Boshell's Mill, Historic mill complex near Townley, Alabama.
Boshell's Mill is a historic industrial complex featuring a stone dam across Lost Creek, with sawmill remnants on one bank and a gristmill on the other side. The site spans roughly 4 acres and displays visible stone foundation piers that can be seen from Alabama Highway 124 north of Townley.
William R. Boshell founded the complex in 1885, and it remained under family control until operations ceased in 1963. During these decades, it grew as a response to the region's expanding need for lumber and grain processing.
The mills were central to how people in this region made their living, providing crucial services for processing both timber and grain. You can sense how important this site was to the daily work and survival of local communities.
Access the site from Alabama Highway 124 north of Townley, where the stone foundations are visible from the road. Walking through the area helps you see the relationship between both mills and the dam they depended on.
The stone dam was built from locally quarried rock and used water turbines at both ends to power both mills simultaneously. This clever setup allowed a single water source to operate two completely separate operations at the same time.
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