THE PICKWICK MILL was built from 1856 to 1858 by Thomas Grant and Wilson Davis and is one of the oldest flour mills found in southeast Minnesota. The mill was a water powered gristmill constructed first as a sawmill, and later converted to a flour mill, on the banks of Big Trout Creek located in Pickwick, Minnesota. It is the first commercial flour mill west of the Mississippi river. The mill ran 24 hours a day during the Civil War and produced 100 barrels daily for the Union Army. After the war, the mill became a flour-milling center for most of southern Minnesota and portions of Iowa and Wisconsin.
The mill was built from locally quarried limestone, with a timber frame that was so closely fit, that nails were not used (outside of the floor). The six story building was severely damaged in 1907 when a tornado took off the roof and top storage room. The mill was then retrofitted with a flat plank roof. The mill has been restored to a gable roof that is reminiscent of the original design. Today, you may veiw and experience milling history through the years with antique original and restored equipment fully functional, powered by a 20 foot overshot water wheel.
Today the mill is administered as a historic site and museum by Pickwick Mill Inc., a member owned, non-profit organization.