Motor Mill Historic Site

This former Wheat Grinding Mill is located on the bank of the Turkey River in Clayton County in Northeast Iowa. This majestic old Mill is 90 feet tall, and is believed to be the tallest structure of its kind in the Midwest. The stately old structure boast six full stories and measures 60 and one- half feet by 45 and one-half feet.

This Mill's foundation walls are five feet thick and taper in as the structure ascents to the roof. The ground floor walls are about three feet think; fourth floor, two and one-half feet; and the sixth floor, two feet thick. The bays on the inside are 12 feet wide. Beams measure 11 x 14 inches. Pillars are one-foot square. The first floor ceiling is nine and one-half feet high; all others are eight and one-half.

Stone masons from nearby villages were hired to build the Mill. Stone quarried on the top of the bluff was lowered in cable cars on wood rails to the building site. Legend tells of four "lead" masons, each responsible for one wall of the building, who tried to outdo the others with his own style of stonework. This mill was build in the late 1860 at a cost of $50,000.00 less equipment which cost another $40,000.00. Water for mill operations was provided by a dam upstream, 200 feet long and 12 feet high. A flume directed water into the basement of the Mill, providing power to the four turbines. This dam insured a minimum of 250 horsepower even at low water. One of the owners boasted that the Mill could handle 1500 bushels of wheat per week, for which he was paid 50-cents per bushel. It was said that Motor Mill flour was the best flour for baking. The flour was sold nearby and also shipped to Dubuque and used to make bread.

The mill was later abandoned when the Railroad failed and Chinch Bugs inflicted great damage to the wheat crop in 1871 and again in 1887.

Historic data obtained from the "Clayton County Conservation Board."

The photo above was taken by Flower Child on January 8th, 2007. I consider it appropriate to study this type of History. Lesson learned - You must have adequate infrastructure to move your products to the market place as well as proper pest control.