Lewisville Roller Mills
One Family’s Story
I’m Deb Phillips – The Photo Gal — and I’m looking for adventure and inspiration in the small town of Lewisville, North Carolina!
I’d like to share with you how my mother’s family came to live in Lewisville in 1925, and how Lewisville Roller Mills played a central role in their lives for almost 60 years.
As you follow the story, be sure to click on the links located throughout this article to view photos that even some long-time Lewisville residents may have never seen before.
The Photo Album
It all started with an old family photo album that I found inside a small case filled with aged photos and negatives. The faces, the captions and accompanying genealogy records stirred my imagination. Some of the faces seemed familiar, yet I hadn’t known those family members in their younger days.
The more I looked and pondered, the more questions I had about my family — about the challenges they had faced, and the decisions they had made in their lives.
I was surprised by the discoveries awaiting me inside this old case. At the time of this writing in 2008, the most recent photos it contained were over 50 years old. The oldest photos were nearly 100 years old.
>> Click to see more images of the OLD CASE and the PHOTO ALBUM <<
Looking Back
As I pored over the faded family photos, I began imagining what life was like for my relatives from the early 1900s onward. I saw records of joy and accomplishment, as well as of hardship and tragedy. In my imagination, I watched a family grow and change over time. In all, I saw a family who had reaped the rewards of hard work, integrity and faith in God.
How I wish I’d realized the value of asking questions about my family much sooner, when older family members who could tell their stories themselves were still living. Yet with the help of those aged photos and my mother’s patient recollections, I pieced together enough on the two generations before me to share part of their journey with you. And in that process, I learned that adventure and inspiration can be discovered even when exploring the past.
Go West, Young Man!
My grandfather, Fielden Hale “F.H.” Jennings Sr., was born in Grayson County, Virginia in 1880. (Grayson County is in western Virginia on the Virginia-North Carolina border.) Before settling down to marry, my grandfather wanted to see some of the “Wild West,” so he took off on his own adventure for a period of time. Back then, “Go West!” was an irresistible call for adventure and financial opportunity. In 1902, at age 22, my grandfather traveled to Colorado by train and worked there for a year, taking on all kinds of odd jobs. He eventually headed back home, once again by train, working his way across the country, with an extended stopover in Columbus, Ohio.
Tying the Knot
In 1906 Fielden Jennings married Ollie Sue Poole, my grandmother, who was born in 1887, also in Grayson County, Virginia. He was 25 years old, and she was 19 years old when they married. They lived in the Galax, Virginia area, where seven of their ten children would be born.
(Left) Fielden Jennings Sr. as a young man (photo date unknown). (Right) Ollie Poole Jennings in 1912.
>> Click to see more photos of MY GRANDPARENTS in their YOUNGER DAYS <<
Enterprising Spirit
My grandfather was quite enterprising and was willing to work hard in order to make a living. A few of his undertakings included being a salesman for a mail-order catalog company, performing hard labor as a logger, and serving as a county magistrate. Since he had grown up working in mills, it wasn’t surprising that he eventually owned and operated a grain mill situated along Chestnut Creek near Galax, Virginia.
>> Click to see photos of the GRAIN MILL on Chestnut Creek near Galax, Virginia <<
Tragedy Turns to Blessing
Tragically, though, in the early 1920s, the grain mill my grandfather owned burned to the ground. He was about 45 years old at the time, with a rather large family to support. That fire is what eventually brought him to the small town of Lewisville, North Carolina in 1925. Lewisville was (and still is) located about 70 miles southeast of Galax, Virginia in western Forsyth County, just west of Winston-Salem.
My grandfather saw potential in Lewisville’s mill, Fairview Roller Mills, which had been built by the James Pearson “J.P.” Sprinkle family in 1910. A deal was made, and the purchase of the mill was transacted by swapping Virginia property for the Lewisville property, which included the mill and a nearby home place. The mill’s name was changed to Lewisville Roller Mills.
