century. - Shiloh Museum of Ozark History · PDF filecontrol the water used to power the undershot water wheel. The mill washed away in a flood and was rebuilt around 1848, only to

Down by the Old Mill Stream

Allen’s Mill, Cave Springs (Benton County), 1910s.Washington County Historical Society Collection (P-1014)

Accounts of Elijah L. Allen’s water mill in Cannon (now Cave Springs) are sketchy, but he may have bought it from George Robbins sometime in 1880 or later. The spring water rushing out of the cave which gave the town its name filled an earthen-dammed millpond. The mill with its overshot wheel stood near the shore of what is today Lake Keith.

Allen ground cornmeal and likely used a roller mill to grind wheat flour. In the late 1890s the mill served as the community’s post office. In later years Jonas Scoggins was the mill’s owner before the property was bought and the mill torn down in the early 20th century.

Shiloh Museum of Ozark History

Down by the Old Mill Stream Shiloh Museum of Ozark History

War Eagle Mill (later War Eagle Roller Mills), War Eagle (Benton County), 1910s.Washington County Historical Society Collection (P-1020)

In 1832 Sylvanus Blackburn came to this spot on the War Eagle River to homestead. A few years later he and his enslaved Africans built a little mill and a small wood dam across the river to control the water used to power the undershot water wheel. The mill washed away in a flood and was rebuilt around 1848, only to be burned down in March 1862 by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

Sylvanus’ son, J.A.C. Blackburn, built a new multistory mill in 1873. Later owners improved the mill, including James Stringfield who installed a roller mill (and probably a turbine) and J.E. Crossman who built a cement dam. When B.B. Kilgo bought the property in 1914 he used chops (crushed corn) to raise hogs alongside the mill. A fifty-pound sack of his “Queen of the Ozark” flour sold for $1. In April 1924 the mill burned down.

Zoe Medlin Lancaster Caywood and her family built a new mill on the site in 1973. The structure was based on the design of the old mill but included an undershot water wheel. When the river is low, electricity is used to turn the millstones. The Roenigks bought the mill in 2004. Today it is the only working gristmill in Arkansas and sells a variety of milled products.


Berryville Milling Company (later North Arkansas Milling Company), Berryville (Carroll County), 1900s-1910s.Carroll County Heritage Center Collection (S-85-45-18)

The coming of the railroad in 1901 and the new markets it would bring prompted the owners of a steam-powered roller mill to dismantle their old mill and build a bigger, better facility. In 1910 the mill ground up to 100 barrels of grain daily and had the abilitiy to store 40,000 bushels of wheat and 500,000 pounds of flour. A coal-fired “light plant” for making electricity was added in 1911.

An increased price for wheat and a demand to send it overseas during World War I greatly benefited Carroll County’s farmers. They enjoyed the best soil and climate for wheat growing in Northwest Arkansas. Business was good for mills big and small. After the war, price supports suddenly dropped. Area farmers reduced their wheat acreage. Also, loss of topsoil from rain and constant cultivation meant less land for growing wheat. The smaller mills lost business but the big mill at Berryville held on. It processed locally-grown grain as well as grain shipped in by railroad from other points in Northwest Arkansas, Southwest Missouri, and Kansas City.

A long railroad strike in 1923 shuttered the mill and light plant for many months. The mill eventually returned to profitability but in January 1930 it burned to the ground.


Hawkins Mill, Harrison (Boone County), 1900s-1910s.Dewey Taylor Collection (S-92-92-2)

Located on Dry Fork Creek, this water mill was built by James M. Hawkins, Sr., in the early 1840s near Harrison, just a few years after he built a mill in Madison County. The mill likely had an undershot wheel when it was first built, but later accounts said it had a turbine. A tall dam made of logs harnessed the water. There were two pairs of French burr millstones; one pair ground corn, the other wheat. The wheat bran had no value to the miller, so it was dumped in the river.

