The Historic Ozark, Missouri Mill

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:

1. https://www.ozarkmill.com/
2. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/ozarkmill
3. http://ccheadliner.com/community_links/megan-morris-spearheading-finley-farms-project-in-ozark/article_c63c7b3c-9b33-11e8-8979-931866d76ebe.html
4. https://www.ky3.com/content/news/The-Ozark-Mill-and-Finley-Farms-project-489804251.html
5. https://www.facebook.com/148151331884826/photos/a.438514049515218/2364924956874108/?type=3&theater
6. https://www.facebook.com/148151331884826/photos/a.438514049515218/1079860355380581/?type=3&theater
7. https://www.facebook.com/148151331884826/photos/a.438514049515218/2375778745788729/?type=3&theater
8. https://www.facebook.com/148151331884826/photos/a.438514049515218/2364924956874108/?type=3&theater
9. https://www.facebook.com/148151331884826/photos/pcb.893111100722175/893107610722524/?type=3&theater
10. https://www.facebook.com/148151331884826/photos/pcb.2098089423557664/2098066910226582/?type=3&theater

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