Ask Leon Dansby to take you to see his mill. Leon Dansby, Rt. 6, Box 218, Ozark, Al 36360. Call ten days ahead to set up a visiting time. Phone: 205-774-8661.

The route to the mill is down the road about 1/2-3/4 mile, down through some peanut field stubble, past some large rooted-up dirt areas, the result of feral hogs [several herds of 25-30 hogs] rooting for left-over peanuts at night, then down across the stream and up to the mill. The fields are terraced to reduce soil erosion.

The mill was built in 1991 as a present for his wife, Ruby. There is also a log cabin near the mill that Mr. Dansby has also built.

The front entrance of the mill. The cabin is about 200-300 yds. out from the front of the mill, across a fence on a knoll in the next pasture.

The mill is run as a hobby mill, grinding for family and friends with one run of 48 stones that were originally in the Marley Mill, located back almost to Sh 123 on Ch 36, less than one mile, on the east side of Bear Creek.

The 2 x 8 steel waterwheel turns at about 8-9 RPM, turning the stones at 90 RPM to produce about 12-15 lbs. of stoneground cornmeal.

The wooden cover for a small stone set. The grain funneling hopper that normally feeds the grain into the center of the stone set lies at an angle on top.

Various horse drawn plows and planters shown in the photo. Mr. Dansby is a collector of small scale, oldie farming equipment.

The mill pond, fed by the tributary to Claybank Creek, is the source of water and the recipient of the water once it has traveled around the overshot wheel. The water is piped to the top of the wheel, a valve opened, and the filled buckets on the wheel turn the wheel to the speed needed.