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Country Road & (NCT) North Country Trail @ McConnells Mill State Park

The McConnell's Mill Covered Bridge was built in 1874. It is a Howe truss bridge. One of two covered bridges in Lawrence County, it is owned by the county, but is located on state land at McConnells Mill State Park. The bridge is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Daniel Kennedy opened a gristmill on Slippery Rock Creek in 1852. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1868 and was quickly rebuilt. Ownership of the mill was transferred to the park's namesake, Thomas McConnell in 1875. He replaced the waterwheel with water turbines and the grindstones with rolling mills. This made McConnell's Mill one of the first rolling mills in the country. The mill processed oats, corn, buckwheat and wheat until it was closed in 1928. Ownership of the land transferred from Thomas H. Hartman to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1942. The conservancy then transferred the land to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1957 when McConnells Mill State Park was formally dedicated. (Wikipedia)

 

Alpha Pass trail is at the northern end of McConnells Mill State Park and is part of the North Country National Scenic Trail. The trail follows the creek to the historic gristmill.

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Uploaded on December 20, 2020
Taken on December 19, 2020