Bollinger Mill / Cape County Mill
Cape Girardeau Co. | Missouri | USA
Watersource: Whitewater River
Bollinger Mill / Cape County Mill
Located about 8 miles WSW of Jackson on Sh 34. Take Sh OO south frm Sh 34, turn left on Cr 360 then onto Sh HH to the mill in the State Historic Site.
The first mill at this mill seat was built by George Frederick Bollinger in 1800 on a 640 acre land grant from Louis Lorimier, the then Spanish Commandant of the Cape Girardeau District of Upper Louisiana.
The original log mill & dam were rebuilt to include the current limestone foundation & a limestone dam in 1825, with the upper mill of frame. Bollinger's daughter, Sarah Daugherty, and two grandsons ran the mill from 1842 until 1861, when the mill was burned by Union troops, as the Daugherty's had southern leanings during the Civil War.
Solomon R. Burford, the towns founder, bought the burned out mill in 1866 and rebuilt the mill with brick on the original foundation. The inlet to the mill is captured in the photo. The wooden waterwheel no doubt gave way to the more efficient steel turbine about the time the new mill was built.
The Covered Bridge over the Whitewater River by the mill was built by Joseph Lansmon around the Civil War years. The 140' Howe truss was built largely of yellow poplar, restored in 1908, 1950 and again in 1998.
The mill and covered bridge, showing the outlet arch for the millrace back into the Whitewater River. The mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
An interior picture depicting the flour bolter. Most of the equipment have been removered except for an outstanding set of 42" grinding stones. Spoom member, Jack Smoot is the miller/interpreter. There is a collection of various types of non-functioning roller mills on display. A contact person about the mill is Tom Ertman: taertman@capecounty.us email address.
A view of the mills rear from the far end of the covered bridge. The mill operated as the Cape County Milling Co. from 1895 thru 1953, when it was purchased by the Paul Vandivort family. Culminating their interest in preservation, the mill was donated to the Cape Girardeau Historical Society in 1961.
It was then donated to the state in 1967, 100 years after being rebuilt as brick. The picture shows the Old Cape County Mill from under the covered bridge.