Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-12-19
SCOTT COUNTY FLOUR
MILLS

the demand fer mill to grind grain vas
Arst kssaly felt in this county. None but
these VIE, In the early settlement ef the
county, have felt the need Of "grist mill'
handy By, can appreciate the lack Of such
% institution. Packing essn and wheat for
many miles away 70 g: ground into meal
or 1sur, ever rough aad uncertain trails
through wind and storm. and bringing il
hsms that the staG Of lie may net b wants
ing at the family board, 10 far lees Sifiieult
to think about than to endure.
10 order to bring dewn the milling enter
prisss Of this county TO the present time.
frsm that in which the early settlers pound
ed out corn meal in . mortar, We have col
lseted the more important facts touching
the history Of the business. aud place them
upon the record - fellows, thst the line Of
history may not Be broken svermore.
The 6rst grist mill then, founded in Scott
county vas built BY Haskell 4 Davis. on
Grow Creek, in 1885. near the plsos
where the river road to Ls Clsirs erossest
that once important stream. It ~ss unprs-
tending concern, about 16 by 10 feet, built
Of hswn legs. and containing one run Of
stone and ct si beults. The stsns were
cut cut Of prairie bsuldsrs. II did service
until 1888, whsn 10 Vas abandoned, and the
timbsrs Of which it was built were bought
BY A. @. Fulton and split into fence rails
This wss . water mill, and, like that Of the
gsds, ground slowly and unlike them, sx-
essding coarse.
In 1888 Jshn 81 Sullivsn commenced GET
| ting cut tintsrs to erect steam nosr mill
q Roekinghsn-then to Be the leading city
Of the sssts. II VAS finished 10 1897, vas
frame bsildisg Of great streagth. It ran
beth % custom and shipping mill, and
slsssd its career 10 1s47. I've years Of the
tine Il W. leased t. J. n. D. Borrow,
and this wss bic 6rst aillisg experience 10
Sestt county. The machinery was partial.
y used by Jshs Cslsnsn to run the steam.
beat Mary c." that be sfssrwsrds built
| % Rockingham asd the tinbsss now form
the framework ef ths Rev. James 0ilfuth's
barn, cut - The Harrison street reed, two
miles fteo tewn.
10 1886 ia the spring, Duncan c. e.
bridge. then, - new, an sntsrprising citi-
zen, erected horse power mill on "Brim-
stsns .Cernsr,". now corner Of Front and
Ripley streets. It Was Gsntry's Metallic
Mill, patent that be brought, with him
from Cincinnati. 1t ran BY horse power.
enc, tive, o. more. just - the settlers could
furnish when they brought 10 their grists.
IL is related Of Ebsnszsr Geek that il took
him oil dav 10 grind bag Of corn at this
mill, using his old mare for pe~er.
In 1887. David Miller bought Gentry
mill Of Ar. Edridss. and put in operation
BY wind pswsr. on the cid Hutt place,
near Duck Greek crossing. IL lasted .
ysar Or TIVE without success. and Mr.. 81
bridge took pair Of bosts in payment fe1i
the mill. NJ. Eldridgs brought tive mor{
Of the Gentry mills cut with him frou
Oiscinnati. These were taken to Prairie
du Ohisn BY WIN. Eldridgs On speculation.
fls sold them fer . span Of blind herses
and wagon came down to Rock Island,
whore the horses walked into the river aud
we're drowned, and the wagon WAS sold for
| $40.
In 1887, Samuel Hedges built a grist
mill At 'Capertown" in Pleasant Valley
Township, which run but . couple years
or so. Cspertown, or the place known by
that same in the early history Of the ooun.
", 10 the place where the Middle or Lost
Grove road crosses Grow Creek. The wa
ter privilege WAS not extensive, for W hear it
said that IS the settlers moved In, their thirs-
" cows roaming above the mill, kept con-
sinuslly drinking the Creek 10 two, which
materially intsrfered with the supply Of
water in the dam, hence tho enterprise WAS
brought TO grief
The 6rst steam four mill be gun in this
city, ,was..ths eld"Albion Mills, corner Perry
and Frsnt street, erected by A. G. Fulton.
They were Of brick-43 BY 5s fsst-thrss
stories high. The building was commsnc.
cd in the season Of 1876, and began run
ming the 18th day Of January, 1s4s. The
mill was sold te Burrows L Prsttyman in
ls47. after being enclosed, and they put in
the machinery and set it running. It WAS
sn immense help to the farmers Of Scott
county, - 1t afforded tsady market for
such - they never had before. 1t was
burssd in lSsS-thsugh before that time
had been enlarged and greatly improved,
and bad capacity Of 900 bbls per day.
The original cost was about 4lb, 900.
B.fsrs Mr.. Fulton had completed the
Albiea mills, 10 commenced the "E.aa
Mills" jest west ofths Albien. This vas
n 1s47. II vss . frame, 90 By 81 feet,
boiler heass 80 By 27-4 stories high, 3
sua u sssss. end asds the 6sst Hsur on
Saturday, Jssaasy 18th, ls4s. In Eve
months ed swsety-tws days from con.
ossssnsnl When the ground vas nrss
brstss, ths bricks we're usasds. the tim
Sss was yst growing 10 ths forest, ed the
sssns laid 10 the qsarry. Hssss in less
eAaa nsstAs, ,and abssss part Of he tine,
and under contract with Burrows 1 Fret.
lyman - csoplsts the Albea mills, Mr.
Fulton completed The Xtna. Il Twas con-
sidsrsd in these times, - il would b nov,
. very sntsrprising feat. 4 grand sva ten
aud dinner wss given 70 Nr. Falten. snd
hiAnsn in the the second stsry Of the mill,
% The sssasien Of opening NE dsst steam
aoss mills in Davsopsrt, by her spprseia-
tive citizen. The tables groansd with lux
usiss, cheers we're given for Fulton, who
nsde spsssh appropriate to the occasion.
Ssns three hasdrsd persons dinsd, and
thsraftsr Jsdes Grant made . speech. 10
which hs stated that he had just arrived
frsm Isws City, aud previous to leaving
that plscs aeAastes had been granted for
The ssnstsustiea Of railsead fern Davsn.
pert - Cssneil Blsffs, which announce
meat was received With three hearty
cheers. Hiraa Price then spsks-sbssrv-