The 5 story mill, with a shortened clerestory/large cupola on the roof, got its beginnings in 1843 as Elbridge Gerry Potter quarried some limestone from the bluffs across Big Mill Creek for the foundations and for the 11 foot thick dam. Hand-hewn timbers of oak and walnut were raised by millwright John Gammel as he oversaw the construction of the frame portion. Some beams 45'long and 15" square were included in the 75,000 board feet of lumber used to construct the $40,000 structure. Six sets or runs of burr stones were powered by a 15'by 12'wide waterwheel.

Potter later raised the dam as the mill changed from burr stones to six turbines resulting in the boosting of production to 200 barrels/day of flour. Because of the mill's proximity to the Mississippi River, by retirement in 1871, Potter was milling flour from as far away as Minn. and Wisconsin. Consequently, his Jasper XXX Flour was being shipped to most large cities east of the O' Miss. More recent owners made changes in the mill to keep pace with new milling technologies. Twelve roller mills were installed in the 1880's, a 35 HP Atlas steam engine became the source of power after the flood of 1896 washed out the spillway, electicity appeared, and the emphasis of milling switched from flour production to livestock feed grinding. Using steam as a source of power reduced production to 50 bbls/day. The mill machinery, after 126 years of turning, came to stop in 1969 even for feed grinding.

This photo shows a small portion of the restaurant dining area that has been kept as near to actual mill interior as possible, with various pieces of flouring and grinding equipment on display to diners. The rustic beams are another source for preserving the mill atmosphere.

The 3rd and 4th floor have been renovated to serve as quarters for Bed-& Breakfast patrons. This too, is done in such a way as to minimize the impact of modern facilities in keeping with the atmosphere of the mill. It is quite well done, utilizing a large part of the area as a common living room.

Additional history! Potter sold out in 1871 to Kilborn and Co., who in turn sold the mill to Arnold Reiling ten years later. The Reilings operated the mill for 38 years and after a succession of owners, the mill was sold to the Dyas family in 1931. The mill was bought at auction in 1980 by Daryll and Carolyn Eggers and immediate restoration of the creekside foundation was begun. The Eggers operated a restaurant in the mill until the 1990's, then sold to another party. In 1997 they repurchased the mill at auction and currently operate it as a restaurant and a Bed & Breakfast. Check out their web-site listed above. * Much of the history and background of the mill was taken from the Potter Mill web-site, http://www.pottersmill.net and from their Bed & Breakfast brochure.