Gills Mills

An Article by Cindy Leach

One of the first areas in Rowan County to give its name to a town and post office was Gills Mills.

Established in 1809 by Samuel Criswell Gill just north of the future Vale and only half a mile northwest of the junction of Bath, Menifee and Rowan Counties. The town was settled in 1825 and was incorporated in 1869 with a population of 500.

Samuel Creswell Gill (1788-1854), was the son of a Revolutionary War vet originally from Ireland. Gill and his wife Sarah Malone moved to Bath County, Kentucky and within a short amount of time, he had bought an expansive amount of land and built a mill that served in the area. They had eight thirteen children and several slaves.

Gill erected a grist mill and later a water powered-sawmill called Gill's Mill. He successfully furnished lumber for the area and was a major supplier to the Cincinnati area for over 100 years.

Businesses in Gills Mills included two general stores - G.P. Johnson & Son General store and Myers & Co. General Store, Alfrey & Thomas grist & woolen mill, a hotel, John Cassidy was distiller and G.B. Johnson was wagon maker. A.J. McKenzie was the sheriff.

The post office of Gill’s Mills was established on September 11, 1832 with Thompson L. Parks as the first Postmaster. In April 1866, the post office was moved across the river to a site in Rowan County, half a mile east and a mile south of Scotts Creek (6 miles from Farmers on KY 801) where it remained until it closed April 28, 1881.

Both the original site and the Rowan County site are now in Cave Run Lake.