Fleming’s Falls: Gathering Grounds of John Sherman’s Youth

From its early days housing mills and stills, to its latter days as part of a Lutheran church camp, Fleming’s Falls has had a long history. In fact, it was featured in John Sherman’s autobiography as an iconic place in his youth in Mansfield.

John Sherman’s Account of Fleming’s Falls

“The social life in Mansfield, while I was a student, was very pleasant and instructive. The freedom, and yet propriety of intercourse among the young people, was notable. We had social meetings, parties, dances, and an occasional ball during the winter, but in summer, riding in carriages and on horseback was the recreation of the day. Fleming’s Ravine, about five miles from Mansfield, was the general gathering place for young and old. A small stream had cut a deep ravine with rocky banks on either side. An old mill with its overshot wheel spanned the ravine and filled it with noisy rattle. The adjacent woods, where the fire was lit and the coffee made, and the farm lands stretching beyond, made a picturesque scene often described and always admired. Here we had dances, frolics, speeches and fun, with healthy exercise in the open air. The frolics were often made the subject of description in the newspapers. On a notable occasion of one of these visits to Fleming’s Ravine, Mr. Franklin Barker, a law student, wrote for one of the local papers a pleasing description of the scene under the name of “The Fairy’s Tale.” He paraphrased Byron as follows:

‘There was a sound of revelry by day

And Richland’s capital gathered then

Her beauty and her chivalry and fair eyes

Looked love to eyes that spoke again.’

Many of the persons present were named, or so described as to be recognized. There was a good deal of egotism and assumption in the narrative which created much feeling among those who had not the good fortune to attend. Though I was present, and greatly enjoyed the picnic, I thought it was a good opportunity to prick the bubble of self esteem assumed by Barker, and wrote for the rival newspaper a counter description signed “A Looker On.” This excited a good deal of interest at the time, but it has probably faded, after half a century, from the memory of the few who survive; it then created a rivalry and left its mark upon the future. The destruction of the mill by a flood, the cutting away of the wood and other causes, have changed this, so that the gathering place of the young of my day is a thing of the past.”

Sherman may have been correct in saying that the Fleming’s Falls of his youth was no longer, but Fleming’s Falls would continue to be a gathering ground for many years to come. Check back for images and history of Fleming’s Falls next week!