Chapter Fifteen

MAHASKA COUNTY MILLS - SOME HISTORY RELATING TO THEIR ESTABLISHMENT.

One of the most difficult questions which the pioneers had to solve was the question which can only be solved by a good grist mill. The ground was productive and brought forth abundantly, but grain in the crude state was annoying to use. Hominy and boiled wheat would not remain fresh long, especially in warm weather. All of the old settlers with whom we have talked speak of the nong milling trips with remorse. Hence it was a great relief when good mills were established within the limits of the county. The mill that supplies the family with bread becomes a dear old landmark and every home is made to feel a sense of gratitude to the miller, and the entire establishment which made home feasts possible. There are many things of interest connected with the establishing of especially the earlier mills of this county which if they could be written, would make an interesting chapter. We give some of them.

The first mill built and put in running order in Mahaska county was the work of George N. Duncan. There is no record of the former life of Mr. Duncan, who was evidently an enterprising man, with the fullest confidence in his business ability. Samuel Gossage did the mechanical work on this mill. He was a cabinetmaker by trade and operated the first shop of that kind of work in Oskaloosa. He came to the county in 1844. Was representative from Monroe county in the state legislature in 1856 and mayor of Ottumwa during the war period. For some years before his death he was the proprietor of the old Blackstone House in West Oskaloosa.

One evening in 1844 when M. P. Crowder, father of Dr. M. L. Crowder, was returning from Oskaloosa, following an Indian trail, he noticed a horseman coming toward him and could readily see from the careless manner of the rider that it was white man. So he waited for him. The two men had never met before, but after some conversation each learned that the other belonged to the same common brotherhood of homeseekers in the New Purchase. There was almost no reserve among strangers in those days. There was a kindred fellowship that made each confide in the other. Mr. Crowder told him he was opening a new home over on Middlecreek and asked the stranger of his plans. He said he was building a mill on the Skunk river north of Oskaloosa but lacked sixty dollars of having enough money to purchase the necessary machinery to equip the mill. The idea of having a mill so near to himself and his neighbors appealed so strongly to Mr. Crowder that he said, without a moment's hesitation, not even knowing the stranger's name, that he had that amount of money in the house with which made home feasts possible. There are many· he had intended to enter his land as soon as it came into market, and that if the stranger would return the money when needed he would let him have it to use for so laudable a purpose. The stranger went home with his newly made friend and was spent in a pioneer conference. The next morning Mr. Crowder counted out to his guest, who proved to be Mr. George Duncan, sixty-five dollars in silver. Sixty-five dollars was quite a snug sum of money in that day, especially when it had been sacredly laid aside for the purpose of purchasing a home for the family. No obligations or specified rate of interest was thought of by Mr. Crowder in making this loan. He simply thought of the unmeasured advantage of a nearby grist mill to the whole community and to his own family. Mr. Duncan went to Burlington and completed the purchase of the necessary machinery for his mill.

Samuel Coffin was given the task of bringing the first milling outfit to this county. We are told that it required six yoke of oxen to bring the heavy castings from the river. Mr. Coffin was a Titan of strength and endurance in his early life, a typical frontiersman, who was equal to any occasion. He visited this county in 1842 and brought his family in 1844. Mrs. Sarah Cruzen, his daughter, relates that on his first visit her father and his two companions, Daniel Votaw and William Rouse, came suddenly upon five hundred Indians in camp. They at first thought they would have trouble, but they were treated kindly and allowed to go on in their meanderings. Mr. Coffin was the father of sixteen children, represented this county in the. state legislature one term, and was always a leading spirit in public enterprises.

When Mr. Crowder learned that the Duncan mill was in full blast, he took his ox-wagon, loaded up a grist and gave the new miller a call. When he had been there a short time he noticed on stepping out of the door that his team was gone. After looking about for them for a time he went into the mill and told Mr. Duncan that he believed the Indians had driven away his trusty team of oxen. Mr. Duncan replied, "I think you will find them up on the hill in my stable, and I want you to take dinner with me today." He then told Mr. Crowder that when he came to his mill he should never be compelled to take his "turn" like the other patrons, but as soon as the grist then grinding was out, his grain should next fill the hoppers. This rule he maintained as a distinguishing mark o£ friendship to Mr. Crowder as long as he owned the mill property. It scarcely need be mentioned that the sixty-five dollars was gratefully returned to its generous owner in good time for the land purchase.