For many years Hawkins’ son, Al, ran the mill as well as a general store and post office at this site. He also carded wool for a time. Hawkins didn’t weigh the grain, but used his toll box or a half bushel measure to determine his one-eighth toll. Widows were never charged. After Hawkins’ death his wife probably ran the mill.

Lloyd Langum bought the mill in the late 1930s, hoping to restore the building and the stream so fish could swim up and down it once again. But the project was too expensive. He tore down the mill in 1940. One of the millstones sat in the creek until 1983, when it was removed and placed in a concrete step at the Huntsville home of Al Hawkins’ granddaughter.


Yocum Roller Mills, Yocum (Carroll County), 1900s-1910s.Carroll County Heritage Center Collection (S-85-18-28)

Yocum already had a water mill when Rhodes & Massey built their steam-powered roller mill in 1894. The grand opening was a big to-do with music, a picnic, and speakers attesting to the enterprise of the owners and their “spirit of progress.”

Millwright J.L. Morgan was on hand to show the mill’s machinery which was made by Barnard, Leas & Co. of Moline, Illinois. The mill used a plansifter, a set of sieves which separated the flour by particle size. The gristmill burned down in 1926.


Villines Mill, Boxley (Newton County), 1960s-1970s. National Register of Historic Places—1974.A.T. Johnson, photographer. Carroll County Heritage Center Collection (S-85-34-3)

An earlier water mill near this site relied on the seasonal flow of the creek. When Robert Villines bought the property he wanted a reliable water source to run the mill, so he dug out a large area for a spring-fed millpond. In 1870 the mill, with its roughly 10-feet-diameter overshot wheel, began grinding corn between a pair of millstones.

Over the years Villines added new technology and adapted to the changing needs of the community. A roller mill was installed to grind flour and a cotton gin was added. The water wheel was replaced in 1901 with a more powerful turbine, and a portion of the wooden millrace flume was converted to concrete.

As the 20th century wore on, the mill couldn’t adapt to a loss of population and the easy availability of flour and bread. Miller Clyde Villines ground his last sack of grain in the late 1950s. Today the mill and surrounding property are part of the Boxley Valley Historic District of the Buffalo National River. The roof and clapboards on this privately leased property have been replaced, but most of the original roller mill equipment and the old millstones still remain.


Hawkins Mill, Huntsville (Madison County), 1940s.J.D. & Marie Watkins/Madison County Genealogical and Historical Society Collection

(JDW02-16)

William Hawkins, Sr. built this gristmill in 1838 on the banks of the War Eagle River east of Huntsville. It cost $1,000 to build and included a sawmill, a log dam, an undershot water wheel, and French burr millstones. The hand-hewn white oak timber frame was held together with yellow poplar pegs.

James Loughridge bought the mill in1841, later adding a broom-making operation. In 1850 he ground 5,000 bushels of wheat and made 15,000 brooms. The mill was soon sold for $2,000. It served as a fortress for area residents attacked by bushwhackers during the Civil War. Later it was sold to Hawkins’ son, Matt, who ran a government distillery, turning corn into the best whisky “likker.”

The water wheel was said to have been replaced with two 48-inch-diameter turbines. In 1928 at the age of 89, Uncle Jim Hawkins was still grinding grain at the family mill—30 bushels of wheat and 40 of corn on a good day. As toll he took one-eighth of the flour and one-tenth of the meal. When he had to husk and shell the corn, he took one-fifth of the grain. The mill was sold in the 1930s and later resold to a couple from Texas who hoped to grind corn to sell as souvenirs. But before they got their business started, a June 1944 flood washed away the mill, scattering debris downriver for a couple of miles.


