Danny Heldenbrand would be very interested.
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The late Daviess County native, who served 18 years as a county commissioner, was interested in all things Daviess County. He was a GHS alum who took pride in farming and helping people before he suddenly passed away from a heart attack in 2011. Danny understood how many times when you take the initiative and propose something, the initial “good ‘nuf” can actually evolve into something outstanding.
Danny immediately came to mind when I noticed a small item in the Jan. 28 commission minutes in this week’s courthouse news. Former state representative Beth Wheeler, now a leader in Jameson community projects, is focusing attention on the historic remnants of the Lewis Mill.
The pre-Civil War gristmill – featuring what appears to be a walnut water turbine wheel – was uncovered almost by accident during new bridge construction over the Grand River west of Jameson during the summer of 1989. News of the find was an immediate sensation, although locally most folks simply yawned.
The archeological find qualified the site for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
A 16-foot walnut shaft was one of the first artifacts uncovered. Bridge construction was halted immediately, and for the next month Archeologist Dr. Gary Rex Walters of Columbia took control of the site.
From four to nine feet of earth and debris covered the old grist mill. Eventually, hundreds of pieces of a 15’x40′ wooden building (located on the south or downstream side of the dam) were found. This housed the gears and power mechanism. The grist mill itself was believed to have been two or three stories tall with grain grinding performed on the upper floor.
A stone wall built along the river bank measures 66 feet in length and is of typical pre-Civil War construction: parallel walls filled solid with rubble. The dam itself is now readily apparent. Cut stone anchored a timber walled spillway. The stone dam probably extended the width of the river. Old timers of the area recall the dam’s use as a horse or foot crossing for years after any trace of the actual mill structure was evident.
But the centerpiece of the archeological find was, and remains to this day, the wooden water turbine. At the time, Dr. Walters speculated how the turbine, which spun horizontally to turn the center axis, was perhaps the only authentic water wheel from a mill in the Midwest.
If Daviess County didn’t know what it had, others certainly did. Leland Stitt, who owned land adjacent to the site, volunteered countless hours at the dig. More importantly, he also helped keep the wondrous find here in this county when he notified the sheriff’s office as some folks from south Missouri seemed more than a little interested in loading up some of the artifacts under the cover of late night.
So, what’s happened with the mill artifacts since 1989? Nothing.
As directed by archeologists, the walnut turbine and selected other pieces have been submerged in a chemical solution. The relics have been “pickled” in storage at least for most of this time at the county maintenance barn – out of sight and out of mind.
More than once before Danny passed away, he would stop by the office here to see if anyone was nudging any plans forward to make the historic Lewis Mill into a public display. So, no doubt Danny would be happy about the commission’s decision to authorize Jameson to do something good with the Lewis Mill.
Plans for this project have not yet been announced but there’s plenty of reason for optimism. Jameson, after all, won the 2007 grand prize in Missouri for its community betterment activities. And, it makes sense for authentic history like the Lewis Mill to find its home “on location” at Jameson. The mill, if displayed properly, can become an important piece in the list of interest points attracting visitors to come here. We need to develop more sites to develop our rich history into physical attractions. And, we need to cooperate and coordinate promotions so that others might not just like but envy what we’ve got.
Jameson’s interest to resurrect the Lewis Mill into public view is good news! It’s something that makes me remember Danny’s smile.