5.6. SR 06-07-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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a capacity of 200 barrels of flour per day. The mill was powered by the Elk River using four turbine wheels.61 This mill was destroyed in May 1887 in a fire that wiped out the entire milling industry at Upper Town. The fire started in the Mills and Houlton planing mill and then passed to the saw and flour mills. 62 (4)Mills and Sons Flour Mill Following the 1887 fire, another flour mill was built in the same spot and was completed by December 1887.63 The new mill was three stories high and was water-powered like the previous flour mill. In 1889 the mills capacity was 250 barrels of flour per. day.64 Mill advertisements show that the new mill was operated by Edward P. Mills and Sons, until 1894.65 Houlton had retired from the flour mill following the fire but in January 1894, he again became involved in the flour mill.66 An article in the SherlJume County Star NelliS noted that "Mr. W.H. Houlton has taken a running interest in the flouring mill business at upper town. .. The style of the new firm will be Mills and Houlton.,,67 By 1897 the Elk River Milling Company had been incorporated and had taken over the operation of the flour mill. Houlton served as president, Henry Castle as vice president, W,G. Babcock as secretary, treasurer, and manager. In 1899 the mill was closed for a couple of week to increase the capacity of the mill to 275 barrels per day and that same year made a shipment of flour to Europe, which was the mill's largest shipment ever at that time.68 In 1901 the Elk River Flour Mill employed an average of fifteen people and its capacity had been increased to 300 barrels of flour per day.69 On the morning of March 12, 1903, another fire destroyed the flour mill. The loss was estimated at $30,000 with $19,000 worth of insurance on the building and machinery.70 (5)Mill Elevator In 1891, following the construction of a spur track from the main railroad line to the intersection where Main Street turns east, Mills and Sons moved their grain elevator from near the Northern Pacific Railroad Depot to the end of the spur track.' The elevator was used until the flour mill burned in 1903 and was still standing in 1905.71 By 1911 a new elevator had been built adjacent to the new flour mill so the old elevator would not have been needed.72 28