Mill Details

Heitman's Grist Mill

Bollinger Co. | Missouri | USA
Known Dates: 1828
Township: u/k
Watersource: Whitewater River.
Location / Directions

Heitman's Grist Mill

About 14 miles SW of US 61 in Perryville, Mo on Sr 51, turn right onto Cr 930 and go about 2.25 miles to the mill on the right just short of the junction with Cr 920/Cr 722.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Mark Sampson 12/16/2016

In ghost town called Heitmans Mill. The mill was nowhere to be found only this old house. We poked around for quite awhile and knew this wasn't the mill as there wasn't a water source for power. (The Whitewater River is located across Cr 930 from the mill)

Heitman's Grist Mill
Jim Miller 07/30/2014

View of the mill in 2014. I believe the photo above was taken some years earlier, but then posted on the website: bigdogadventures.com later in 2016 by Mark Sampson.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Jim Miller 07/30/2014

Heitman’s Mill was owned by Matthias Bollinger and finished in 1828. The mill dam was built by slave labor (maybe the mill was as well). Mr. SAmpson thought the mill was steam-powered, whuich it might have been during low water. It was also water powered by the Whitewater River nearby as evidenced by the upstream dam.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Jim Miller 07/30/2014

Closer up view of the front, showing the two doors offset to the left of center.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Mark Sampson 12/16/2016

This steam engine powered the mill---but what we couldn't believe is that all the original equipment is in the building--all the sifters belts, shafts, pulleys--everything--amazing.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Jim Miller 07/30/2014

wooden chutes that contained canvas belts with small cups attached to elevate grain and flour from the basement to the upper story for grinding, sifting, etc.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Jim Miller 07/30/2014

Another view of wooden elevator chutes in the basement.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Mark Sampson 12/16/2016

I finally peaked in the little side building on the left side of the building and low and behold !!!! Eureka !!! There is a boiler (what's left of it) and a steam engine in there with a shaft going into the main buildings cellar.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Jim Miller 07/30/2014

Originally the power was from an over shot wheel but later changed to a more efficient turbine. The grinding stones were shipped in from France. The lean-to from the 1st photo was attached on the right side of this photo, where tree branches now obscure the view.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Mark Sampson 12/16/2016

A swing sifter located on an upper floor. This is all posted "No Trespassing"---so you better get permission to poke around here too much. This is down a very lonely one lane dirt road.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Jim Miller 07/30/2014

The side on the right of photo was where the lean-to was attached (ie. 1st photo).

Heitman's Grist Mill
Jim Miller 07/30/2014

Moses Bollinger purchased the mill from Matthias in 1835. In 1854 Moses died and the heirs could not agree to sell the mill so it was sold at a sheriff's auction to John Dollie. The Dollie's kept it in the family until they sold half interest to William Heitman in 1899.

Heitman's Grist Mill
Jim Miller 07/30/2014

A Deutz-Allis F3 Gleaner sans the pick-up head was located about an eight of a mile back toward Sr 51 on Cr 930 from the mill. Grain is still being harvested in the area, although the mill no longer processes any of it. Deutz, a German tractor company combined (excuse the pun) with Allis-Chalmers Tractors to produce the F3.

 
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