Rural Missouri - November 2011 - (Page 10)

You can still buy Hodgson Mill ﬂour, but it won’t be ground at the photogenic old mill located near Sycamore on Highway 181. The mill is one of ﬁve located in Ozark County. Fall is the best time to discover these historical treasures In search of Missouri mills To order prints of these photos, see page 31. N The massive steel wheel standing in the spring branch is all that remains of Turner Mill, located just north of the Eleven Point River. some of the best-preserved old waterpowered grist mills in the nation,” he says. “They are a treasure. The nice thing about them is that they are not ovember presents a chalonly pretty and rustic and set along lenge for Missourians. When some nice streams and creeks — their the chill winds start to rustle backdrops also are usually the remaining really beautiful.” colorful leaves, we are Armed with a copy tempted to join the othof Mike’s book, anyone er mammals that head can take what took Mike for their dens and hiberSee more photos of hisnate until spring returns. torical Missouri mills in 20 years to discover and visit in just a few days. But the more intrepid our online edition at among us might instead www.ruralmissouri.coop. The book is organized as a driving tour and features head to the Ozarks in 25 mills, organized by location. search of the remaining old mills. “Some of these mills I stumbled on Nestled in some of the most beautiful just by accident through my exploraspots in the state, these old mills were tions,” Mike says. He recalls ﬁshing once the centers for commerce and with his brothers on Huzzah Creek social gatherings for Missouri’s pioand being surprised by the sight of neers. And they remain that way for Dillard Mill, a state historic site in those who take the time to ﬁnd them. Crawford County. That opportunity became easier While that mill is on the highway when Mike McArthy put together his map and the Missouri State Parks webbook, “Historic Ozark Mills.” For 20 site, other mills would be difﬁcult to years, the Cuivre River Electric Coopﬁnd without the book. One of these is erative member from St. Charles travKleipzig Mill east of Winona, which is eled the state taking pictures for his almost easier to ﬁnd while hiking the “Photozarks” photography business. Ozark Trail than by car. “The Ozarks as a whole have by Jim McCarty jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop Another is Topaz Mill, one of the best preserved of the old mills. Getting to this site on the headwaters of the North Fork River requires careful navigation. However, Mike’s turn-byturn directions for each of the mills is a better guide than a GPS unit. Communities blessed with a nearby mill are discovering the structures also make a great backdrop for festivals and other events. Summersville, for example, is home to a feed mill that still had all of its original machinery but was desperately in need of exterior restoration. The community lovingly restored the mill and now uses it for a host of activities, including a pumpkin festival, an annual ﬁsh fry, a poker run and a Christmas open house. Licking held its second mill festival this year at its restored ﬂour mill. Crafts, music, an old mills photo contest and a Civil War reenactment were part of the activities that revolved around the mill, which still operates. At least two Missouri mills are home to ﬁne dining. Dawt Mill near Tecumseh was recently restored to house a restaurant unlike any other, 10 WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP http://www.ruralmissouri.coop http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - November 2011

Rural Missouri - November 2011
Table of Contents
Comments
Columns
In search of Missouri mills
Co-ops take action
Outdoors
Best of rural Missouri
Out of the Way Eats
Second chance ranch
Grant takes command
Hearth and Home
News Briefs
The hillbilly approach to the Woodstock nation
Marketplace
Around Missouri
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - November 2011