Post on 12-Dec-2016
No.23
MillingAroundMotorMillHistoricSiteNewsletter
ClaytonCountyConservationBoard
29862OsborneRd
Elkader,IA52043
LarryStone
Summer2016MotorMillFoundation
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May14-15 May28-29
June11-12 June25-26
July9-10 July23-24
August6-7 August20-21
Sept.3-4 Sept.17-18
ThecompletionofthenewbridgeinDecemberof2012,thereplacementofallindoorflooring,andrepairsmadetotheroofandloftareaofMotorMillwerethefinishingtouchesonanimmenserestorationprojectthathasbeenunderwayformanyyears.
Therearestillplanstoreplacetheroofsoftheicehouseandcooperage,aswellasremovesiltthathasaccumulatedinthebasementofthemillafterthemostrecentfloodof2008.Theseprojectsareexpectedtobecompletedthissummer.
Thoughthetaskcontinuestofullyrestorethemill,alotofprogresshasbeenmadeandcanbeperfectlyexhibitedbylookingatthesite.Stopbyforavisitandtouronanyofourtourdateslistedhere.
Besuretocheckoutournewlyupdatedwebsiteatmotormill.orgformoreinformationregardingthemillsiteandthewonderfulhistorysurroundingit!
2016“StoriesinStone”TourSchedule
Tourswillbegivenonthesedaysbetweenthehoursof
Noon-5p.m.1
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LeshasmanywonderfulmemoriesfromhistimelivingneartheMotorMill.Likemostchildren,Lesenjoyedrunningaroundexploringandcausingalittlebitofmischiefnowandagain.Herecallsonemomentinparticular,whenhedecidedtobuildafloatthatwouldtakehimsailingdowntheTurkeyRiver.
Inordertobuildagoodfloat,Lesknewhewouldneedadecentsupplyofwood.Sincetheredidn’thappentobeapileofwoodjustlyingaround,heknewhewouldhavetogetcrafty.Lesdecidedtotearupsomeoftheoldflooringinsideofthemill.
Oncehehadhissupplies,Lesbeganconstruction.Heworkedtirelesslyatpullingupmoreandmorewoodforhisfloatandhaulingitbacktohishome.UnfortunatelyLessaysthatonedayhisfather,“FinallygotwisetowhatIwasdoing.”
ThisquicklyputanendtothefloatthatLeshadbeenbuilding.Herecallscominghomeonedayandrunningaroundtowherehehadstashedhiswork.Hewasshockedtofindthat,“Thewholethingwasgone.”Themysteryremainsastowhatexactlyhappenedtothefloat,andLesneverbuiltanotherone.
LesKlinkLesKlinkfrom
Communia,IAispersonallyconnectedtoMotorMill.LesKlink’sgrandparentsboughttheMotorMillin1903.TheirnameswereLouisL.KlinkandElizabeth(Wistrick)Klink.
TheKlinkfamilyusedthemillforfarming.Afterhisgrandfatherdied,LesandhisfatherfarmedallofthelandatMotorMillaswellasthefarmhelivesonnow.
HisfondestmemoriesoftheMillarefromhisyoungeryearswhenhehelpedwithfarmworkattheMillandthreshedoatswithhisfather.
LesisoneoftheoriginalmembersoftheMotorMillFoundationandcontinuestoserveontheirboardtoday.
LivingMemories
HaveanyofyourownmemoriesofMotorthatyouwanttoshare?Great!
PleasecontacttheMotorMillFoundationtoshareyourstory:
MotorMillFoundationofClaytonCounty,29862OsborneRd.,Elkader,Iowa52043
563-245-1516cccb@claytoncountyia.gov
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TheTownofMotorWhyisitcalledMotorMill?
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partnerwhoonlyprovidedfinancialsupport.Crosbyhowever,putinalotofhisowntimeandefforttolaymuchofthefoundationforthetownofMotor.
Crosbywasaself-employedattorneywhomademanygreatstridesforthetownincludingestablishingaschool,doingtheengineeringforthemill,unsuccessfullyapplyingfortheconstructionofapostoffice,andsurveyingforthetown.ThephotoaboveistheofficialplatofthetownthatCrosbyhimselfcreated.