Moving to Lewisville, North Carolina
In December 1925, Fielden and Ollie Jennings moved to Lewisville, North Carolina with their then-six children (their daughter, Hallie, had passed away several years earlier). At the time, Ollie was also expecting their eighth child, Charlie, who would be born in January 1926.
Family members have told of having to make several trips in order to move their belongings from Virginia to North Carolina. During one of the trips, my grandfather’s car ran out of gas, but he didn’t have enough money on him to buy more. He managed, though, to gain the trust of a benevolent station owner. My grandfather promised to pay him back the next time he passed through, so the owner, in good faith, gave him the fuel he needed.
Integrity, Faith and Hard Work
True to his word, on a subsequent trip from Virginia to North Carolina, my grandfather gratefully paid for the fuel he had been given. Of course, that incident was just one of a lifetime of personal and business dealings in which my grandfather demonstrated his honesty and integrity.
When I also curiously searched for the price of gasoline in the 1920s and found it to be only about 18 cents per gallon, I realized just how little money my grandfather had at that time. Knowing he was not a man prone to recklessness or irresponsibility, I concluded that it was my grandfather’s faith that enabled him to set out on the journey to Lewisville with little personal wealth. I believe he placed his family and his business in God’s hands and stepped out into the unknown future. Whatever would come of it, he knew he would give his all, and he would trust God each step of the way.
Taken in 1926, the Jennings family is pictured standing in front of the mill in Lewisville.
As he had done throughout his life, my grandfather once again characteristically employed integrity, faith and hard work to this next phase of his business life. Although not a wealthy man, he knew how to work hard and to keep turning a little into a little more.
>> Click to see more HISTORICAL PHOTOS of Lewisville Roller Mills <<
Business Expansion
Over time Lewisville Roller Mills expanded and was for many years the active center of Lewisville. Farmers brought corn, oats, wheat, soybeans and other grains, either to sell to the mill or to have their grain custom ground into feed for their animals. Many of the mill’s customers came from miles around — as far away as the surrounding counties — to purchase flour and corn meal, feed for their animals, fertilizer, cement, and all kinds of gardening and farming products.
>> Click to see photos of some of the MILL’S PRODUCTS <<
Making a Home
Eight years after the Jennings family moved into the little home place next to the mill in Lewisville, three more children had come along, the last of whom was my mother, Grace, born in 1933. In 1934 a new brick home was built for the family a short distance from the original home place — and is still in use today as business property.
The new home was quite a change from the homes in which the Jennings family had previously lived. For example, they now had an indoor bathroom; and heat was provided by a coal-fired furnace, instead of by a wood stove. There were more bedrooms — both upstairs and downstairs in the basement — a large dining room, a living room and a den. The front porch, with its large, comfortable rockers, would become a favorite gathering place for family and friends over the years.
The children of Fielden and Ollie Jennings, c. 1938. Pictured from left to right – Front row: Grace (my mother) and Roy. Back rows: Gwyn, Charlie, Elva, Ethel, Hale, and Paul. (Two daughters, Hallie and Lettie, had passed away earlier.)
>> Click to see a few more photos of the JENNINGS FAMILY <<
Wedding Bells
Until now, I’ve shared only about my mother’s side of the family. My father was Edford Dallas Phillips Sr. He was the oldest of ten children. Although he was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, his family eventually moved to Lewisville and lived across from Lewisville Roller Mills. As a boy, he spent a lot of time at the mill and worked odd jobs there. Later, after he became a full-time employee at the mill, he and my mother, Grace, began dating, and were married in 1952.
After serving in the Army during the Korean War, my father worked as an apprentice under my Uncle Gwyn and became a certified miller in 1959. He worked at Lewisville Roller Mills for more than 20 years, until his death in 1979. My mother also served as the mill’s secretary and bookkeeper.
My parents, Edford and Grace Phillips, in May 1952, a few days before they married.
