History
In 1854 the first settlers came to the lovely Big Trout Creek Valley, now known as Pickwick. One settler was George W.T. Grant. Mr. Grant recognized that the falls of Big Trout Creek were an excellent waterpower site and decided to construct grist and saw mill in the area to utilize nature's power. By 1856 Wilson Davis and his father, Timothy, became associated with Grant, and they proceeded to build Pickwick Mill, the structure you see today. The mill was completed in 1858. It is six stories and measures 60 feet by 45 feet. The exterior of the mill is constructed of local limestone quarried nearby. The craftsmanship on the interior of the mill is remarkable. The locally cut and sawn timbers are notched and pieced into place. Only in the floor are nails used.
For its time and place, the Pickwick Mill was a very large "merchant" or commercial mill. It was driven by an overshot water wheel which turned millstones imported from France. The original millstones are located inside the mill. However, millstones, which were made from the same French area and time period, are now installed inside the mill and are being driven by a 20-foot diameter water wheel.
In its prime, the mill produced over 100 barrels of flour a day. Local farmers were hired to haul the barrels of flour by wagon to LaMoille (a village located at the north end of the valley). From this location the flour was transported either by rail or boat to the eastern United States, Europe, or South America. During the Civil War, the mill's flour was used to supply Union Troops, and the mill itself ran day and night to meet the demand.
During the mid to late 1800's southeastern Minnesota was a part of the wheat belt. Farmers from miles around brought their wheat to the mill by wagon over rough frontier roads. At times, the farmers and their teams and wagons would be lined up for a mile down the road waiting to unload at the mill. Next to the Mill, at the present site of Pickwick Inn, a hotel was built to provide overnight lodging for those who could afford such luxury.
During the last part of the nineteenth century, a revolution occurred in the milling of flour, called the "New Process." This process utilized machines called roller mills. Pickwick Mill kept pace with these new changes and moved to become a "state of the art" mill. The mill today is unusual from most mills in that it contains milling machinery that represents these technological changes. Antique roller mills, separators and flour dressers can all be viewed by visitors to the Mill. In addition to the machinery, the original double turbine, which originally replaced the water wheel, is also on display.
The mill produced flour and/or livestock feed continuously until 1978. After nearly 120 years, the fate of the mill was undetermined until what appeared to be a disaster hit. In September 1980, the valley experienced a rare flood that destroyed the dam and spillway of the mill. In addition the mill itself experienced extensive water damage; and because of the damage, the owners of the mill considered felling the building.