Crosbykeptdetailedinformationaboutthetownanditsconstructionaltimeline.SeveralpagesofthisinformationstillexistincopiesofCrosby’spersonaldiary.Heregardedthemillhighlyandspokeofitkindlybysaying,“Beautifulinitsproportions,solidastherockfromwhichitwasmade,theoldmillstandsinwhitereliefagainsttheforestedhills,adelighttotheeyeinitsperfectionanditspicturesquesetting.”
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Plattedin1875,Motorwasonceathrivingtown.TherewereatotalofthreeinvestorswhofinanciallysupportedMotorandbuiltituptoitsmostprosperousstate.
Themaininvestor,JohnThompsonownedhalfofthetownandwasthecentralvisionaryoftheproject.Mr.ThompsonalsohadahandinestablishingthetownofElkader,whichincludedbuildingaflourmilltherebeforetheoneinMotor.
AnarticlethatwaspublisheduponthedeathofMr.ThompsontellstheshockingtruetaleofhowThompsonwaskidnappedbyawildgangofrailroadworkers.
TheworkershadstartedtobuildfortheMcGregor,St.Peter’sandMissouriRailroadCompanywhentheireffortsbecameacompletefailureduetolackoffunds.Desperatefortheirpaychecks,theyabductedThompsonduringoneofhisroutinetripstothetownofMcGregorbecauseThompsonhadbeenchosenasthecompany’spresident.Theythenheldhimhostageuntilheeventuallyagreedtopaytheirwages.
ThearticlegoesontotellthatThompsonwasaverykindandgenerousmanwhowasverysuccessfulinhismanyventuresinbuildingmillsaswellasprovisionstoresaroundtheNortheastIowaregion.
TheothertwoinvestorswereJ.P.DickinsonandJamesO.Crosbywhoeachheld¼ofthetotalinvestmentinthetownofMotor.Dickinsonwasmostlyasilent
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BeforethecompletionofthemillThompsonandCrosbyattemptedtobuildawoolenmillaswell.Unfortunatelytheywereneverabletofindaninvestor,andthusawoolenmillwasneverbuilt.Thesehopesforawoolenmillarethelikelyreasonfortheoneflatwalloftheflourmillsinceitwouldhavelikelybeenbuiltrightagainstthatflatwall.
Oncetheflourmillwasfinishedintheyearof1869itbecameahugesuccess.Priortoitsexistence,thenearestflourmillthatheldasimilarcapacitytothatoftheMotorMillwaslocatedinDubuque.Itwasafive-daytriptotaltomakeittoDubuque,waityourturninline,andreturnhome.MotorMillalsoboasteditsproductionratesof1,500bushelsofwheatperweekat5ocentsperbushel.
AsthemillingbusinesscontinuedtoboominMotor,otherstructureswerebuilt.Manyofthesebuildingsstillstandatthesitetodayincludingtheicehouse,cooperage,aninn,andalivery.Theicehousestoredicefromeachwintersothatitcouldbeusedduringthespringandsummermonthsasawaytorefrigeratefood.Thecooperagewaswherewoodenbarrelsweremade,whichstoredflourthatwasmadeatthemill.Theinnwasusedtohousebothtravelersandworkers,andtheliverywasusedtohousehorses.
ThereisstillthequestionofthedeepermeaningbehindthenameofMotor.Outofalltheendlessoptionsfornames,whywasthisspecificnamechosenforthetown?Nodocumentationexiststoexplainthischoice,butaneducatedassumptioncanbemade.
TheIowacountrysidewasquitenewduringthemid-1800’s.Thompson,Crosby,andDickinsonwereearlypioneersoftheareawhosawgreatpotentialintheReadtownshipsite,whereMotorwasestablished.ThenameMotormostlikelycamefromthemeaningofthewordatthetimewhenthetownwasnamed.
Motormeantsomethingnew,exciting,powerful,andmoving.Thisperfectlydescribedthedreamthatthefounderssharedforthetown.Theywantedtoestablishsomethingthatwouldwithstandthetestoftimeandstillremainaremarkablesighttoseecenturieslater.ThenameMotoralsoexpressedthethrivingenergythatthetownoncehadinitsbeginning.