We have given full space to this beautiful story of friendship because it emphasizes a phase of life among the better class of pioneers which is worthy of emulation.

The Duncan mill was built where the J. S. Whitmore mill now stands.

Messrs. Comstock and Pilgrim visited the South Skunk regions with a hunting party in 1842 and selected the present site of the Glendale mills as the spot for a mill site when this county should be opened for settlement. During the month of May 1843, these two gentlemen proceeded to carry out their designs, and constructed a dam across the Skunk river at the above point, using brush and rock, which served them for a number of years. The mill was constructed under the direction of Alexander McCleery, a millwright, and a partner in the new enterprise. It was built almost entirely from the native woods, gearing wheels and all being hewn and chiseled out of the most suitable timber from the nearby forests. The mill was completed as a saw mill in 1844 and was operated night and day for a time to supply the growing demand for building material for the new settlements. A little later attachments were made for grinding corn, and in 1845 the management were able to turn out good wheat flour. In these early years these two Mahaska county mills had many customers from Fort Des Moines and vicinity. The records show that they registered their grists and waited sometimes as long as eight days for their turn. In the early days these two mills were known as the upper and lower mills. The fall of water is about six inches to the mile between them.

A quite important law suit appears on the county records between Mr. Duncan, who brought the suit, and the owner of the lower mill. Mr. Duncan claimed back water damages. Ex-Governor Eastman represented the prosecution and W.H. Seevers the defense. The defense won the suit and Mr. Duncan afterwards bought the lower mill.

The Huron mills were built on the Skunk river in Black Oak township in 1857 by Morris Brothers at a cost of some five thousand dollars. In 1868 the mills were bought by Reynolds & Bowdel, who enlarged and improved it, making it a ten thousand dollar property. Parker & Cramer purchased the plant in 1870 and did a good business for a number of years. The above mill was the successor to Warren's mill, built by R. B. Warren in 1846, afterwards burned, and rebuilt in 1850.

A grist mill was built in Oskaloosa in 1851 by Roop, Harbour & Co. In the following year it was used as a grist mill and a distillery. It was much enlarged in 1857. The property passed into the hands of Siebel & Co. in 1866 and the rooms formerly occupied as a distillery and whisky refinery were used as a woolen mill. In recent years the manufacturing feature has been discontinued and the property used as a grist mill.

The South Spring mills, in the south part of the city, was an old established grist mill, but has recently been rebuilt to be used as a factory.

Union mills, on North Skunk, in Union township, was built during the summer of 1849 by Jacob Wimer and Christian Brolliar. Mr. Wimer was quite a mill builder; he built and owned three mills in Keokuk county before this date and several in Missouri in the years following. Mr. Brolliar was the millwright when the Roberts mill was constructed, and was the leading workman in the construction of a number of mills in the counties west of Mahaska. Mr. Wimer put in a stock of general merchandise at Union Mills in the fall of 1849. Mr. James Bridges states that he opened a store at Indianapolis that year and he and Mr. Wimer chanced to be in Burlington making purchases at the same time. The mill did a large business in the years that followed. The custom that was drawn to the village induced two other general stores to spring up. A saw mill was kept in operation in connection with the power that run the grist mill. Mr. Isaac Kalbach, who was a cabinetmaker in Oskaloosa in the early '50s, says that he secured lumber from the mill at times when it was impossible to get other stock from the yards along the Mississippi river. During those years both the village and the mill did a good business and contributed much toward building up that part of the county.

Currier's mill in White Oak township was built by Charles Currier, in the early '50s. It has always niade a superior grade of flour, and after more than fifty years of service still maintains its good reputation. Mr. Currier was a typical miller, honest, faithful and reliable. These are the expressive words used by his old neighbors in speaking of his labors of years ago.

Stone Ridge mill in Monroe township was built by Oliver and Henry Wimer in 1872. It was owned for a time by James Bridges and was aftenvard moved to What Cheer. The Baughman mill in the same township was built by a Mr. Cox in 1849. It was destroyed by fire in more recent years. The first iron bridge built in the county was built across the North Skunk at this mill. Several miles up the river was once located the Roberts mill. On its site a saw mill was built in 1849 by Wesley DePew. In 1870 Mark Roberts built a grist mill. After some years the property came into possession of a family of brothers by the name of Senate. They proved to be a set of robbers and were credited with belonging to a western bandit gang. They were driven out of the country.