Carroll's New Flour Mill, 1875-76

WAYNE, HATTON, BAUMHOVER, KNIEST, BREDE

Posted By: david reineke (email)
Date: 1/8/2005 at 12:15:28

I translated the following four articles from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. They were originally published in 1875 and 1876, and the date of each article is listed below. Any information in brackets or notes at the end is my own explanation. They read as follows:

[First Article: Friday, 2 April 1875]

A Steam Mill and its Prospects!

About a month ago, a well-attended meeting of local citizens and businesspeople was held in the local courthouse to discuss the construction of a steam [powered] mill in Carroll.

Mayor Wayne was elected chairman and J. W. Hatton was secretary.

A letter from a Des Moines firm was also read aloud, which offered, in exchange for pledges of $1000, to build a steam mill which would cost $15,000. In the meeting, $550 was immediately pledged, and Mr. Kniest was designated to take orders for further subscriptions.

As we have been informed today, the entire sum of $1000 has been subscribed, but unfortunately the Des Moines company has broken its word and withdrawn the offer.

The request has therefore been made of us to point out the advantages of building a steam mill locally, and we herewith, as far as it is in our power to do so, comply with that request:

Carroll, the county seat of Carroll County, is a flourishing town of 900 residents and lies in the center of Carroll County. The main line of the Chicago Northwestern Railroad runs through the center of the town. Unlike some towns which were built as stations on the railroad line, Carroll has made steady progress, and in the last two years alone, it has added about 336 residents.

It has four hotels, four banks, one [grain] elevator, four farm implement dealerships, eight dry goods stores, several grocery stores, two saloons, three harness makers, three shoemaking workshops, two furniture stores, one wagon-making workshop, three blacksmith shops, three lumberyards, one restaurant, a druggist, etc. More than 40 new buildings have been completed this year.

The surrounding area contains the richest grain soil, and it is almost completely settled by farmers. The yield of one acre is, on average, 20 bushels of the finest wheat, 60 bushels of corn, and so forth, in proportion. The main produce that is planted is wheat, and Carroll County has a great quantity and, like the west in general, has produced a larger amount than expected, and on account of this fact, the low price of wheat has fallen through the floor.

What we are mainly lacking is a steam [powered] mill. In the vicinity of 12 to 15 miles around, our farmers are forced to export their wheat, and, on the other hand, to import their flour. Everyone who is involved with the situation will understand what a loss that is. The high freight costs devour the farmers’ profits and, regardless of the fact that they are at the mercy of the buying-agents, they must import the flour they need for their homes at a high premium.

This is a favorable opportunity for investment of capital at a high rate of return, which anyone may see from the facts set forth.
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[Second Article: Friday, 28 May, 1875]

The Steam Mill

Mr. Henry Baumhover, who returned yesterday morning from Dubuque, brought the plans for the steam mill which is to be built. It will be built by the firm of Brede and Baumhover.

It is now certain that it will be located on the corner of Carroll and Fifth Street, near the railroad tracks. Along Fifth Street the building will have a front of 62 feet, and along Carroll it will have a front of 42 feet, and will be two stories high, not including the basement [and perhaps not including the ground floor].

According to the plan, it will be a splendid building, larger and better constructed than proposed. Naturally, the costs will also be far higher than the [earlier] plan. Construction should begin in the near future, and Baumhover has brought several workers along from Dubuque, so that preparations for building can be made.

The brickyard, where work is going ahead at full speed, will be able to deliver good bricks in a few weeks, so that also in this respect, there will be no impediment to beginning construction soon.
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[Third Article: Friday, 20 October 1875]

The Steam Mill

We are pleased finally to be able to report something reliable about the construction of this long-desired institution.

Mr. Frank Brede from Dubuque, who is undertaking the building of the mill in association with Mr. Henry Baumhover, arrived here on Tuesday morning to inspect the construction. He pronounced himself satisfied with the progress being made on the construction, as well as his partner’s construction oversight, such that, in recognition, he presented Henry Baumhover with a magnificent gold watch.

At the invitation of Mr. Brede, we accompanied him to view the construction, and we wish to set forth here briefly our experience.

The construction site is located on the corner of Carroll and Fifth Street and adjoins the railroad tracks. The main building is 42 by 82 feet, and three stories high. The foundation walls, which are now complete, are three feet thick and four feet high. The first story will be completely of stone, and the other floors will be built of brick. The entrance is located on the northeast corner, and the engine shed on the southwest corner. The office will be located along the frontage on Carroll Street. Four millstones and seven elevators [or conveyors] are to be installed. The steam engine, which will be built in Dubuque, will be 85 horsepower. The flywheel alone weighs nearly 9000 pounds. The smokestack will be 65 feet high. Only the finest materials will be used in the construction. The building should be roofed by October 1st, and the mill in operation by January 1st.

The most adverse weather conditions, which have prevailed here this year, have naturally greatly impeded the quick progress of construction, and if the weather during the next few months is more settled than before, the entrepreneurs will use all efforts to have the mill in operation by the above-stated time, 1 January 1876.
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[Fourth Article: Friday, 7 January 1876]

The Steam Mill

“Good work takes time.” We were also saying this on Tuesday morning, when we inspected the newly built steam mill which was put into operation on that day. A group of citizens was on hand for this occasion, and everyone observed the operation of the steam engine and the mill works with great attention. The mill is a model of its kind, and in any case, it is one of the best and most serviceable installed between Marshalltown and Council Bluffs. The steam engine has 85 horsepower and the entire works was manufactured in Dubuque.

The water delivery for the boiler leads through a smaller steam engine, and it is conveyed through several tanks and warmed-up before it reaches the actual steam engine, whereby the danger of an explosion is naturally impossible.

The mill works [grinding mechanism], which was also assembled in Dubuque, is equipped with the latest improvements, known only to the newest milling arts. The millers are thereby in a position to produce the most superior flour and to do work for customers just as the customer desires.

At present, there is only one mechanism in operation, but by next week, three more will be in operation. At the try-out on Tuesday with the one mechanism, a first-rate cornmeal was produced. L. Keckevoet received the first sack of this, and as thanks for that, he gave an excellent keg of Zimbelmann’s beer for the benefit [of the occasion], which tasted good to all those present. After the cornmeal, barley was next in line, which was rough-ground for the Mt. Carmel Brewery.

The completion of the mill has fulfilled a long-held desire of our population, and we hope that the businessmen will profit from it.
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NOTES: This mill was eventually called “Carroll Roller Mills.” Photos of the mill show that it was three stories above ground and made of brick on the outside. The bricks were made by Henry Baumhover on his farm in Kniest Township. An article in Der Carroll Demokrat published on 22 May 1874 mentions that he was hard at work starting to manufacture bricks there. The Mr. Keckevoet mentioned above, who received the first sack of flour and donated the keg of beer, might be Louis Keckevoet, who had a grocery store on the corner of Fifth and Adams Street in Carroll.