"Florence Mill"

A preservation project, the Winter Quarters Mill Museum and ArtLoft Gallery.

Located 9102 N. 30th Street.     ()   ()  
Latitude: 41^o20^'39^"N (41.3441667), Longitude: 095^o57^'30^"W (-95.9583333) ()   ()

Open 1 to 5 P.M. Tuesday through Sunday from May 1st through September 1st. Tours are also available by appointment at other times by calling 402-551-1233

The mill building is next to the 30th street exit from Interstate-680 and the Mormon bridge that spans the Missouri River.  Travelers along I-680 crossing the Mormon Bridge saw it as the "pink building" in the 1970s.  This mill is the oldest mill in the state, being built while the land still was considered "Indian Country." The mill has now been turned into a museum and art gallery* by a local artist.*  The museum contains historic photos, newspaper clippings, and objects from the pioneer era of Florence.

The Florence Mill originated as the 1946 Winter Quarters gristmill, which was built under the supervision of Brigham Young. After the Mormons abandoned Winter Quarters in 1848, the mill was rebuilt by a Gold-Rusher who never made it to California. The Florence Mill provided agricultural support for the new town of Florence in Nebraska Territory. It is listed as the Weber Mill on the National Register of Historic Places, in honor of the Weber family's 104 years as millers of Florence. Renovation of the formerly dilapidated building is still ongoing. No longer pink, the Florence Mill remains today because it evolved to fit the times and changing agricultural needs of farmers from the Civil War to the Cold War. The Florence Mill contains the only structural remains from Winter Quarters. Though remodeled, moved and added to, the Florence Mill contains some of the original hand-hewn beams and wooden pegs cut for the 1846 gristmill. The grain elevator, which was added in 1915, continues to use the rope man-lift to reach the upper bins.

During Florence Days, the mill is a beehive of activity for tours, art exhibits, and story telling.  If you have children, bring them to the special Chataquas (story telling) sessions during Florence Days.  The children get to be involved in most cases, and this alone makes them remember these significant historic events.

2007 exhibit in the the ArtLoft Gallery (Connor Meigs Memorial Gallery)

May 2007: Paintings by Nick Shindell. Shindell is a 2006 graduate of the Chicago Art Institute and currently lives in Phoenix AZ. He is the first recipient of the Connor Meigs Award. This award, given in memory of the late Connor Meigs, helps to launch the art career of a deserving young artist with a solo show, professional help and educational opportunities.

On May 6, 2007, a reception for the artist will be held from 1:30 P.M. - 4:30 P.M.

October 2007: North Hills Pottery Tour

2006 exhibit in the the ArtLoft Gallery (Connor Meigs Memorial Gallery)

From June 1st, 2006 through August 31st, 2006, the gallery will display work from Linda Meig's son Connor Meigs: Retrospective Dialogue.  This is an encore presentation of Connor Meig's work displayed last year.  The work is gaining popularity so much that in October 2006, the exhibit will travel from the mill to Beatrice, Nebraska to be displayed in the Beatrice Public Library Norva Price Meeting Room.

On October 7 & 8, 2006 "The Mill" will host two artist/potters for the North Omaha Pottery Tour. The hours are from 10-5.

2005 exhibit in the the ArtLoft Gallery (Connor Meigs Memorial Gallery)

From June 1st, 2005 through August 31st, 2005, the gallery displayed work from Linda Meig's son Connor Meigs, who tragically lost his life on December 24th, 2004.  Linda Meigs has said, "Connor was blessed with much more artistic talent than I have...and in his short life he produced much quality work...painting, sculptures, drawings, editorial cartoons ...so it is the least I can do to honor him and his work to put on this exhibit at the mill. How lucky I am to be able to do this.  His art will be up June 1 through August 31, 2005. The gallery on the 2nd floor of the mill will be dedicated as the Connor Meigs Memorial Gallery."

2004 exhibit in the the ArtLoft Gallery

Art by "George Simons, Territorial Artist" (during month of August 2004)

The art exhibit was written as a story, and illustrated by George Simon's artwork.  George Simons arrived in Kanesville (Council Bluffs), Iowa in 1853, and was the cook for General Grenville Dodge.  He documented what he saw by sketching.  He witnessed the pioneers passing through, those that stayed, and what they built.  He sketched it all.  His artwork contains rare images of our past, such as William Brown's Ferry that crossed the Missouri River from Kanesville to the new territory on the west banks.  This is a rare opportunity to see the art collection.  Don't miss it.

The ArtLoft Gallery (Connor Meigs Memorial Gallery) has housed exhibits such as "The Farm" - A black and white photo collection by Linda Meigs, and a display of school children's art during River City Roundup.  The gallery is closed September 1st for the season but will re-open during Florence Days (third weekend in May), and be open for the summer through August 31st of each year.  Expect more great shows in the future. 

