Graue Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Graue Mill in
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Graue Water Mill
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | NW of jct. of Spring and York Rds., Oak Brook, Illinois |
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| Built | 1852 |
| Architect | Graue, Frederick |
| NRHP reference No. | 75002077 |
| Added to NRHP | May 12, 1975 |
The Graue Mill is a special water-powered mill built way back in 1852. Today, it's a museum where you can learn how grain was turned into flour long ago. It's one of only two water-powered mills still working in Illinois! You can find it on Salt Creek in Oak Brook, Illinois. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County owns and runs this amazing historical site.
Contents
The Mill's Story
Building the Graue Mill
A man named Friedrich Graue came to the United States from Germany in the late 1840s. He knew a lot about how to build and run water-powered mills. He settled in a farming village called Fullersburg, Illinois.
In 1849, Frederick (he changed his name from Friedrich) and William Asche bought land near Salt Creek. There had been a sawmill there that burned down. Together, they built a new sawmill. After three years, Frederick decided to build his own mill.
Frederick and his family dug ditches in the wet soil. They found clay, which they used to make bricks right on their farm. They built a special oven, called a kiln, to bake the bricks. Slowly, they built the new mill and put the large waterwheel in place. The Graue Mill started working in the summer of 1852.
German families like the Graues often chose land that others had left behind. They were very careful with their money and resources. They found ways to use the land's natural materials, like the clay for bricks.
How the Mill Worked
Frederick Graue couldn't build everything for the mill from scratch. He bought four special grinding stones, called buhrstones. These stones came all the way from France. Skilled workers carefully shaped these stones. When the waterwheel turned, it spun the buhrstones. They would grind local corn and wheat into flour between their rough surfaces.
A Secret History: The Underground Railroad
The Graue family were deeply religious and did not support American slavery. The Graue Mill was one of three places in Illinois that helped people escape slavery. It was a stop on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people travel from the southern United States to freedom in Canada.
The Mill Today
From Working Mill to Museum
The Graue Mill was run by three generations of the Graue family for about 60 years. But in the 1910s, new technology like steel rolling mills made the old water-powered mills less useful. The Graue Mill eventually closed down.
Later, from 1934 to 1943, the Civilian Conservation Corps helped restore the mill. In 1951, it opened to the public as a working historical site.
Over time, the area around the mill changed from farms to towns. But the mill itself was recognized as an important piece of Illinois history. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. In 1981, it was named a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. The mill has been repaired and updated many times since 1943 to keep it in good shape.
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Visiting the Graue Mill
The Graue Mill is located at 3800 S. York Road in Oak Brook. It's surrounded by the beautiful Fullersburg woods. You can visit the mill today. As of 2017, it still grinds grain, which you can buy there! You should check the Graue Mill and Museum website for their open dates and times.
The mill is also close to the Salt Creek Trail. This trail follows Salt Creek from Itasca to Brookfield, offering a great way to explore the area.
Recent Improvements
Recently, some big changes have been happening near the mill. A large dam on Salt Creek, which was 6 feet tall and 120 feet wide, is being removed. This project helps improve the water quality and natural habitats in the creek.
As part of this project, the Graue Mill's waterwheel will now be motorized. This means the grinding stones inside the mill will continue to be powered by an existing electric motor. There will also be a new pump system to bring water to the mill's water channel. These changes help keep the mill working while also improving the environment. The dam removal was finished in December, and the nature restoration work is expected to be done by the end of 2024.