A Child’s Playground
Fast-forward a few years, and a little Phillips girl (me) and her younger brother, Ed, could be seen chasing each other over mounds of freshly bagged feed, or trading turns being pushed along the mill porch on one of the hand trucks. To us, the mill was the vast playground of our childhood, a grand old three-story building full of endless hiding places and make-believe adventures. We even dubbed one obscure back entranceway into the mill our “secret door.”
When we weren’t running around the mill, we were nearby at Grandma’s, playing along the rock fish pond, climbing trees, or roaming through the woods, continuing the search for adventure. Later on, as teenagers, both of us worked at the mill, performing such jobs as sacking flour and cornmeal.
>> Click to see some old photos of the ROCK FISH POND <<
After Ed and I moved on to pursuits beyond the mill, our younger brother, Scott, was building his own fond memories at the mill. Long-time employees took young Scott under their wings and taught him such things as maneuvering 100-lb. horse feed bags onto a hand truck and rolling them to customers. Our mom allowed Scott to wait on customers and to collect the money for their purchases. Like his brother and sister before him, Scott also sacked flour and cornmeal, having learned to tie the bags closed using the “miller’s knot,” and stacked the bags in squares behind the mill office.
But Scott had his share of fun at the mill, too. He and a friend who lived in a nearby apartment played together a lot at the mill. A photo of the two of them horsing around at the mill even appeared in the Clemmons Courier. Unbeknownst to the adults at the time, one of the boys’ favorite activities was jumping into the tall soybean silos behind the mill. We’re thankful no harm came from that venture!
The Years Go By
In the years following my grandfather’s purchase of the mill in 1925, extensive modifications were made to its structure. Sections were added to the right side and to the rear. A large overhang is the most glaring change visible when comparing the 1926 photo shown above to later photos such as the next photo, thought to have been taken in the late 1940s.
Numerous modifications were made to the mill’s structure over the years, including the addition of the large overhang, as seen in this late 1940s photo (Photo: William W. Stone).
Around 1950, under the direction of my grandfather and my Uncle Gwyn, construction began on a brick building that would be located on the west side of the mill. Completed in 1951, the new building was called the Jennings Building. Among its tenants during the Jennings family’s ownership were a Gulf service station on the end, the Lewisville Grill, the Lewisville Barber Shop, a beauty shop, a grocery store, and a hardware store, as well as offices for a doctor, dentist and insurance agency. At one point, the upstairs section of the building was also used for apartments.
>> Click to see photos of the JENNINGS BUILDING under construction <<
During the years that the mill operated, many immediate and extended members of the Jennings family worked at the mill in some capacity — that is, full-time, part-time, summers, after school, or on Saturdays. The Jennings children who worked there full-time were Gwyn, Paul, Hale, Charlie and Grace (my mother).
>> Click to read a HISTORICAL CORRECTION <<
Fielden H. Jennings Sr., my grandfather, never completely retired! He continued to work at Lewisville Roller Mills until shortly before his death in 1972, at age 91. My grandmother, Ollie Jennings, lived to be 93, passing away in 1980. The mill continued in operation for a few more years, under the direction of several of my uncles and my mother.
One noticeable change between this 1970s photo and the earlier 1940s photo is the addition of the dust collectors on the left side of the mill’s roof. Also, across from the mill, in the foreground, is the paved entrance to what originally was an Esso gas station.
Yet the combination of increasing governmental regulations and the aging of my uncles eventually led to the decision to close the mill and sell the building. In 1984 the mill ceased operations and was purchased by Tom Fowler, a local developer.
>> Click to see the LAST GIVE-AWAY CALENDAR that the mill produced <<
Under New Ownership
Under new ownership, the mill building underwent some significant structural changes and today stands well maintained, still with a folksy charm about it. A number of free-standing buildings and other structures were removed in order to accommodate new uses for the property. Among the removed structures was the rock fish pond mentioned previously.
Current tenants in the mill building include a coffee shop and a rubber stamps and scrapbooking store.
