Joel G. Hill was born in Otsego County, NY in 1845 and moved with his parents three years later to Equinunk, Wayne County. In 1863, like many of his neighbors, he enlisted in a New York regiment. He …
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Joel G. Hill was born in Otsego County, NY in 1845 and moved with his parents three years later to Equinunk, Wayne County. In 1863, like many of his neighbors, he enlisted in a New York regiment. He served until the end of the Civil War and was present at Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Returning to Wayne County, he purchased a tract of land near Duck Harbor and began a prosperous lumbering and dairy farming operation along with a grist mill and sawmill. A Democrat, Hill served as county commissioner and associate judge and was a candidate for state treasurer. Hill’s later life was marked by tragedy, including his brother’s suicide and a fire in 1904 that destroyed his home and killed four people, including his father, Alpheus Hill. Today, the Joel Hill Sawmill has been restored by the Equinunk Historical Society, and its demonstrations of the working mill are a major attraction during the summer months.
From the files of the Wayne County Historical Society. The museum and library in Honesdale are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
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