Milling Around Summer 2016

MotorMillFoundation
Summer2016
No.23
MillingAround
MotorMillHistoricSiteNewsletter
LarryStone
ClaytonCountyConservationBoard
29862OsborneRd
Elkader,IA52043
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Thecompletionofthenewbridgein
Decemberof2012,thereplacementofall
indoorflooring,andrepairsmadetothe
roofandloftareaofMotorMillwerethe
finishingtouchesonanimmense
restorationprojectthathasbeenunderway
formanyyears.
Therearestillplanstoreplacetheroofs
oftheicehouseandcooperage,aswellas
removesiltthathasaccumulatedinthe
basementofthemillafterthemostrecent
floodof2008.Theseprojectsareexpected
tobecompletedthissummer.
Thoughthetaskcontinuestofully
restorethemill,alotofprogresshasbeen
madeandcanbeperfectlyexhibitedby
lookingatthesite.Stopbyforavisitand
touronanyofourtourdateslistedhere.
Besuretocheckoutournewlyupdated
websiteatmotormill.orgformore
informationregardingthemillsiteandthe
wonderfulhistorysurroundingit!
2016“StoriesinStone”
TourSchedule
May14-15
May28-29
June11-12
June25-26
July9-10
July23-24
August6-7
August20-21
Sept.3-4
Sept.17-18
Tourswillbegivenonthese
daysbetweenthehoursof
Noon-5p.m.
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LivingMemories
Leshasmanywonderfulmemoriesfromhistime
livingneartheMotorMill.Likemostchildren,Lesenjoyed
runningaroundexploringandcausingalittlebitofmischief
nowandagain.Herecallsonemomentinparticular,when
hedecidedtobuildafloatthatwouldtakehimsailingdown
theTurkeyRiver.
LesKlink
LesKlinkfrom
Communia,IAispersonally
connectedtoMotorMill.
LesKlink’sgrandparents
boughttheMotorMillin
1903.Theirnameswere
LouisL.KlinkandElizabeth
(Wistrick)Klink.
TheKlinkfamilyused
themillforfarming.After
hisgrandfatherdied,Les
andhisfatherfarmedallof
thelandatMotorMillas
wellasthefarmheliveson
now.
Hisfondestmemories
oftheMillarefromhis
youngeryearswhenhe
helpedwithfarmworkat
theMillandthreshedoats
withhisfather.
Lesisoneofthe
originalmembersofthe
MotorMillFoundationand
continuestoserveontheir
boardtoday.
Inordertobuildagoodfloat,Lesknewhewould
needadecentsupplyofwood.Sincetheredidn’thappento
beapileofwoodjustlyingaround,heknewhewouldhave
togetcrafty.Lesdecidedtotearupsomeoftheoldflooring
insideofthemill.
Oncehehadhissupplies,Lesbeganconstruction.He
workedtirelesslyatpullingupmoreandmorewoodforhis
floatandhaulingitbacktohishome.UnfortunatelyLessays
thatonedayhisfather,“FinallygotwisetowhatIwas
doing.”
ThisquicklyputanendtothefloatthatLeshadbeen
building.Herecallscominghomeonedayandrunning
aroundtowherehehadstashedhiswork.Hewasshocked
tofindthat,“Thewholethingwasgone.”Themystery
remainsastowhatexactlyhappenedtothefloat,andLes
neverbuiltanotherone.
HaveanyofyourownmemoriesofMotorthat
youwanttoshare?Great!
PleasecontacttheMotorMillFoundationto
shareyourstory:
MotorMillFoundationofClaytonCounty,
29862OsborneRd.,
Elkader,Iowa52043
563-245-1516
[email protected]
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TheTownofMotor
WhyisitcalledMotorMill?
Plattedin1875,Motorwasonceathriving
town.Therewereatotalofthreeinvestors
whofinanciallysupportedMotorandbuiltit
uptoitsmostprosperousstate.
Themaininvestor,JohnThompson
ownedhalfofthetownandwasthecentral
visionaryoftheproject.Mr.Thompsonalso
hadahandinestablishingthetownof
Elkader,whichincludedbuildingaflourmill
therebeforetheoneinMotor.
