Hints of spring are popping up all over the Mark Twain National Forrest. On a recent hike to Greer Spring and Mill, near Alton, Missouri, mosses covered rocks by the water and liverworts were beginning to bloom.
We began at the three-story mill, which had a historic site designation, but the impressive building was closed. We made our way over to the trail head, a half mile hike, to see the spring, deemed to be the second largest in the state.
Samuel Greer was not only innovative and determined, but he was also an epic animal trainer. Greer purchased the spring and property in 1859, where he put in a turbine water wheel and built the multipurpose mill (lumber, wool, and grinding grain). It was located near the road, making it easier for farmers to access.
Greer trained oxen to haul loads up and back down the steep incline from the powerful spring to the mill. He trained the animals so well that they completed the circuit on their own. He later went off to war, serving as a captain for the Confederate Army. When he returned from the Civil War, he found his mill burned down. Not a problem for Greer, he built a bigger and better mill.
Wherever a mill exists, a community crops up. Demand increased and to match it, Greer rebuilt the mill a third and final time. This time around he improved the dam system and added a roller mill that used power from the spring through a complex process of pulleys and cables. The spring was nearly three quarters of a mile down hill from the mill.
Not as sure footed as oxen, we stuck to the hiking trail, that broke up the incline. Even in the end of winter it was still a pretty hike that was totally worth the .9 miles each way up and down the ravine. There were some nice wooden bridges, it was well marked and although it wasn’t crowded, it was nice to see families and a few groups of teenagers out exploring.
The adventurous can hike right down to the energetic spring (click here to watch and listen to the powerful spring flowing) and see striking rock walls climbing up from the banks of the water. Greer Spring impressed us with its tremendous outflow, originating from Greer Spring Cave making its way to the Eleven Point River.
There were wooden benches along the trail for taking breaks and a nice seating area overlooking the water.
Back at the top and further along the road was Greer Crossing Recreation Area with campsites and boating. It had longer trails that circle back to the mill and spring. That’s for another trip.