The mill was established in 1818 by George Tope, a Pennsylvanian. The present 26'X 36'X 2.5 story mill was built about 1826. An early dam and millrace was situated on Little Mcguire Creek. The early mill was water powered using an external waterwheel and buhrstones. A good website for the mill history is: fpw.isoc.net/KREK/Carroll_Algonquin_Steam_Mill_Page.htm

One of the first buhrs used at the Algonquin / Tope Mill in the early 1800's. By the 1890's, William Cory had procured the mill and, due to an insufficient water flow at times, converted the mill to steam. In 1894, roller mills were added, grinding corn, wheat and buckwheat; producing 25 barrels of ground product/day.

The grinding room is on the first floor, while the boiler room is one level down in the basement. Three types of flours are produced and packaged at the mill during the fetival. The tour starts at the small shed on the left rear that leads to the boiler room, and ends with visitors exiting the mill through the front door on the main floor, naturally. The first festival was held in 1971. The mill closed in 1938, and sat idle in a deteriorating condition until being acquired by the Carroll County Historical Society in 1968. The festial was further enhanced by the purchase of a neighboring farm, the Stanley Ebling Farm.

The Algonquin Mill Festival is the 2nd weekend of October each year. This is the only time of the year when the mill is open for tours to show visitors how grinding was done with steam. Corn, wheat and barley products are ground and sold as are giftpacks that can include applebutter and sorghum that are also produced here. The mail pouch barn sign for the mill was painted on the mill barn by the original "Mail Pouch" painter, Harley Warrick who was from the local area.

Algonquin Mill Fall Festival--Carroll County Historical Society, P.O.Box 174, Carrollton, Ohio 44615 Ph: (216)627-5510 or 1.800.600.7172.