Sadlythisvisionwasneverfullyrealized.Themillclosedafter14shortyearsofoperationafteraterriblechainofeventsthateventuallyledtotheendofwheatfarminginIowaasawhole.
MeetOurNewSummerIntern
JessicaWegmannisanupcomingjuniorattheUniversityofNorthernIowa.SheismajoringinBusinessMarketingwithaminorinVocalMusicPerformance.
BornandraisedinElkader,JessicaisveryexcitedtoworkwithClaytonCountyConservationandtheMotorMillFoundationinthefollowingmonthstomakeapositivedifferenceinherowncommunity.
ThissummerJessicawillbefocusedonanumberofprojectsforthemillincludingupdatingtheMotorMillwebsite,creatinginteractivewaysforchildrentolearnaboutthemillingprocess,andwritingthisverynewsletter!
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Inthisphotoyoucanseemembersofthevolunteerworkcrew,JohnNikolai
andSteveBeaumont,whowereworkingtoreplacethefloorboardsonthetopfloorofthemilljustthispast
May
DonateDonationsofanyamounthelptomaintain
andenrichthenaturalbeautyoftheMotorMillsite.Yourdonationsallowfornecessaryrenovationsandcontinuousmaintenanceonthesite.Recentlycompletedrenovationsincludenew
flooringontheupperfloorsofthemill,andnewwindowsforthemilland
cooperage.Anydonationisappreciatedandnodonationistoosmall.
DonationstotheMotorMillFoundationortheClaytonCountyConservationBoardare100%taxdeductibleduetotheir501c3
status.
Donationsmaybesentto:
MotorMillFoundation
or
ClaytonCountyConservationBoard
Address:29862OsborneRd
Elkader,IA52043
Phone:(563)245-1516
VolunteerTherearetwodifferentwaystovolunteerwithMotorMill.Volunteersaregreatlyneededandappreciatedsincetheyare
nothinglessthantheheartandsouloftheMotorMillsite.
Onewaytovolunteeristobecomeatourguide.Toursaregivenonweekendstwiceamonthduringthetourseason.Beforeyoubecomeaguideyourself,youwill
shadowanotherguideforatleastonefulldayoftoursinorderforyoutoget
comfortablewiththesite.
Anotherwaytovolunteeristohelpwithrenovationsbyservingonthevolunteer
workcrew.Itisimpossibletokeepprogressmovingforwardwiththemill’s
restorationandinterpretationwithoutthecrew’shelp.Currentprojectsinclude
removingthesiltfromthebasementaswellasreplacingtheroofsontheicehouse
andcooperage.Experiencewithconstructionorasimilarareaispreferred.
FormoreinformationortobecomeavolunteerpleasecontacttheClayton
CountyConservationBoard.
HowYouCanHelptheMotorMill
LarryStone6
SilosandSmokestacksNationalHeritageArea
Silos&SmokestacksNationalHeritageAreapreservesandtellsthestoryofAmericanagricultureanditsglobalsignificancethroughpartnershipsandactivitiesthatcelebratetheland,people,andcommunitiesofthearea.
TheGreatRiverRoad
TheGreatRiverRoadNationalScenicBywayfollowsthecourseoftheMississippiRiverfor3,000milesfromnorthernMinnesotatotheGulfofMexico.Thescenicroutepassesthrough10statesandhundredsofrivertowns.TheGreatRiverRoadisarguablythelongestandmostimportantscenicbywayinAmerica.
OurPartnerOrganizations
MotorMillFoundation
Themissionofthefoundationistoprotectandpreservethearchitecturalintegrity,history,naturalbeautyandserenityoftheMotorMillsiteanditssurroundingsandtodevelopappropriate usesandinterpretationasaregionaltreasureforthebenefitoffuturegenerations.
ClaytonCountyConservationBoard
ThemissionoftheClaytonCountyConservationBoardistopromotethehealthandgeneralwelfareofthepeople;andtoencouragepreservation,conservation,educationandrecreationthroughresponsibleuseandappreciationofournaturalresourcesandculturalheritage.
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