Passport:

You can get your "Passport" at the Florence Mill.  The Passport is a special pass that allows you to get $1 off admission to several area historic attractions from Fort Omaha to Fort Calhoun.  See the Passport page for more details and additional locations where you can get the pass.

Markers

The Florence Mill has two* historic markers.  Click on the marker images at the left to see each in detail.  You can read the text formatted exactly as it is on the original markers.

Mill History:

• During the time of the Mormon settlement in the area, they needed a mill to grind corn, wheat, and rye to create cornmeal and flour products.  Brigham Young had the mill built to serve those needs.  The original mill was constructed next to a creek that flowed into the Missouri River.  When the Mormons moved on, usable parts were dismantled and moved on as well.  The rest of the structure was eventually deserted.  Later on, a new owner of the mill property tore the old structure down and some of the good timbers were used to build a new mill in the area.  Surprisingly, that mill still stands, though it is no longer operational as a mill.  The mill operated until the 1960s.
  
  
• Read more about the Florence Mill during the Mormon era.

Story telling:

• During the Florence Days of 2002-2004, the Florence Mill has hosted a Historic Storytelling Program featuring a historic figure retelling tales from a bygone era.  For the years 2002 and 2003, the storyteller was from the Corps of Discovery expedition led by Lewis and Clark.  For 2002, the storyteller was Darrel Draper, playing the part of George Drouillard, the half French-half Shawnee native scout that accompanied Lewis & Clark on their expedition to the west coast and back.  For 2003, Dale Clark portrayed Patrick Gass.  Photos of the 2003 event.
  
  
• For 2004, Darrel Draper returned but this year he performed Colonel Peter A. Sarpy (1805-1865), the legendary frontiersman and fur trader, for which Sarpy County is named for.  Mr. Sarpy arrived in the Bellevue area (1829?) long before the area was open to settlers, and is often credited with having been the first white settler in the area, which could not be the case as the American Fur Trading Company, which Peter Sarpy took over in 1835*, had been established since 1810.  The American Fur Company trading post was located in a place known as "Trading Point" (aka, "Trader's Point"), the place that later became known as Bellevue.  Later on, Mr. Sarpy was one of the proprietors of the "Old Town Company" that planned out the future Belleview (Bellevue), formed in 1854 following the Kansas-Nebraska Act that made the territory available for settlement.  Mr. Sarpy was friendly to and respected by the natives (calling him "White Chief"), even making Ni-co-mi*, an Omaha native woman his wife.  Mr. Sarpy was from the founding fathers of St. Louis, the Chouteau family, also known for operating the largest number of fur trading posts throughout the frontier.
  
  If you think that Peter Sarpy having lived the majority of his time in Bellevue (and parts of Sarpy County) seems out of place for Florence, you don't know the full story.  Mr. Sarpy was operating a small dingy type ferry when the Mormons arrived in 1846, too small for moving the numbers across the Missouri that was needed.  After preliminary planning for a bigger ferry, Brigham Young approached Mr. Sarpy to see if he would be interested in a joint effort; he was and became part owner of the first Mormon ferry built around L Street (sometimes referred to as Sarpy's ferry).  Later on that ferry was moved upstream to near the Mormon Bridge's location, right next to the current location of the Florence Mill.  At the time, the mill was slightly west of its current location (approximately 400 feet) and was a center of activity every day.  It seems plausible that Mr. Sarpy would visit the new ferry location, and visit the Grist Mill that Brigham Young had built.  Mr. Sarpy, may very well have stood inside the original Florence Mill when it was operated by the Mormons.
  
  Mr. Sarpy's relationship with the Mormons continued throughout his life, and up in his later years, he announced plans to visit his friends in Salt Lake City.  The announcement created quite a stir, going so far as a Council Bluffs newspaper accusing Mr. Sarpy of abandoning Bellevue.  Mr. Sarpy's swift response with a quill explaining otherwise was poetic justice at its best.  It turned out that Mr. Sarpy, although placing ads for accompaniment and raising funds for the trip, never actually made the journey.  He died in 1865, was buried near Plattsmouth where he resided at the time, and his body was later moved back to St. Louis to be buried with the rest of his family.
  
  
• For the year 2003, Dale Clark portrayed Patrick Gass from the Corps of Discovery expedition led by Lewis and Clark.  Click on the images to see an enlarged view.
  
  
  
  
• For the year 2002, Darrel Draper played George Drouillard, the half Shawnee-half French scout that accompanied the Corps of Discovery expedition led by Lewis and Clark.
  
  
• For the year 2001, Native American, Matt Sitting Bear Jones told the Otoe/Missouria Nation story, "The Forgotten Tribe."  This was the first year of the story telling at the mill.
  
  
• If you missed any of the past years of story telling, the archives are still floating in time, although they will not pass through our time again.  Next time make plans early; they are the times you will never forget.