Pictured above is the mill as it appears today (photo taken in 2008). Significant changes are apparent when comparing it to previous photos. Most notable are the lowering of the overhang, the removal of certain upper-story appendages, as well as new siding and roofing.
>> Click to see today’s “LEWISVILLE MILL” and SURROUNDING PROPERTY <<
Town Logo
Sometime after the town of Lewisville incorporated in 1991, the winning entry of a design contest resulted in the mill being featured in the town’s logo (shown below).
Perspective
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this small portion of Lewisville’s history as it relates specifically to my family and to Lewisville Roller Mills.
If you live in Lewisville, you already know what a special place it is. It’s special not just for the wise strategic planning implemented by our town leaders, or for its various amenities, the town square, or the activities of numerous community groups.
Rather, it’s the citizens of Lewisville themselves — those of the past and those today — who give Lewisville its unique character and appeal. Because of its people, adventure and inspiration still abound in the small town of Lewisville, North Carolina.
REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS: Please contact me if you know any additional factual details about the mill that would be relevant to this article. Please also let me know if you have photographs of the mill, the Jennings home places, the Jennings Building, or that general area of Lewisville, in stages other than those represented in this article (from the late 1800s forward). I’d love to add photos of any missing mill products, as well. Thank you. — Deb
Comments
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Hi Deb – wonderful website!!! I am married to Randal, grandson of Gwyn, thru Foy.
Yes, Janice! It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen you folks. I hope you all are doing well. Any chance you’ll be up this way in the near future? Please say “Hi” to Randal for me.
Thanks so much for leaving a comment.
Blessings,
Deb
Hello, my name is Tonya Jennings Alderman, adopted daughter of David Fielden Jennings, granddaughter of Roy Jennings. I have a print of the Roller Mills on my wall, and it’s nice to hear the history behind it all. The Jennings family are amazing, and you did a great job of portraying that!
Tonya, it’s so nice to hear from you, and thank you for your kind words on the Lewisville Roller Mills writeup. When I began researching the mill and going through all the old photos, I gained a deeper appreciation of my family roots.
If you’re ever in the area, please give me a heads-up. I’ll show you around the mill premises.
Thanks so much for writing!
Hi Deb. I met you at the Lewisville Post Office plaque ceremony. I asked your mom about the photos you were taking and she said that you had a website. I really enjoyed reading your family history and seeing the Lewisville Roller Mills pictures. I have always intuitively felt the history that Lewisville holds, but now as I drive by the mill every day, I will have an even greater appreciation of its signifigance. Thanks so much for a wonderful website.
Hi, Lisa —
It was nice meeting you at the Post Office ceremony.
About the time I launched the website, I also joined the Lewisville Historical Society and have begun to learn more about Lewisville’s history. I’ve enjoyed learning more local history and also meeting some of the great folks in the Historical Society.
Thanks so much for visiting the website and for taking the time to leave a comment, Lisa. Maybe I’ll see you around Lewisville again sometime!
All the best,
Deb
Hi, Deb. I truly enjoyed this website. I’m the grandson of Ethel Plunkett. Tell your mother, Karen and I said hey.
Hi, Michael —
Thanks SO much for visiting the website, and thanks for taking a few moments to write. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen you. I hope you’re doing well.
I’ll definitely pass along your and Karen’s greetings to Mom. Take care.
Deb
Thanks for a well-written history lesson on Lewisville and the Jennings Family! I am so proud of your interest in all of this. This successful move by my family would not have been possible without God’s guidance and our customers. Thanks to all of our customers over the years! I (Grace, Deb’s mom) worked at the mill for 28 years and enjoyed it, doing the bookkeeping and most of the other jobs, except the milling.
As one of the original grandchildren, (the third son of Roy Jennings), I would like to thank you, Deb, for this outstanding historical biography of the family. I remember myself coming to see Grandma and Grandpa and exploring inside the mill on Sundays when we came to visit.
