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1887 History of Story County, Iowa by W. G. Allen

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HISTORY OF MILLS
Page 385 of 493

CAMBRIDGE MILLS.

A good flouring mill and saw-mill combined, run by steam power, was erected in, or about, 1855. This was a very good and useful mill to many of us early settlers; and it is still a good mill—though some thirty-one years old. Dr. Grafton and Mr. J. Chandler had this mill erected. It is said to have cost, when fully completed, about $13,000. This mill was the best in the county. No other mill in Story County probably cost $13,000. It is claimed the Story City Mill cost more.

IOWA CENTER MILLS.

The first mill built here was by Messrs. Nathan Webb & Wood a short distance northeast of Iowa Center, at what was once called "Webb's Point." It was run by steam, and was erected in 1856. Was a flouring as well as a saw-mill. These mills were of great value. It finally passed into the possession of H. O. Ayers & Brother. It did a great deal of grinding and sawing, and was a special advantage to many in the early times. About 1869 it was taken down and moved away. The flouring mill in the south part of town is still doing a fair business. It was erected about the year 1856 or '57, and was a steam power mill. It was a flouring mill and a saw-mill combined—mostly a flouring business now.

I. Walker Corey built a corn cracker mill, to be run by water, on East Indian Creek, west of Iowa Center, and a short distance north of the bridge across the creek. It was a failure, and never done but little if any grinding.

A good flouring mill was built at Ontario about the year 1870, by I. B. Nelson & Seymore, and was run by steam power. It did excellent work; but Mr. I. B. Nelson, who owned it when it was moved, took it down in June, 1874, and took it to West Side, Iowa, where he put it up again; and at last account it was doing finely.

HANNUM'S MILL.

(Miller's in earlier times,) situated on Skunk River, on the west half of the southwest quarter of section 23, township 84, range 24, was a water and steam power mill, and did a great deal of work as a flouring mill and corn grinding. The main mill was moved in the year 1882 to Odebolt, Iowa. What was left of it is not of much value compared with what it had been. It also did considerable sawing as there was fair timber near by.

SOPER'S MILL.

Situated on Skunk River near the north quarter section corner of section 7, township 84, range 23, was built about 1862 by Thomas Hughes, and it did considerable business for a time in sawing. When first built it was a water power saw mill; and was for a time, when first built, called "Hughes' mill." This mill was

Page 385 of 493

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