Anarticlethatwaspublisheduponthe
deathofMr.Thompsontellstheshocking
truetaleofhowThompsonwaskidnapped
byawildgangofrailroadworkers.
Theworkershadstartedtobuildforthe
McGregor,St.Peter’sandMissouriRailroad
Companywhentheireffortsbecamea
completefailureduetolackoffunds.
Desperatefortheirpaychecks,they
abductedThompsonduringoneofhis
routinetripstothetownofMcGregor
becauseThompsonhadbeenchosenasthe
company’spresident.Theythenheldhim
hostageuntilheeventuallyagreedtopay
theirwages.
ThearticlegoesontotellthatThompson
wasaverykindandgenerousmanwhowas
verysuccessfulinhismanyventuresin
buildingmillsaswellasprovisionstores
aroundtheNortheastIowaregion.
TheothertwoinvestorswereJ.P.
DickinsonandJamesO.Crosbywhoeach
held¼ofthetotalinvestmentinthetown
ofMotor.Dickinsonwasmostlyasilent
partnerwhoonlyprovidedfinancial
support.Crosbyhowever,putinalotofhis
owntimeandefforttolaymuchofthe
foundationforthetownofMotor.
Crosbywasaself-employedattorney
whomademanygreatstridesforthetown
includingestablishingaschool,doingthe
engineeringforthemill,unsuccessfully
applyingfortheconstructionofapost
office,andsurveyingforthetown.The
photoaboveistheofficialplatofthetown
thatCrosbyhimselfcreated.
Crosbykeptdetailedinformation
aboutthetownanditsconstructional
timeline.Severalpagesofthisinformation
stillexistincopiesofCrosby’spersonal
diary.Heregardedthemillhighlyand
spokeofitkindlybysaying,“Beautifulinits
proportions,solidastherockfromwhichit
wasmade,theoldmillstandsinwhite
reliefagainsttheforestedhills,adelightto
theeyeinitsperfectionanditspicturesque
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setting.”
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Beforethecompletionofthemill
ThompsonandCrosbyattemptedtobuilda
woolenmillaswell.Unfortunatelytheywere
neverabletofindaninvestor,andthusa
woolenmillwasneverbuilt.Thesehopesfor
awoolenmillarethelikelyreasonfortheone
flatwalloftheflourmillsinceitwouldhave
likelybeenbuiltrightagainstthatflatwall.
Oncetheflourmillwasfinishedinthe
yearof1869itbecameahugesuccess.Prior
toitsexistence,thenearestflourmillthat
heldasimilarcapacitytothatoftheMotor
MillwaslocatedinDubuque.Itwasafive-day
triptotaltomakeittoDubuque,waityour
turninline,andreturnhome.MotorMillalso
boasteditsproductionratesof1,500bushels
ofwheatperweekat5ocentsperbushel.
Asthemillingbusinesscontinuedto
boominMotor,otherstructureswerebuilt.
Manyofthesebuildingsstillstandatthesite
todayincludingtheicehouse,cooperage,an
inn,andalivery.Theicehousestoredicefrom
eachwintersothatitcouldbeusedduring
thespringandsummermonthsasawayto
refrigeratefood.Thecooperagewaswhere
woodenbarrelsweremade,whichstored
flourthatwasmadeatthemill.Theinnwas
usedtohousebothtravelersandworkers,
andtheliverywasusedtohousehorses.
Thereisstillthequestionofthedeeper
meaningbehindthenameofMotor.Outofall
theendlessoptionsfornames,whywasthis
specificnamechosenforthetown?No
documentationexiststoexplainthischoice,
butaneducatedassumptioncanbemade.
TheIowacountrysidewasquitenew
duringthemid-1800’s.Thompson,Crosby,and
Dickinsonwereearlypioneersoftheareawho
sawgreatpotentialintheReadtownshipsite,
whereMotorwasestablished.Thename
Motormostlikelycamefromthemeaningof
thewordatthetimewhenthetownwas
named.
Motormeantsomethingnew,exciting,
powerful,andmoving.Thisperfectly
describedthedreamthatthefoundersshared
forthetown.Theywantedtoestablish
somethingthatwouldwithstandthetestof
timeandstillremainaremarkablesighttosee
centurieslater.ThenameMotoralso
expressedthethrivingenergythatthetown
oncehadinitsbeginning.
