Stephen Saalman
Tunnel Mill in Charlestown, Indiana c.1900.
The three-story Tunnel Mill was built on Fourteen Mile Creek by John Work starting in 1814.
He dug a 385 foot long tunnel to act as a mill race and provide a consistent water supply. Building the tunnel required 2.5 years of blasting through the limestone hillside.
Over time, Work operated three grist mills, four saw mills, powder mill, distillery, stone sawing mill and general store.
John Work's nearby two-story brick home was built in 1811 and still stands 213 years later. Tunnel Mill, however, burned down in 1927.
The following year, the property's owner sold the mill site and the home to the local Boy Scouts Council who still use the site today.
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