During the first two weeks of my journey through the quiet town of Millwood, in the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I slowly became aware that I could not simply make a video about the Grist Mill, then "call it a day." The history of the mill is the history of Millwood. I would have to do the whole town, or at least as much as possible. Millwood is a story, but not only of the business partnership between Gen. Daniel Morgan and Col. Nathaniel Burwell. Hessian prisioners-of-war built the mill out of native limestone, and built other structures in the area as well. The founding of Millwood is their story. African-American slaves ran the mill -- at one point twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Many of their descendents live in Millwood today. Millwood, then, is their generational story. Millwood is undoubtedly part of my story, albeit in a smaller way. As a native Virginian with multi-generational ties to Alexandria and throughout the Commonwealth, I am certain that my ancestors consumed products originating from Millwood. Because it reached the West Indies and European markets; the Burwell Morgan Grist Mill, and Millwood, Virginia, may be part of your family's story as well. GLARING ERROR REPORT: There are captions in the beginning reading "seed hopper," and "scooping seed." What a throwback to my former life! He was scooping milled product, not seed! I used to work in a nature store, and sold bird seed for backyard birdfeeding. That was a big <b>...</b>
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