Kingston Roller Mill (“Old Red Mill”), Kingston (Madison County), about 1905.John D. Little Collection (S-92-109-15)

The Basore brothers built this steam mill in 1898 with partners John Grigg and Joel Bunch, borrowing $1,000 to purchase machinery and lumber. Volunteers from Kingston helped haul the roller mill equipment from the railroad depot in Springdale, forming a procession of eight wagons. The iron machinery was heavy (and top heavy, too), so care had to be taken. As George Basore later remembered, on their way through Huntsville they “enjoyed leading the parade” and showing off their new equipment to their competition.

Once the grinding machines, bolters, and elevators were in place, the millers ran a batch of flour, taking some home for testing in the morning’s biscuits. The 36-inch-diameter millstones used to grind corn came from Jasper. In addition to the flour mill, the owners operated a sawmill and ginned cotton.

The mill did custom grinding for area farmers as well as purchasing grain to mill and market. Their popular “Pride of Arkansas” brand flour was sold to stores in five counties and to the lumber camps around Pettigrew. As part owner of the mill, Basore made $25 a month. The mill ceased operations in the late 1920s and was likely torn down in the 1950s.


Marble Falls Mill, Marble City (formerly Wilcockson, Newton County), 1909-1910.James T. Braswell, photographer. Carroll County Heritage Center Collection (S-85-45-1)

Peter Beller first put a mill and overshot water wheel at this site in about 1840. Over the years new owners rebuilt and remodeled the mill, turning it into a four-story building and installing equipment to gin cotton and saw lumber. A 36-feet-diameter, 100-bucket wooden water wheel sat in a natural crevice against the bluff. The mill was powered by a vigorous spring which is said to have put out 4,000-5,000 gallons of water a minute.

It was a prosperous mill in its day, but the increasing availability of store-bought flour and cloth made the mill unprofitable. Some time in the early 20th century it was torn down. The water wheel eventually decayed and fell into Mill Creek. Years later a replica of Beller’s mill was built as a tourist attraction. In 1968 the property was turned into Dogpatch, a Lil’Abner-themed amusement park. A replica of the original wheel was built in 1983 where the old one once stood.


Buchanan-Moore Mill (previously Pyeatte-Moore Mill), Cane Hill (Washington County), about 1910. National Register of Historic Places—1982.Martha Moore Collection (S-85-277-51)

John Rankin Pyeatte built a water mill one mile north of Cane Hill around the time of the Civil War. Pyeatte’s son-in-law, William S. Moore, became a partner in 1866, travelling to Cincinnati, Ohio, to purchase new machinery. After Pyeatte’s death, Moore’s son-in-law, Walter Buchanan, joined the business in the early 1900s.

In 1907 the mill was moved to this property along Jordan Creek, the site of an earlier mill. The 36-feet-diameter metal overshot wheel was said to turn six times a minute when water was funneled to it through a pipe and flume from a millpond just north of the mill. A steam engine housed in an adjacent building was used when the water was low.

Over the years the mill’s owners ground grain, bought wool to card, sawed timber, and made caskets. One of the mill’s most popular brands of flour was “Gem.” It was sold as far away as Neosho, Missouri, and in Muskogee and Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Along with meal the mill sold shorts and bran (leftovers from milling wheat), salt, sorghum, medicine, and bacon. New owners took control in 1917. The mill closed in 1931. Today the mill site is owned by the Cane Hill Restoration Association. While the wooden portion of the building is long gone, the building’s stone foundation was restored in the early 1990s. The massive overshot wheel remains in place.


Farmer’s Alliance and Industrial Union Milling Company (previously Engels Mill, later Ozark Milling Company), Farmington (Washington County), 1900s-1910s.Washington County Historical Society Collection (P-455)

Before the Civil War, Abram Allen used mules to power a treadmill to grind meal at his small gristmill. During the war his nephew, W.H. Engels, used oxen, probably because the mules had been taken for the war effort. Engels’ mill was spared during the conflict, allowing him to grind grain for both armies and for local folks, who came out of hiding when the troops were gone.

