Neligh Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Neligh Mill State Historic Site
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Neligh Mill, with flume in foreground
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 Location in Nebraska
Location in the United States
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| Location | N Street at Wylie Drive, Neligh, Nebraska |
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| Built | 1873 |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000128 |
The Neligh Mill is a really old flour mill in Neligh, Nebraska. It used the power of water from the Elkhorn River to grind grain into flour. John Neligh, who started the town, built this mill in 1873. It worked for almost 100 years, closing its doors in 1969.
Today, it's a special museum. The Nebraska State Historical Society takes care of it. They say it's the only 19th-century mill in Nebraska that still has all its original machines! It's even listed as a historic place.
Contents
The Neligh Mill: A Historic Water-Powered Wonder
Building the Mill
John D. Neligh started building this brick mill in 1873. It was located right on the Elkhorn River. Another businessman, W. C. Gallaway, finished the building. He also built a dam on the river.
This dam helped collect water. The water then flowed to a special machine called a water turbine. This turbine was placed flat in the mill's basement. It used the force of the water to power all the gears inside the mill.
How the Mill Worked
The Neligh Mill started grinding grain on August 29, 1874. It made flour from wheat, corn, and buckwheat. At first, it used large stone grinding wheels called mill burrs.
In 1886, the mill got an upgrade. It switched from stone wheels to modern steel rollers. These rollers helped make even better flour. The mill sold its flour and meal all over Nebraska. It even sold to the War Department and the Indian Bureau.
The mill also helped the town in another way. Its powerful turbines could make electricity. The Neligh Mill supplied power to the town until 1925.
Visiting the Neligh Mill Museum
Today, the Neligh Mill is a museum. The Nebraska Historical Society runs it. The museum teaches us how important flour mills were. They helped people all across Nebraska and the American West.
You can see exhibits in the old warehouse, built in 1866. There's also a newer part from 1915. This is where the power plant used to be. The mill's old office building has been fixed up. It still has its original furniture.
You can also see a rebuilt flume from 1919. A flume is like a channel that carried water to the mill. You can still see parts of the old dam on the Elkhorn River nearby. It's a great place to learn about history!
Gallery
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An old photograph of the Neligh Mill shows a thriving enterprise on the banks of the Elkhorn River.
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The Neligh Mill can be seen on the Elkhorn River in an old print of the town.
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The Neligh Mill Museum displays one of the original stone burrs or millstones from its early years.
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Don Ofe, the Site Administrator of the Neligh Mill, explains how a roller mill from 1888 grinds the wheat into flour.
