The Beauty Around Us

Mill Creek Park

By Linda G. on July 14, 2013

My friend, Marge, and I visited Mill Creek Park this past Thursday (July 11th).  It was the first time either of us had visited the park.  Mill Creek Park is a metropolitan park located in Youngstown, Ohio.  The park was founded in 1891 by Youngstown attorney Volney Rogers.

If you click on the link for Mill Creek Park, provided above, you will see that there is much to see and do at Mill Creek Park.  Marge and I concentrated on two park sights: the historic Lanterman’s Mill and the suspension bridge that spans Mill Creek.

Lanterman’s Mill was built in 1845-1846 by German Lanterman and Samuel Kimberly. It was restored in 1982-1985.

We were able only to tour the main and upper floors of the mill, as the water wheel (located on the bottom level) was being worked on during our visit.  We were the recipients of an informative discussion of the mill’s history and operation, while on this main level.  This mill operates today as it did in the 1800s, grinding corn, wheat, and buckwheat.  In addition to not being able to tour the bottom level of the mill, we were not able to go out on the observation deck overlooking Lanterman’s Falls.  I do wish to return to Lanterman’s Mill not only to see the mill in operation but also to get closer to the waterfall!

We arrived at Lanterman’s Mill shortly after 10:00 am.  It was lunchtime by the time we completed our visit at Lanterman’s Mill.  At the suggestion of one of my cousins who lives near Youngstown, Marge and I ate lunch at Thano’s Family Restaurant in Canfield, which was only a few miles from Mill Creek Park.  I would definitely eat again at this restaurant.  The service was excellent; there was a wide variety of menu choices; the meals that we ordered were delicious; and the price was very reasonable.  Thank you, Nancy, for an excellent restaurant suggestion!

After lunch, we returned to Mill Creek Park, in search of a suspension bridge that we had seen photographs of while browsing the gift shop at Lanterman’s Mill.  We didn’t have a map of the park and rode along several park roads without seeing the bridge.  We found ourselves in front of the park police station, so we stopped and asked direction to the bridge.

The Suspension Bridge, located on Valley Drive, was erected in 1895.  The bridge was designed by Charles Fowler of the Youngstown Bridge Company.  The Suspension Bridge spans Mill Creek and measures 86 feet long and 32 feet wide. It has been called the Silver Bridge, the Cinderella Bridge, the Castle Bridge, and the Walt Disney Bridge.  When we were driving round and round on the park roads we happened upon a young man on a bicycle.  We asked him if he knew the location of the Suspension Bridge.  He referred to the bridge as the Cinderella Bridge.

 

On the western side of the bridge is one of several trails in the park.

 

 

Both Marge and I want to return to Mill Creek Park with our respective husbands.  I think an Autumn visit would be pretty.