Dunn's Falls - Near Enterprise, MS.

The way it used to look.

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In 1854, John Dunn an Irish immigrant rode his horse into the shallow bed of the Chunky River just north of Enterprise. Dunn, at age thirty-four, had come to America from Ireland at the age of four with his parents. They first settled in North Carolina, then Alabama, and finally East Mississippi. He decided to find a spot to settle in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain Chain. In 1860, Dunn constructed a three-story frame building for a water-powered cotton factory. The machinery for the mill had been delivered to the Enterprise railroad station when the War Between the States was declared. The Confederate government confiscated Dunn's buildings and machinery, and under Dunn's supervision, the mill was used to manufacture blankets, hats, and knives. During the war, a building was added which housed a blacksmith shop, a distillery and machinery for carding wool used to make soldier's clothing. According to sources, the mill and hat factory continued to operate for many years after the war.

Famed hat maker, John B. Stetson is said to have learned and practiced his trade at Dunn’s Falls.