After the war he built a new mill just outside of town, west of the Town Branch. The building served as a post office for a while. In 1875 Engels sold the mill to J.H. Cato who set up a government distillery two years later. But continuing problems with drunken men and hogs (which fed on the leftover boozy mash piped to outside troughs) caused Engels to fight for the end of the distillery.

By 1897 the mill had a new set of owners. Huge piles of logs were kept on hand to fire the steam engine needed to make the roller mill’s special brand, “Blue Ribbon Flour.” One unique feature of the building was a clerestory monitor, a roof addition which increased light and ventilation. Milling ended in 1926 or 1927. A burning shingle which flew off of a nearby building on fire caused the mill to burn down in 1934.


Moore’s Mill (later Barton’s Mill and Eureka Roller Mills), near Cincinnati (Washington County), 1900s-1910s.Washington County Historical Society Collection (P-1008)

A three-story, steam-powered roller mill went up in Rag Hollow, southeast of Cincinnati, sometime around 1883. Dave, Ham, and Gum Moore were the first owners, followed by George Barton in the 1890s. At some point a clerestory monitor roof addition was installed to increase light and ventilation.

When folks had their wheat ground at the mill, they could have it stored there until needed. Barton also sold and delivered flour. His delivery wagon had to be replaced yearly due to wear and tear. Around 1925 Tom Jackson purchased the mill, tore it down, and used the lumber to build a canning factory.


City Roller Mills (“Old White Mill”), Fayetteville (Washington County), 1900s-1910s.Washington County Historical Society Collection (P-341)

Supposedly the first steam mill in Northwest Arkansas, this mill was built just southeast of the downtown square in 1854. It was destroyed during the Civil War but later rebuilt by Alex Hendry. The machinery was brought from Springfield, Missouri, by J.D. Skillern. When it burned down in February 1922 owner Clarence Pyle decided to build “a cereal mill for making breakfast foods, etc.,” but it too burned.


Johnson Mill, Johnson (Washington County), possibly 1890s. National Register of Historic Places—1976.Ray Watson Collection (S-85-325-2038)

A mill stood on this site as early as 1835 before it was burned down during the Civil War. Jacob Q. Johnson rebuilt the mill in 1867, using impounded water from a nearby spring to power a 38-feet-diameter overshot wheel. In 1898 a 15½-inch-metal turbine replaced the large wheel and was itself replaced in 1924 by a 10-inch-turbine. The mill switched to a natural-gas-powered engine in 1940.

The Johnson family sold flour, meal, and feed (including earthworm feed for bait growers) until 1978 when miller Frank Johnson retired for health reasons. New regulations regarding the sanitary processing of foodstuff also played a roll. In the mid 1980s the mill was turned into a tourist spot complete with milled grain and a new overshot water wheel. It became part of the Inn at the Mill in 1991 and today houses two guest suites.


Unidentified mill, probably Strain Community (Washington County), about 1900.Washington County Historical Society Collection (P-4814)

Originally identified as the Lee-Helbert mill in Sulphur City near Reese Cemetery (Washington County), current belief is that the mill was located somewhere near George Strain’s 1833 log cabin which still stands (underneath layers of modern siding) near the Middle Fork of the White River.

The Prather Mill was once located on the river a few hundred feet north of Strain’s cabin. Built in the 1880s, it used an undershot wheel to harness the power of the river’s current. The mill changed hands over the years until 1901, when a warranty deed for the land states that the “mill and [its] appurtances” were to be removed.

While the Prather and Lee-Helbert mills with their undershot wheels sat on the river bank, the mill in this picture has an overshot wheel and it appears to be sitting on a hillside. Water traveled down a slope via a wood trough to the wheel, later falling into a small ravine. Other images taken on the same day show the mill located near a cluster of wood-frame homes, barns, outbuildings, and an early log cabin. One of the homes is thought to have belonged to William and Evelyn (“Aunt Nine”) Strain, both of whom are seen in this image peering out of the mill’s window.


