Ozark – Think on Good Things

In February of 2019, I wrote a blog post about the incredible restoration and repurpose occurring at the old mill located on the banks of the Finley River in Ozark, Missouri. (Click here to reread it, if you’re interested.) It has been exciting to see the huge building, nearly 100 years old, meticulously restored and revamped. It had sat quietly for nearly 30 years since closing its doors (then seemingly permanently) – but it has now come gloriously back to life once again…

For years, whenever I have had a little extra time while driving north toward Springfield, Missouri, I have indulged myself with a few minutes to exit off highway 65 and head east down Jackson Street so that I could drive through Finley River Park. Any friends or family members who have ridden with me very often know my routine well – it’s a habit I’ve had for many years, and I’ve taken them along with me so many times. It’s such a beautiful spot – almost always alive with people walking the loop, fishing, kayaking or canoeing, reading, or just sitting and lazily enjoying the tranquil, beautiful little oasis in the middle of Ozark.

The old Finley River bridge provides a beautiful backdrop and just beyond it sits the historic Ozark Mill. For years, the old mill sat quiet and abandoned after years of service to the town of Ozark and its surrounding area. The original mill was built on this spot almost 200 years ago – even before Ozark was officially a town. Fires through the decades destroyed most of those original structures. Nevertheless, the Ozark Mill was always repaired and rebuilt, operating continuously on this same spot from the 1830’s until the early 1990’s. What a significant and enduring impact this must have been to the community!

At the time it closed its doors, it was reported to be the last working water-powered mill operating in Missouri. Shutting down the old mill was definitely the end of an era…and I feel confident many were sad to see it go. So many times, I have said that it would be a shame for the old building to be lost forever – but sensibly it seemed inevitable. The Finley River frequently flooded the old building….and besides – what could it economically be repurposed to provide?

Of course, as with all things, it takes people with vision – people willing to look beyond the norms and think outside the box…and often (as in this case), we all benefit from the efforts of these wonderful innovative thinkers…

…The restored Ozark Mill, a part of Bass Pro owner Johnny Morris’ wonderful new Finley Farms development, officially opened last night to the public as a wonderful restaurant and shopping experience. Once worn and silent, the old building was full of life yesterday evening and there was a feeling of celebration in the air. The weather was perfect for outdoor seating, with a pleasant breeze blowing over the Finley. Soft music, combined with the gentle noises of rushing water from the waterfalls, the beautiful setting, and all of the lovely, well-planned details made for an ambiance of rustic elegance. Our server Audry, and in fact the entire staff, was professional, friendly, eager to assist, and seemed excited to open the new restaurant in the grand old building. The menu selection was creative, the table setting was unique (our table napkins were patterned after old fashioned dish towels – how fun!), and the food was delicious. I ordered the “Ricotta Ravioli”, which was wonderful, and was fortunate to also taste the “Hog & Feed Flatbread” as well as the “Chicken and Dumplins”. All were very unique, beautifully plated, and absolutely delicious. The menu offers three desserts – but at my table we were intrigued by the “Signature Green Tomato Cake”. “Trust us it’s amazing” was bravely captioned on the menu…..and they were right! Bright green in color, it was moist and delicious – tasting somewhat like an old-fashioned spice cake.

Ricotta Ravioli from The Ozark Mill restaurant

Signature Green Tomato Cake from The Ozark Mill restaurant

Ducks, cranes, and other waterfowl unassumingly entertained us while we ate and comfortably enjoyed our time by the water. The entire evening was wonderful from start to finish. In fact, I’m already looking forward to going back! I heard others talking about how fabulous the “Cast Iron Cornbread” appetizer was….and the “Risotto Fritters” sound intriguing! 🙂

Truth be told, I’m not always a huge fan of change. (Note – this comes as absolutely no surprise to anyone who knows me! 🙂 In fact, I can almost hear them chuckling as they read this. ) So often change feels frightening, unsettling….even painful. However, sometimes….change can bring really great things. It may sound silly, but dinner at the old mill last night reminded me that in some cases endings bring new beginnings, that closing one door may open the doors to new experiences – at times even surpassing those of the past.

I’m going to try to remember that.

For years, I have said (often!) that I wished someone would purchase and restore the old mill at Ozark, Missouri. Sitting in a beautiful location on the banks of the Finley River, just below the little dam and waterfall near the city park, the Ozark mill is a huge structure. It has been vacant and lonely since the early 1990’s, but at one time it was certainly a busy, prosperous business just north of the city square. Whenever I have driven through Ozark over the years, I usually detour by (if time allows) to take the bridge over the Finley and see the park and the old mill. It is a beautiful and peaceful spot.

There are differing opinions about when the mill was actually built. According to noted local historian and radio personality Wayne Glenn’s diligent research (reported on his Facebook page) the original mill on this spot was built in the 1830’s. Fires through the decades have destroyed most of the original structures, but the Ozark Mill operated continuously on this spot in some form from the 1830’s until the early 1990’s. The huge building standing today was largely completed in 1939 and served the city of Ozark and the surrounding communities well for many, many decades.

I really enjoy history,… and nature,… and water,… and sunsets – so it was a lovely time to drive to Ozark late yesterday afternoon… Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro, purchased the Ozark Mill shortly after it ceased operations in 1993. Last year, he announced plans to restore and renovate the structure. Due to flooding issues on the Finley in recent decades, the first priority was to construct a new foundation to raise the building above flood level. A team of dedicated and amazing experts are doing just that. Simply stated, they “picked up” the huge, old building, moved it aside so that new foundations could be built, and are now in the process of “sliding” it back to its original location to sit atop the new base. When you see the building and the work being done, you wonder how this could even be possible. It is a fascinating restoration – carefully planned and carefully controlled.

Walking around yesterday at the Mill was both enjoyable and challenging. Recent rains have left the area very muddy and wet. Finding places to take pictures of the restoration process around the temporary chain link fencing put up for safety was a little difficult – and a little messy – but fun! Several people had parked their cars and were walking around trying to find places to get pictures before the rapidly sinking sun went down. Despite very gusty winds, one man was carefully navigating a drone to get some beautiful photo and video captures from the sky. Strangers became friends as we visited about the marvelous process of moving the old building without damaging (or destroying) it. Quite a feat!

I am so happy that the Ozark mill is finally being restored. Sitting in that lovely location, the beautiful old building will once again draw people to Ozark from many surrounding areas. This time for an entirely different purpose – the new “Finley Farms” will house restaurant space, gardens, retail shops, a chapel, a farm, educational opportunities, and the working historic Ozark Mill. It’s wonderful when pieces of our history can be preserved for future generations. In order for us, as a society, to understand where we are and where we are going – it seems that we should remember and understand where we have been – where we came from – our roots. We really all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Without them, none of us could be where we are today. The incredible, fascinating modern technologies that allow men to “pick up” a 400-ton decades-old structure and move it aside for renovation and improvement are absolutely amazing. These modern technologies would not exist, however, without the intelligence, creativity, and expertise of so many people in years past who have worked to devise better ways of doing things. I am so grateful for the innovators, the thinkers, the risk-takers who have discovered and developed processes and ideas through the years. They laid a solid foundation for us to build on… We truly do stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.

For more information and/or historic pictures of the Ozark Mill:

Tag: Ozark

Vision brings New Purpose

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The Historic Ozark, Missouri Mill

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