This was an “on another trip” trip. I start out with one place in mind and end up passing others en route to my goal and I have finally begun to write them down. I am still traveling a perimeter not far from home, most places within an hour or two drive. Today’s adventure brought me to Hodgson Mill, which has changed names and owners over the years since the original one was built in the 1860s.
At first, it seems like the closed up mill is the only sight to see, and that would be fine as it’s pretty, three stories high and has lots to peek at and in through windows. We discovered paths along the spring and nearby Bryant Creek that led to an old bridge, currently to nowhere, but nice views. Looking back toward the mill, from the bridge, are little grassy islands in the outflow of the spring. Down the other way, led to a nice open area in the creek where a family was cooling off in the water by a little beach, down from the road.
The two old, resort buildings on site were also closed up, but one had a unique, hand built, stone barbecue along a path. That building was just one square room. Like many older buildings in the country, nature is fighting to reclaim the unused spaces as deep tree roots ran under the mill and vines along walls.
The mill has a long history and has grown and changed with the visions of several owners. From it’s original construction, dynamos were added for electricity, different stones and techniques were used for varying consumer demands such as white flour, also called patent flour, in the 1880s. The picturesque wheel in front is just that, turbines under the mill actually power it. In 2002, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Some owners over the years saw the beauty of the property and added picnic tables, campsites, resort cabins and a gift shop. The mill was used to produce flours, cornmeal, and spring water that was bottled on sight. It has also survived serious flooding which owners in more recent years have invested in restoring the building, not just repairing it. I wish I had researched ahead of my question filled visit, but it was still enjoyable.
A bit of reading brought me to the realization that I already knew the mill, although this was my first visit. Production of flour outpaced the mill’s capacity and it expanded to another facility in the 1970s. There is a complete story line about the product, separate from the original mill building which switched over to tourism. The Hodgson Mill flour brand was sold in 2019 to a New York based company where it is produced. The sellers that built the brand, known for gluten-free and whole grain products, had a production site one state over from Missouri, in Illinois. While it’s not unexpected to see an image of a mill on a bag of flour, I was impressed to see the exact image of this mill on a product that I’ve used, along with the name.
The mill is in a small area rural enough that it’s not too busy, but scenic enough to pull in a steady stream of visitors, stopping for a photo op of an iconic mill. It was on my way to another place, that Hodgson first caught my eye, people in front posing for photos. I’m happy I made the trip back and it now comes to mind every trip down the baking isle.
