"Wisconsin-Happy Festival State", by Eve Phillips. My husband and I love to travel in the state of Wisconsin where we live and get great pictures on the way. My name is Laurie Kutil and photography has become a great passion of mine since 2010. One thing I have learned in researching each town before visiting it is that, "Every town has it's story". When I do uncover those stories by connecting with local residents, our experience becomes so much richer. In turn, sharing the stories with you brings me joy :)
We discovered Pickwick Mill by accident since we had to go to the Minnesota side of the Great River Road earlier than expected. We are glad since we like mills.
It took a few minutes to find it, it was tucked WAY back and out of sight until you reached a curve in the road. What a breathtaking sight! It’s a 6-story high stone mill and played an important part in American history. It even provided flour for Union troops in the Civil War! Here is an old-fashioned look at the mill.
We arrived at 9:20 AM, but one of the docents happened to be out and about saw us and opened the mill early! Thank you! There is a small admission charge.
A majestic building with a working 20 ft. circumference water wheel has been restored and was turned on for our visit. Before we took our self-guided tour, we were shown a 21-minute video of the mill and how it works. You can see the video here.
There was much to see here and we spent two hours exploring. I also found a blueprint similar to the mill, though just 4 levels.
We were also given an info sheet about the mill describing it’s proud history.
The lowest floor is gravel-covered and expansive. The bottom of the grain elevator is here.
There also was a hand-operated Post Drill, no electricity needed!
On the main floor (3rd) are many interesting things. The view upon entering the building.
A French Millstone that may be 500+ years old, found under a thick layer of dirt perfectly preserved.
More equipment on the main floor.
And the waterwheel.
See it in action!
Housing for the millstones called “furniture”.
On the 4th floor just above us.
A Wheat Separator
The view of the millpond out the window was pretty too.
An aerial view of the mill and pond.
We concluded our visit by viewing the dam on the small trail just outside of the mill. Beautiful scenery!
If you get the chance to stop here, take it. You will have a great time! Work is ongoing on further restorations at donations are always welcome.
Thank you for such an informative post! My Great-Great grandfather was a millwright at Pickwick in 1860. The census records show that he lived in Minnieska. I can’t wait to visit this coming weekend! It will be my first time to Minnesota!
Hi Kristen, thanks for your comment! We were on our way to Minneapolis and didn’t even know about the mill. We saw the sign and made a quick detour to see it 🙂 We were there at least 2 hours and had a wonderful time! We made several other Minnesota posts on that trip. If you like Laura Ingalls Wilder, you should also stop in Pepin, WI across the river. There is a museum there. Here is a link to my blog post about the museum.
Thank you Laurie. I really enjoyed reading the information on Pickwick Mill. What a lovely place to visit.
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Thanks! It was a lot of fun!
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Very cool!
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Thanks Joe!
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Thank you for such an informative post! My Great-Great grandfather was a millwright at Pickwick in 1860. The census records show that he lived in Minnieska. I can’t wait to visit this coming weekend! It will be my first time to Minnesota!
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Hi Kristen, thanks for your comment! We were on our way to Minneapolis and didn’t even know about the mill. We saw the sign and made a quick detour to see it 🙂 We were there at least 2 hours and had a wonderful time! We made several other Minnesota posts on that trip. If you like Laura Ingalls Wilder, you should also stop in Pepin, WI across the river. There is a museum there. Here is a link to my blog post about the museum.
https://lauriekutilportraits.com/2015/10/08/pepin-birthplace-of-laura-ingalls-wilder/
Thanks for sharing about your GG Grandfather, very cool! Be sure to follow our blog too 🙂 Have a great trip!
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