Rhea’s Mill (later Valley Steam Mill), Rhea (Washington County), 1900s.Washington County Historical Society Collection (P-1005) NOTE: This image has been cropped and rotated to portray the building vertically rather than at an angle, as found in the original image.

A steam mill was built several miles north of Prairie Grove in 1854. William H. Rhea bought it and the surrounding property in 1859. He modernized the mill, having the equipment shipped by river to Van Buren. Oxen and mules hauled it over the mountains.

At the time of the Prairie Grove campaign in December 1862, Rhea’s Mill was occupied at least seven times by opposing armies before being destroyed by fire. Rhea rebuilt the mill. Once again water from the nearby spring was pumped into the steam engine that powered the mill’s equipment. The exhausted steam went up a 55-feet-tall sandstone chimney.

By 1875 the mill ran long hours, grinding both local grain and grain brought over from Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Whole wheat flour and cornmeal were shipped to area grocers. When the area’s first railroad came through in the 1880s, Rhea hoped a branch would be built near his mill, but the line went further south, along with cheaper flour shipped in from the East and North.

As demand lessened, the mill reduced its hours, operating only for two days a week in 1907. The mill closed in 1917. In 1956 the owners of the mill property donated the chimney to the Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park where it serves as a monument to the battle’s fallen soldiers.


Springdale Burr Mills (also known as Little Red Mill & Bowman Mill, later Byars Grist Mill), Springdale (Washington County), 1913.John & Louise Havens Collection (S-2006-177-12 & S-2006-177-11)

Located along Spring Creek, this steam mill once stood on the northeast corner of what is now the Shiloh Museum’s property. Further up the creek along Mill Street was a woolen mill and a large flour mill.

The mill was built in the late 1870s or 1880s and had many owners over the years. It had a corn sheller, a pair of millstones, and a crusher. For a brief time in 1912-1913, James Havens and his brother-in-law, James Bowmen, were part owners of the mill. Family legend has it that the main part of their business was selling grain to the folks in Tontitown to make alcohol.

In December 1925 William H. Byars moved the mill to Meadow Street. Three years later it burned down when a gas engine backfired and set a pile of corn shucks on fire. Over $8,000 worth of corn was destroyed.

The mill was rebuilt at a different location on Mill Street. It turned out cornmeal, flour, bran and shorts (leftovers from milling wheat), and chops (crushed corn) for sale to stores in such nearby towns as Durham, Kingston, Sonora, and Alabam. Byars’ son, Leo, bought the mill in 1942 and in turn sold it to Ted Saum in the 1950s. The mill moved to Huntsville Street but wasn’t in business much longer.


Stultz Mill, Springdale (Washington County), about 1908.Speece & Aaron, photographers. Gale Hairston Collection (S-99-26-2)

Not much is known about this mill with its breastshot water wheel just north of Springdale. It is said to have been built about 1901. In the 1900 Benton County census, a Jacob Stults is shown as living in Washington Township, just north of Springdale. His profession is listed as “miller.” He doesn’t appear on the 1910 Arkansas census. By the end of the 20th century, the land the mill once stood on became part of the Springdale sewer plant off of Pump Station Road. A large pond—possibly the old millpond—is sited near Stultz Spring.


White River Mills, West Fork (Washington County), 1900s-1910s.Robert G. Winn Collection (S-84-2-156)

This steam mill was built not long after 1890 when a flood on the West Fork of the White River washed away an earlier water mill. France J. Males, James M. Karnes, and John Arlis Walker were the proprietors at the time this photo was made. The mill marketed such brands as “Jersey Lily” and “Rose Economy” flour. Sometime in the late 1910s or early 1920s the mill burned down.

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century. - Shiloh Museum of Ozark History · PDF filecontrol the water used to power the undershot water wheel. The mill washed away in a flood and was rebuilt around 1848, only to