Chapter 12 - Tributaries
Timmerman Creek
When James Curran and Daniel Leonard built a huge
stone mill about a mile up the "other creek" in 1835s, farmers came from
miles around to have wheat ground to flour. Back then "wheat was king"
so expectations were high for a successful gristmill. But, pests like the
Hessian fly and "the midge" plus competition from western New York all
but ended wheat farming in the Mohawk Valley. The Mill survived and prospered
into the 1920s by replacing its 30-foot overshot waterwheel and its stone
grinders with a "modern turbine" and rollers, and grinding buckwheat and
animal feed. During that period the mill was purchased and operated by
members of the Beekman family and was for many years called Beekman's Mill.
The names of the creek, the community that
grew up along it and The Mill have changed over the years. Sometime after
1938 Klock Creek became Timmerman Creek and Upper Saint Johnsville became
West Saint Johnsville. In 1988 Judith and Ron Hezel made The Mill their
home and the Mill House across the road a Bed and Breakfast.
Discovery:
The Three-Hour Tour
May 14, 2003, 48 degrees, Cloudy
I'm not used to having a guide. Preferring instead to explore on my
own or with someone who knows as little about an area as I. Not knowing
what's ahead adds much to the discovery. Of course it also takes
a great deal of time to find the good stuff.
I am grateful that Paul Flanders offered to be my
guide on Timmerman Creek. Not only did he save me a great deal of time
and aggravation walking the stream, he led the way to the best fishing
spots, obtained access to posted property, provided historical background
and introduced me to Ron Hezel and The Mill.
When we stopped to get permission to take photographs
of The Mill and falls, Ron Hezel graciously took us on a three-hour tour
of his four-story limestone home. The outside with its trees, gardens,
unusual ornaments and figurines were impressive. The inside was WOW!
In one fell swoop I saw a woman stretched out on top of a piano, a giant
robot standing in the corner, fish tanks, one located in a "well" that
included a waterwheel, an old printing press and a "horseless carriage."
All of the above and more were strategically located to include the old
mill mechanisms. With a dramatic flair Ron explained the history of each
item. Fascinating! Entertaining!
Early
on the Hezels operated an Herb Store on the first floor and conducted tours
of The Mill. Today, due to the high cost of liability insurance, they limit
visits to their Bed and Breakfast customers. A shame. (For more information
see: http://www.innbythemill.com/
)
The creek was running too high and fast to safely
cross to the best location to photograph The Mill and falls. We would
have to return at a later date.
Because we had spent so much time at The Mill, our
fishing adventure was limited to a hike into an upstream glen called The
Big Six---a series of small waterfalls and plunge pools that Paul
had fished as a youngster. I caught an 11-inch brown trout from one of
the plunge pools and a couple of others followed my gold Phoebe. Well worth
the hike.
Paul Flanders has fished The Big Six since he was a boy.
Discovery:
Falls, Falls and More Falls
June 19, 2003 , 65 degrees, Sunny
When we turned off Route 5 onto Mill Road in West
Saint Johnsville we soon discovered the creek was way down. Ideal conditions
for wading across the stream to take photographs and find trout.
We drove into The Mill driveway at 9:30 a.m. A half-hour
later I had all the photographs I wanted and was anxious to discover more
of Timmerman Creek. I shouldn't have left Paul and Ron alone. They were
discussing local politics. I had to practically pull them apart.
Our next stop was the gorge and falls at
Klock Park on the east side of the creek. Although located in the Town
of Saint Johnsville, the park was donated to the Village of Saint Johnsville
by Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Reaney and dedicated to Dr. Charles M. Klock.
For many years the park was a popular picnic area
where dozens of stone fireplaces and wooden picnic tables were located
in the woods overlooking the gorge and falls. Today all that remains of
the picnic area are a few crumbling fireplaces and some rotting picnic
tables.
Paul Flanders explained, "When locals refers to
Klock Park today, they are most likely referring to the large building
that is the home of the "Harry Smith Benefit Club". Harry Smith, one of
the founders, was a funeral director in the village of St. Johnsville.
Numerous wedding receptions, and other parties and celebrations are hosted
there to raise money that is used to benefit less fortunate persons at
Christmas, and I believe at other holidays."
In recent years it was discovered---by the landowner
that purchased property on the other side of the creek---that the falls
was not on park land. Consequently, responsibility and liability shifted
to the landowner. The gorge and falls were posted, and trails were blocked
with barbed wire at the bottom of the gorge and chain link fence at the
top of the gorge.
Paul's history with the park goes back to picnics
with his grandparents. He also came here to fish and to study when he was
in college. After checking with the landowner that owns the falls, we continued
north on Mill Road and turned right at the first intersection. The park
was about a half-mile down the road.
Part way down the trail to the bottom of the gorge, we stopped at a rock
ledge with a big hole in it. Paul's grandfather called it the "Bear Cave."
Below the cave, the trail zigzagged to the bottom of the gorge. Although
fallen trees blocked some sections it was an easy descent. Near the bottom
the trail was blocked with barbed wire fence, but a couple of strands had
been cut. There were posted signs on a few trees. They were old and
unsigned.
We arrived at the bottom of the falls at 11 o'clock..
My gold spoon was a hit . . . and miss. I hooked and lost three, foot-long
trout in five minutes. On the way back I fished a log pool downstream from
the falls and hooked and lost another trout. Checked the lure and hooks.
Shiny. Sharp.
This roadside waterfalls produced two nice trout.
When
we got back on top at 11:30, we walked along the edge of the gorge
towards the top of the falls and discovered a section of the chain link
fence had been pulled down. We passed through the opening and walked to
the top of the falls. Paul pointed out the "island" where he used to study
for college exams.
We returned to Mill Road and continued upstream,
stopping to fish a roadside waterfalls where I hooked and lost two
good fish.
After lunch at the Park View Drive-In, in Saint
Johnsville we returned to the creek at 1:45. Paul stopped at a farmhouse
to get permission to fish a roadside stretch that featured several small
waterfalls. One section of the creek bottom in this area was multicolored
and pockmarked with hundreds of small potholes. Never saw anything quite
like it.
After losing another fish, I changed to a new Phoebe
and immediately caught an 11-inch brown from a pool under one of the falls.
Paul had refrained from fishing that morning, but couldn't resist rigging
up. He caught an 11-inch trout. It was too injured to release, so
he took it home for supper when we called it quits at 3 o'clock..
Follow the path of this discovery trip by clicking on
Mohawk
Valley Maps: by Maptech.
Type West Saint Johnsville select New York, press
GO!
Click on margin arrows to follow Timmerman
Creek upstream.