Sadlythisvisionwasneverfullyrealized.
Themillclosedafter14shortyearsof
operationafteraterriblechainofeventsthat
eventuallyledtotheendofwheatfarmingin
Iowaasawhole.
MeetOurNewSummerIntern
JessicaWegmannisanupcomingjuniorattheUniversityof
NorthernIowa.SheismajoringinBusinessMarketingwithaminor
inVocalMusicPerformance.
BornandraisedinElkader,Jessicaisveryexcitedtoworkwith
ClaytonCountyConservationandtheMotorMillFoundationinthe
followingmonthstomakeapositivedifferenceinherown
community.
ThissummerJessicawillbefocusedonanumberofprojects
forthemillincludingupdatingtheMotorMillwebsite,creating
interactivewaysforchildrentolearnaboutthemillingprocess,and
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writingthisverynewsletter!
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HowYouCanHelptheMotorMill
Donate
Volunteer
Donationsofanyamounthelptomaintain
andenrichthenaturalbeautyofthe
MotorMillsite.Yourdonationsallowfor
necessaryrenovationsandcontinuous
maintenanceonthesite.Recently
completedrenovationsincludenew
flooringontheupperfloorsofthemill,
andnewwindowsforthemilland
cooperage.Anydonationisappreciated
andnodonationistoosmall.
Therearetwodifferentwaystovolunteer
withMotorMill.Volunteersaregreatly
neededandappreciatedsincetheyare
nothinglessthantheheartandsoulofthe
MotorMillsite.
DonationstotheMotorMillFoundationor
theClaytonCountyConservationBoard
are100%taxdeductibleduetotheir501c3
status.
Donationsmaybesentto:
MotorMillFoundation
or
ClaytonCountyConservationBoard
Address:29862OsborneRd
Elkader,IA52043
Onewaytovolunteeristobecomeatour
guide.Toursaregivenonweekendstwice
amonthduringthetourseason.Before
youbecomeaguideyourself,youwill
shadowanotherguideforatleastonefull
dayoftoursinorderforyoutoget
comfortablewiththesite.
Anotherwaytovolunteeristohelpwith
renovationsbyservingonthevolunteer
workcrew.Itisimpossibletokeep
progressmovingforwardwiththemill’s
restorationandinterpretationwithoutthe
crew’shelp.Currentprojectsinclude
removingthesiltfromthebasementas
wellasreplacingtheroofsontheicehouse
andcooperage.Experiencewith
constructionorasimilarareaispreferred.
Formoreinformationortobecomea
volunteerpleasecontacttheClayton
CountyConservationBoard.
Phone:(563)245-1516
Inthisphotoyoucanseemembersof
thevolunteerworkcrew,JohnNikolai
andSteveBeaumont,whowere
workingtoreplacethefloorboardson
thetopfloorofthemilljustthispast
May
LarryStone
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OurPartnerOrganizations
ClaytonCountyConservationBoard
ThemissionoftheClaytonCountyConservationBoardisto
promotethehealthandgeneralwelfareofthepeople;andto
encouragepreservation,conservation,educationandrecreation
throughresponsibleuseandappreciationofournaturalresources
andculturalheritage.
SilosandSmokestacksNationalHeritageArea
Silos&SmokestacksNationalHeritageAreapreservesandtellsthe
storyofAmericanagricultureanditsglobalsignificancethrough
partnershipsandactivitiesthatcelebratetheland,people,and
communitiesofthearea.
TheGreatRiverRoad
TheGreatRiverRoadNationalScenicBywayfollowsthecourseof
theMississippiRiverfor3,000milesfromnorthernMinnesotato
theGulfofMexico.Thescenicroutepassesthrough10statesand
hundredsofrivertowns.TheGreatRiverRoadisarguablythe
longestandmostimportantscenicbywayinAmerica.
MotorMillFoundation
Themissionofthefoundationistoprotectandpreservethe
architecturalintegrity,history,naturalbeautyandserenityofthe
MotorMillsiteanditssurroundingsandtodevelopappropriate
usesandinterpretationasaregionaltreasureforthebenefitof
futuregenerations.
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