Jolly Mill
Newton Co. | Missouri | USA
Watersource: Capps Creek, trib. to Shoal Cr.
Jolly Mill
Southwest of Springfield on US 60 40 miles to Monet, Mo., go an additional 8.2 miles to 1st road west of the Capps Creek/Berwick Township line at abandoned flooring factory. Go south on the paved road 1.8 mile to fork. Take the left fork for 0.7 miles to old bridge over Capps Cr. the mill is just beyond the bridge.
The mill was built in 1848 and was once, or maybe in the beginning, a distillery & grist mill hence the name of the little community that sprang up there called Jollification or Jolly for short. Built by slave workers, it was one of the few mills not burned in the Civil War.
Little restoration work has been done in the interior, but many changes exist on the exterior. The mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The grounds have been converted into a park. Several other buildings; the Chapman Schoolhouse, a barn, a sawmill, and maybe more have been installed on the grounds to restore a semblence of the former community.
One old steel bridge is on the grounds to the south-bypassed, while another steel bridge is still being used on a gravel road north of the park grounds, but visible from there. To become a member of or to see about scheduling an event at the mill, contact The Friends of Jolly Mill, contact: Jolly Mill Park, 31630 Jolly Mill Lane, Pierce City, Mo 65723. phone: 417-476-5809. The mill and grounds are privately owned. Ask for contact info for Margie McCormick. This info was current 3/31/98.