call the mill.  His reply was Peach Rolling Mills. This is confirmed by the description of the property on the deed. The first dam was made of logs that was later replaced around 1885 by a  concrete one.  During its peak in the 1920’s it had a mill, blacksmith shop, and a store. Jesse Forsythe was the blacksmith and on occasion called upon to make a coffin. Rufus Newton ran the store for Carl Hammonds at Peach in the 1930’s.  By the 1940’s, most milling was being done at Appleton because they paid a little better price.

Today all that is left of peach is the breached dam on Sugar Creek.