The best thing I remember was the Buckwheat Flour Pancake Mix. (General Mills, eat your heart out! Yours doesn’t even hold a candle to the Mill’s!)
Many superb memories: The pecan tree behind the brick house, Christmas gatherings, family reunions….
All things pass, and I appreciate the heritage of the family and the mill. I’m glad that Winston-Salem did not absorb the town of Lewisville, or else a piece of history might have been lost forever.
Say hello to your Mom for me.
Alan,
What a pleasant surprise to hear from you! Thank you so much for your kind words about my article on the family’s history. It was a labor of love, and was a process filled with personal discoveries for me.
We do cherish the memories of our times at Grandma and Grandpa’s, and of so many family members who are no longer with us. (Remember all the Great Uncles and Great Aunts, most of whom lived in Virginia?!) We have much to be thankful for, don’t we? What a great heritage is ours.
I’ll definitely tell Mom you send your greetings.
Thanks so much for writing, Alan.
Hello, Deb. My husband’s great aunt left me her quilting supplies. In going through them, I found a very worn flour (I think) sack that has the Lewisville Roller Mills, Inc. name and logo on it. It’s no longer in the shape of a sack, but a flat piece of fabric. I wondered how old it was; and when I looked up the mill, I found your site. What an interesting story to go with the soft, faded fabric found in a stack of material.
My maternal grandmother was from Galax, VA as well. When I was a child, I loved the ride from Winston-Salem to Galax with the beautiful rolling hills and fields with grazing cattle.
Thank you for sharing this lovely and loving tribute to your family.
Marjorie, it thrilled me to hear your story about finding one of the mill’s old flour sacks amongst some old quilting supplies! I’m glad you enjoyed learning a bit about the history behind that old sack and reading about my family. I can’t wait to tell my mom that you came across one of the old sacks!
Thanks so much for coming to the site and for taking a few moments to leave your comments, Marjorie.
All the best to you,
Deb
I really loved reading this! My mother was a Sprinkle and her family built this mill, then sold it in 1925 to the Jennings family. I have a print of the mill but will start looking for old photos now. I am a retired history teacher so now have time to do this kind of thing!
Greetings, Margil!
It’s so good to hear from a member of the Sprinkle family! I’m glad you enjoyed reading some of the mill’s history, albeit primarily from the Jennings family angle.
Now that you’re retired and have more time to look for old photos, if you DO come across some old mill photos that are not included in this article, I’d LOVE to see them and maybe, with your permission, add them to this article. It’d be GREAT to display photos of the mill that were taken during the Sprinkle family’s ownership!
THANK YOU for taking time to write, Margil. Enjoy your retirement!
Best regards,
Deb
Deb, I accidentally found your website and Kyle and I enjoyed your family history soooo much. Thank you !!!!!
Hi, Ann! I’m glad you and Kyle enjoyed reading about our family’s history related to the mill. Thank YOU for stopping by, albeit accidentally, and leaving a comment. It’s most appreciated!
Hi Deb. I was cleaning out a desk on a lazy day and found a card you sent Deane and I around Christmas 1995. It spoke of your journey with the Lord and walking by faith. It brought back very pleasant memories. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about The LRM story and your family history. We wish you HIS very best in walking out your assignment in His grand purpose! …Tom
Hello, Tom! It’s so good to hear from you — after 25 YEARS! Where has the time gone? You and Deane have taken quite the step of faith yourselves. I know you’re making a difference and touching lives in lasting ways. Thanks so much for taking time to write, Tom. Many blessings to you and Deane.
I truly enjoyed the story about the mill and its prior owners. I go to the Enchanted Cottage shop. They were doing some renovations and gave me a couple of boards from inside where the mill was. I will be making a wooden ink pen for my daughter’s birthday and thought the history to go with it would be intriguing.
