The Wheel at Clifton's Mill

Charles Gerner, from the National Park Service, captured this image of Clifton's Mill in 1934 while on an explorative trip to the area to assess its potential as a Recreation Demonstration Area.

Clifton's Mill was a water powered custom grist mill. The park knows of at least six mills that attempted to use the power of the Quantico Creek, none of which were very successful. It seems that there was never enough grain to be milled or lumber to be sawn in this area to make the mills profitable. They were still, however, important landmarks and crucial parts of the local economy.