Iowa: Land of Many Mills

One of my favorite little books about the history of sawmills and gristmills in Iowa is Iowa: Land of Many Mills by Jacob Swisher. Published in 1940, the book provides a great picture of the role mills had in the development of the prairie (from Native American mortars to large steam mills of Clinton).

What follows is the cliff-note's version of his chapter, Sawmills on the Frontier, infused with more detailed history when possible. Swisher's history is in italics.

When Europeans came to Iowa, more than 1/10th of Iowa was timber. The first business in many frontier towns was either the gristmill or a sawmill. One of Iowa's first sawmill was Benjamin Clark's mill on Duck Creek in Buffalo of Scott County. Clark established his mill in 1834.  (Swisher, 65). 

According to Bettendorf: Iowa's Exciting City, the mill was established 15 years before Elias Gilbert platted the town of Bettendorf. Clark's mill sat just north of the modern Route 67, and his main competitor was Samuel Hedges who operated a sawmill on Crow Creek in Pleasant Valley. Once again, you see that before settlement, the sawmill was established. The Bettendorf author make a wonderful statement when they say that there were plans to develop a town around Clark's sawmill. However, Clark was more interested in sending all the lumber to build the town of Buffalo, the town he laid out seemingly soon  after he established the mill.

"There's satisfaction in a proud tradition"

Another of the newspaper clippings found in the books donated to the museum from Friends of Clinton Library:

Page 10 - Clinton, Iowa, Herald     Saturday, December 7, 1985

Picture Caption: Leslie Struve owner and operator of Hauntown's sawmill, works alone. He claims hiring people involves too much government red tape.

Hauntown- On a recent morning, amid these peaceful surroundings, the silence was suddenly shattered by the ear-splitting scream and high-pitched wall of a power saw. It was Leslie Struve, 79, owner-operator of the large sawmill, going to work on an order for several hundred two-by-fours. He works alone, explaining that hiring help involves too much government red tape.

To many, the Struve family and the milling industry are synonymous. They have earned the reputation of being honest and competent millwrights.

Ernest Struve, Leslie's grandfather, was the first of the family to own and operate the Hauntown mill, acquiring it in 1869. He was followed by his son, William, who assisted his father in the mill, and then in 1887, bought it from him.

At some time, according to records, Dr. E.A. Wood of Sabula held an interest in the mill. Quoting from an August 1894 item in the Sabula Gazette, "Dr. E.A. Wood sold his two-thirds interest in Hauntown mill to his partner, William Sturve, for $8,000."

In July, 1926, the old mill, then 72 years old, burned to the ground. William Struve and his son, Harvey, suffered painful burns in a fruitless attempt to retrieve the account books and other records from the fire.

The loss was not covered by insurance; nevertheless, Struve immediately announced his intention to rebuild on the same spot, but said it would be a smaller mill. This mill, two and a half stories high, still stands. Sometime in the years following, Struve's son, Leslie, acquired ownership of this mill.

The mill which burned, built in 1854 by William Haun and one of the oldest in Iowa, was an impressive structure, 36 by 60 feet, five stories high, with 12 by 12 inch beams clear to the top. Even the rafters rested on 12 inch plates.

In the early days, water power was used to operate the flour mill, the grist mill and the sawmill. Later on, William Struve attached a steam engine for use when the water was low. This engine was one that had been used in the Sabula packinghouse. He traded flour for wheat but he used the old buhrstone mill for buckwheat and rye. Early settles came from 100 miles around to Elk River mills and Hauntown became one of the prosperous settlements.

And still the old mill drones on, cutting the two-by-fours.

What keeps Leslie Struve going? Admittedly, he is now well past the usual retirement age, and he also admits that he tires more easily than he once did. His father, William, was called "the honest miller" because he gave honest measure. He was also a capable miller, as was his father, Ernest. Maybe this is what drives him on.

There's a good deal of satisfaction to be derived in carrying on a proud family tradition.

First Hot Day of the Year. I Need Some Ice.

Yesterday Friends of the Clinton Library dropped by two books about general Clinton history. In one of them was two very pertinent and fun newspaper clippings. Here are the articles transcribed:

Page 24, Clinton, Iowa, Herald Saturday, February 28, 1981
Way back when: Ice that cooled came from river by Lee F. White Herald Editorial Consultant

Nineteen-inch ice on Mississippi River Pool 13 north of Clinton and Fulton this winter was a reminder for many years the ice that cooled things in the summer came from the river.

In more recent decades householders obtained ice from electric refrigerators which help preserve foodstuffs.

A city directory published in 1886 revealed that only one ice supplier served Clinton and none was listed for Lyons. The Clinton dispenser of the frigid material was O.G. Bauder, who operated under the name of Clinton Ice Co., 97 6th Ave.

As time passed things picked up a bit and by 1897 six dealers were listed- four in Clinton and two in Lyons.

George N. Chalker whose address was given as 915 S. 4th St., apparently was the top dealer as his name was printed in raised black letters. Chalker remained in the ice business many years but left it before the electric refrigerator became common.

Another veteran was Cummings and Co., 114 4th Ave S. Cummings got out of the ice business but continued to handle coal for many years, finally as a division of Camanche Building and Supply Co.

The river ice business began to wane after the Clinton Ice Cream and Artifical Ice Co., entered the ice business.

When "artificial" ice was introduced it was met with considerable opposition. Some claimed the "artificial" ice did not last as long as river ice frozen by Mother Nature during frigid winters.

But as time passed, the demand for "artificial" ice increased and pushed other dealers out of business. At least some apprehension was felt that river ice could be contaminated.

During the days when river ice was distributed and later when "artificial" ice became available, the ice wagon and its husky "ice men" had fixed routes. Householders used cards bearing number which indicated how much ice was wanted.

Delivery was made on chunks weighing multiples beginning with 25 pounds and moving up to 100 pounds. Not many of the big chunks were handled because of the weight.

Youngsters used to follow the ice wagons around to "mooch" pieces to suck but the "ice men" were not always in a generous mood.

Some private users of ice had their own small ice houses. They paid to have them filled with what was hoped to be a summer supply. All ice houses, large or small, covered stored ice with sawdust to control melting. When the "ice men" made deliveries they washed the sawdust from the ice chunks with buckets of water which came from the melting ice in the wagon.

The ice harvest began when the stuff was a foot or so thick. Special tools were used to saw out the cakes and load them on sleds drawn by horses to storage places.

The biggest harvester was the Chicago and North Western Railroad. It had a huge ice house bordering its tracks just west of South 14th Street. Thousands of tons were cut and hauled there for storage.

The ice was used to cool refrigerator cars hauling perishable fruit, vegetables and meat. During the ice harvest which was carried on just east of Little Rock Island, a special train was operated between the point and the ice house.

The ice harvest gave mid-winter employment to many men who otherwise would have been idle during the cold weather period.

The railroad ended its ice harvest when City Ice Co. came to Clinton, built a large "artificial" ice plant and used the product to cool the refrigerator cars. It was about the time that "artificial" ice and the electric refrigerator brought an end to the winter harvest of river ice.

Because of river changes through the years it would no longer be safe to use horse-drawn wagons or sleds across the Mississippi's channel to the Clinton shore.

Besides, who would want to mess around with all the problems of an ice harvest?