About Crooked Creek Mills
John McEntire's great grandfather settled on Crooked Creek when he was a boy. Since the mid 1800s the McEntire family has homesteaded along the banks of Crooked Creek, south of Old Fort, North Carolina. Father to son, the homeplace, with its stone milling tradition, has remained a place of honest hard work and family dedication.
John's Great Uncle Will operated a grist mill on Crooked Creek from the late 1880s to the 1920s. Water powered, the mill's grinding stones converted the locally grown corn and wheat to grits and flour, day after day. Situated in the mountains, with cool summer nights, the meandering valley fields yielded bountiful crops that kept the local families fed.
This mountain tradition is carried on today by John McEntire. With appreciation of his heritage, John has dedicated himself to growing heirloom grains, those that would have been grown by his ancestors. Today he raises Crooked Creek Corn™, white corn, Turkey Red Wheat, and Wren's Abruzzi Rye, alongside his family garden. He also contracts with area farmers to grow additional crops to meet the growing demand of farm to table restaurants.
If you have time, drop by and sit on the porch with John for a spell. The front porch swing is always welcome to visitors. You're likely to see the seventh generation boys playing on the gravel drive.
