Prater’s Mill dates from 1855 and remained in business until the 1960s. Built by John Pitner, the grist mill and a nearby sawmill operated from a single water-powered turbine, and together they created a center of economic activity on land that had only recently been part of the Cherokee Nation. Ownership eventually passed to Pitner’s son-in-law, Ben Prater. During the Civil War, both Union and Confederate soldiers passed through the area. In February 1864, Federal cavalry camped around the mill property while surveying the southern defensive positions north of Dalton. In May 1864, during a skirmish at nearby Varnell’s Station, Ben Prater’s 17 slaves gathered on the front porch of the grist mill and listened to the distant gunfire. After the war, Prater’s former slaves settled near the mill, many were buried on the property, and some of their descendants remain in the area today.

Photo: Tom Bosse

Photo: Tom Bosse

Photo: Tom Bosse

Photo: Tom Bosse

Photo: Tom Bosse