Ivy Mills and Laurel Mills Manufacturing Company
You can see foundation remnants of the old Ivy Mill in the distance straight ahead. Founded in the 1850s by brothers Thomas Edward King and James Roswell King, the mills produced woolen and cotton goods advertised as "Manufacturers of Kerseys", Jeans and Cassimeres. The company gained fame for a wool blend known as Roswell Grey that was made into Confederate uniforms during the Civil War. In 1864, Federal troops burned the mills despite the Mills manager´s attempt to declare neutrality by flying the French flag over the complex. James rebuilt the company after the war (Thomas died at Chickamauga) and sold it in 1874. Ownership changed hands again. In 1877, Laurel Mills Manufacturing Company purchased the property and was successful into the 20th century. Operations ceased about 1917. The Chattahoochee once flowed directly in front of the mill, but sediment deposits now separate the ruins from the river.
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: Byron Hooks of Lat34North.com.