The Livingston Republican

Geneseo, New York

Thursday, July 2, 1914

Mill Will Shut Down

“It will be seen by reading an advertisement in another column that the milling business of Tomkinson Kenyon & Tomkinson is to be discontinued. The advertisement states that conditions are such that it is believed that a continuation of that business would not be profitable. S.R. Tomkinson, who had conducted the business here for the past five years, regrets leaving Geneseo, and Geneseo regrets losing him and his family. He came to Geneseo five years ago when the firm Tomkinson, Kenyon & Tomkinson purchased the milling business here, which at that time belonged to Antonio Aprille but had not been conducted by him for about a year. They have had a successful business and have made many friends as they are always on the level with business dealings and people have found it out. Last year the repair at the bridge put the dam in bad shape, and the millers spent about $200 in repairing it, but never got the results they desired. Later when the bridge was removed the east pier was torn away and this left the mill exposed to floating ice in times of the river floods. This was a condition that could not be combatted and as the owners had no inclination to remedy it Mr. Tomkinson has decided to go. The firm of which he is a member has another mill at Rush which he will conduct and he will move there with his family. The last work in the Geneseo mill will be done tomorrow. Part of the machinery belongs to the departing firm and it will be taken away. It is highly probable that the business will never be resumed and that the mill will fall into decay and finally be dismantled as a matter of safety. It is owned by the Rochester Railway and Light Company, which concern bought all the mills and dams on the river about twelve years ago, on the supposition that it would help their business if they owned all the water power going into Rochester. As the dams are all that directly interest the company, little or no interest is felt in the mills and when repairs are necessary they are never made. This was illustrated at York Landing where the mill which at one time did a flourished business has been out of use for at least ten years and is slowly disintegrating. Mr. Tomkinson states that it can hardly be expected that the Geneseo mill will be repaired as the water in time of floods comes up within about a foot of the floor and the whole building should be rearranged so as to raise the part containing the milling machinery at least eight feet, leaving a cellar beneath it for shafting, etc.. which would not be touched by flood water as it is now. The removal of the bridge pier has exposed the building to floating ice, and it would be necessary to build a very strong foundation of concrete or something equally substantial. And all of this would cost more than would be felt to be warranted, especially as it could be dome so much cheaper is places where the conditions would not require such special preparation. Possibly someone else will come in and undertake to conduct the business, but just now it looks as though tomorrow was to be the last day of a business which has flourished on the bank of the river in this town for a period longer than most of us can remember.”