The Ozark Mill

Before there was a town, the village carried the name of the mill and its owner. The original mill was built in 1833 by James Kimberling who had the homestead rights to the property. In 1838 he sold the property right to John Hoover. The mill was located at the convergence of the Finley River and the Ozark Trace, the mail delivery route through the area, and it filled many of the critical functions of the settlement such as the Post Office for receiving weekly deliveries.

The Civil War took a great toll on this region. Local folklore tells us that while the town was held by the Union, the Confederates controlled and used the mill for a time. By the end of the war, the area was largely depopulated, and many homes, crops and livestock had been burned. The milling industry, along with a dairy and beef production, brought Ozark back from the devastation of the War.

After the mill was destroyed by fire for the second time in 1922, the Hawkins family bought and rebuilt the mill. They built a new concrete dam that produced a 90-horsepower drive from the river flow. After a third fire in 1939, they decided to no longer produce flour in an effort to prevent further fires.

The last commercially operating watermill in the state of Missouri, the Mill ceased operation in 1992. The next year, Johnny Morris, noted conservationist and founder of Bass Pro Shops, purchased The Mill with a vision for a riverfront dining experience, starting preservation efforts to save the historic structure from the hungry flood waters of the Finley.

With the help of talented engineers and construction workers, the entire mill was rolled back from the Finley River so its foundation could be restored in 2018. It was repositioned on the edge of the water and flood gates were installed. With help from mill experts, historians and the community, The Ozark Mill has been restored in a genuine and authentic way. Today, it symbolizes the spirit of the Ozarks.