The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
In the spring of 1839 John Hopper and David Robinson came to Henderson County and conceived of building a mill on South Henderson Creek at a point where it passes through the S.W. 1/4 of Sec.16, T10, 4W.
That summer they built a dam across the water, erected the mill and in the winter of 1840 announced that they were ready to do custom work for the public.
This was the first flour mill in this area and filled a long-felt need. Mr. Hopper, a native New Yorker, sold his interest in 1840 and moved to Olena where he soon died. (He was a brother of Lambert Hopper of Hopper's Mills near Warren, known as Hopper today).
Mr. Jerry Meachem, who had bought out Hopper soon sold it to Mr. John Birdsall who with Mr. Robinson carried on the business with fair success until the spring of 1843 when they sold it to John Biggs, an Englishman of with engineering skill.
1882 History of Henderson County