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Travel back to simpler days. Days when business in Missouri was about the rushing of a stream over a dam and bridges were covered. Visitors to Bollinger Mill State Historic Site can watch corn being ground into meal at the massive four-story mill. The mill dates to the Civil War era and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can also stroll through the Burfordville Covered Bridge. It is one of just four covered bridges that remain in Missouri. The site’s rustic setting offers ample picnicking and exploration, as well as, photo opportunities along the Whitewater River.
In early America, a water-powered mill usually precipitated the creation of local townships. In Missouri, the cool, clear streams of the Ozarks were ideal for water-powered mills, as well as, the communities they spawned. Farmers would camp with their families near the mill while waiting to have their grain ground into meal and flour. These gatherings often became the social focus of an area. Bollinger Mill State Historic Site provides a glimpse into this 19th-century way of life.
RESTORATION
Bollinger Mill has been restored as an operating, water-powered grist mill. Water from the millpond is diverted through the limestone understory. Here it must pass through, and power, the turbine as it leaves the building. The mill contains examples of milling machinery such as separators, and scourers, as well as, roll stands, millstones, and bolters. Visitors can also see purifiers, and bran dusters, as well as, conveyors and chutes.
Take the opportunity to see live demonstrations of making stone-ground cornmeal, as well as museum exhibits. These interpret the evolution of milling in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Bollinger Mill State Historic Site is unusual in featuring both a working mill and a covered bridge. These are side by side. The site also has a tree-shaded picnic area, as well as, a quarter-mile of stream bank. The historical cemetery where the remains of George Frederick Bollinger and members of his family rest is also on site.
The setting is picturesque, and the old mill holds a lot of history of days gone by. Visitors can learn about how the process of milling has changed over the years, as well as, how those changes affected the mill.
PARK HOURS & FEES
Contact Park
PARK PHONE
573-243-4591
PARK ADDRESS:
113 Bollinger Mill Road
Burfordville, MO 63739-9051
For more information click HERE.
Have you visited this state historical site? If so, please leave a comment. Thank you.
BREATHE LIFE!
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