Baker Realty - Local Information

Designated by the Missouri Department of Tourism as the most photographed mill in the state, this premier example of a turbine-driven gristmill is probably the best known mill in America. Built in 1894, it remained in operation until 1977, when production of the famous flours and meal that bears its name was moved to a state-of-the-art facility at nearby Gainesville. The mill is also unique in that it was built into a rock bluff directly over the spring's 29 million gallon outflow. The mill's wheel shown in the photo is merely a decorative feature. Located on beautiful Bryant Creek, a camping area just across the mill branch provides opportunity to stay over and enjoy this scenic wonder. Canoe outfitters are available at nearby Dora to arrange float trips from this site.

Dawt Mill located about 30 miles west of West Plains in Ozark County, was first established in 1892. It was rebuilt around the turn of the century by Alva Hodgson after a fire destroyed the original building. Dawt is the only water-powered grist mill located along the banks of the North Fork of the White River. For 30 years the overshot mill wheel sat motionless. But now the mill is used daily to grind the corn and wheat used in foodstuffs from the mill's bakery. The original general store has also been restored and a restaurant and motel added, making Dawt Mill a prime recreational destination, whether you come seeking scenery, history, a picnic, or a chance at the area's legendary trophy trout.

The entire town of Rockbridge was destroyed by fire during the Civil War. Residents might have left the area, but they couldn't resist the stunning scenery of this bluff-lined valley of the Bryant Creek. So they chose a new town site near Morris Spring, and one of the first structures built was a new gristmill. Built in 1868, historic Rockbridge Mill still stands as a monument to the tenacity of Ozarks pioneers. Today, the mill is the scenic center of a privately owned fishing resort and trout hatchery. Many of the town's original buildings have been preserved, and the old general store converted into a popular area restaurant. Cabins at the resort are sometimes reserved years in advance by fisherfolk who, like those first residents, just have to keep coming back.

Though a mill has operated on this site since the Civil War era, the current Zanoni Mill structure was put in place in 1905 by A.P. "Doc" Morrison. As was done in previous mills, a wooden flume carries water from a hillside spring to the mill's overshot wooden wheel. In the past, the mill was the center of a thriving community which included a post office and general store. Today, the mill is a historic part of the scenery at a luxurious bed and breakfast operated by the Morrison family.

Topaz Mill, hidden away in a valley along the upper North Fork of the White River, is privately owned and preserved, along with the general store that, together with the mill, provided the center for the pioneer town of Topaz, which has passed into history. The mill was constructed in 1895 and is still virtually intact. It is sometimes open to the public by permission of the owner. A low water bridge near the mill is a popular springtime put-in point for canoeists.

Falling Spring Mill, in Oregon County, was constructed in the 1920s of rough-hewn oak and was powered by a spring that emerges from the bluff above. It features one of the area's few wooden overshot waterwheels, and much of its primitive machinery remains intact. Located on Hurricane Creek near the Eleven Point River, the mill is part of a small park maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. The mill is accessible by a footbridge across the mill pond.

Boze Mill is nestled in a beautiful glen beside the Eleven Point River just above Riverton, and was once an important center of commerce where farmers could get wheat and corn ground into flour. Now nothing remains but the stonework and some machinery parts, in a setting of extraordinary beauty.

A spring branch boiling from beneath a rock in Oregon County prompted Clay Turner to haul a 25-foot tall steel mill wheel, in pieces, by mule train, to power a gristmill, sawmill, and electric light for the town of Surprise (so named because the townspeople thought the town too small to be granted its own post office. But it was. Surprise!) Now the wheel stands alone in the spring branch a short walk from Surprise school, whose last graduating class was in 1945.

...and don't forget Hammond Mill!