Hi, Michael! I’m glad you enjoyed reading some of the history of the mill. That’s such a COOL birthday gift for your daughter! Thanks so much for writing and sharing what you’ll be doing with those old boards. I’m THRILLED to hear it!
All the best to you,
Deb
I have so much enjoyed the history of the old grain mill and your family. Enchanted Cottage was remodeling and removed several timbers that are over 100 years old. I am making wooden ink pens out of one of those timbers. I would love to give you one of my ink pens in trade for a picture of the old mill if you have an extra one. If not I would still give you one of my pens.
Hello again, Michael! I’m glad you’re making such creative use of the mill’s timbers. Unfortunately, I don’t have any prints of the mill to swap with you. Thank you for the kind offer. Keep up the good work!
It was really cool learning more about the Lewisville Roller Mill! I’m Hale’s oldest great granddaughter. Monte Jennings is my grandpa. I loved seeing all the pictures. I always thought it was one of the coolest things that my family used to own a mill! I’ve always been interested in my family history and it was great to learn more about the mill!
Hello, Dharma! It’s so good to hear from you and to hear your excitement in learning more about the family and the mill. I think it’s really cool, too, that our family owned the mill! If I’ve figured this out correctly, you and I are first cousins twice removed — and that makes it especially cool to hear from you! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed reading about the family’s history with the mill. Thank you so much for writing, Dharma. Take care!
Interesting history story.
So do you have any information regarding the Jennings Milling Co. that was located at 4319 N. Liberty Street Ext., Winston-Salem, NC?
Thanks.
Hello, Jay. Jennings Milling Company, located on Liberty Street in Winston-Salem, in the community of Ogburn Station, was owned and operated by Claude Jennings, the brother of my grandfather, F. H. Jennings, Sr.
Advance Milling Company, formerly in Advance, NC, was another mill associated with our family. It was actually part of the Lewisville Roller Mills corporation and was operated by one of my uncles, Hale Jennings (F. H. Jennings, Jr).
Thanks so much for writing, Jay.
Hi, Deb. I’m not related to the Jennings or Sprinkle families but knew several of the Jennings. I was born in Galax, VA in 1948. We moved here to Lewisville and surrounding areas when I was two. My father, Ray J. Mayberry, worked at the mill for many years. I remember the Jennings even though I was very young. I remember the gas station across the street and the store beside the station that was operated by the Hicks family. My father and I used to catch a bus every Saturday and go to town (Winston-Salem). Don’t know why, but we went. I have really enjoyed reading the history. It takes you back a few years. I’m now in my seventies.
Hey, Linda! My mom, who is 88, remembers your dad! She says he used to run the machine that cleaned the seeds (oats, soybeans, wheat, etc.) that farmers brought to the mill via truck. Those days seem long ago indeed.
Thanks so much for taking a few moments to share your memories of the mill and the other nearby establishments.
Take care!
My great uncle was Hale Jennings. His wife, Edith (who still lives!), grew up in Grant Co, WV and is my grandfather’s sister. Today I found a paper flour bag in an antique store in Marietta, OH. “Jennings Milling Company, Ogburn Station, 4319 N. Liberty St Ext. Winston-Dalem, NC.” Would this bag have been from the family’s mill?
Hello, Mark!
Jennings Milling Company, located on Liberty Street in Winston-Salem, in the community of Ogburn Station, was owned and operated by Claude Jennings, the brother of my grandfather, F. H. Jennings, Sr, who owned Lewisville Roller Mills and also Advance Milling Company. That makes Claude Jennings the uncle of your great uncle Hale Jennings.
Also, Edith Jennings is my aunt (by marriage) and is a lovely and energetic lady.
Thanks so much for writing in, Mark.
Thanks for the history lesson. Looking forward to a trip soon to NC to visit the old mill! I visited as a kid in 1972. Hale, son Monte, and his NC friends used to come to WV every year on a hunting trip.
You’re welcome, Mark. The mill building and the area around it have changed a great deal since 1972.
Enjoy your visit when you get here. Take care!