Print of oldest mill in Nebraska by Linda Meigs
Historic Florence Mill gets a face lift
No one wanted to buy the historic Florence (Nebraska) Flour Mill. No one that is except for Linda Meigs.The building, which is the longest standing mill, in Nebraska was built in 1846 by Mormon leader Brigham Young, and renovated over the years. It was an operating mill until the 1960s, which Meigs says probably saved it from destruction.
No one wanted the mill because it was run down, needed major repairs, and was full of 14,000 pounds of dirt, grain and excrement. Birds and mice had used the building after its human occupants had left. But Meigs saw the buildings potential as a historical site and art center. Meigs is a local artist. She bought the building for $62,000 in 1998.
Meigs, with the help of friends and the able bodies of eight young Mormon missionaries, removed the filth and began the process of rebuilding the mill. Two thousand pounds of oats and corn still in the bins was given to a pig farmer. "It was fermented so the hogs might have gotten pretty drunk," says Meigs.
Today the mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the roof has been replaced with wood shingles, and rotten foundation beams have been changed.
The building is significant because of its age and because it was maintained as a working mill through the years. Also it has historical significance as part of the Mormon trail.
Soon after its original construction the mill was sold to Pennsylvania miller John Neff, who had moved west as part of the Mormon migration. Brigham Young used the $2500 he got from Neff to help feed the Mormon pioneers in Winter Quarters during 1846/47. Neff ran the mill for a year and it died on his hands. He took the original mill stones with him to Utah where they were used in a mill he built on East Mill Creek, now part of Salt Lake City.
Meigs still has considerable work to do to bring the building to the standard she would like. She is raising money for the renovations, in part by selling framed prints. Prints cost US$26.20, which includes sales tax and shipping. Donations also are welcome. Please write Winter Quarters/ Florence Mill Inc. c/o Linda Meigs, 5215 Jackson, Omaha, NE 68106-1331.
Tour groups should contact Meigs at (402) 551-1233. Admission is $2. The mill is located at 9102N 30th Street (at the intersection of Highway 75, Interstate 680 and the Missouri River Bridge), Florence, Nebraska.
The original timbers usedby the Mormons in building the mill
in 1846. Note the wooden pegs .
To see more pictures click here.
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