Hamilton County Mills
by
Martin E. Nass
Tunnel Mill
Robert "Bluejacket" Watson followed the Boone River north from its mouth until he came to Section 14,
Webster Township, where the river takes a sharp horseshoe bend. Carefully measuring, he found that the
river fell 6 1/2 feet as it went around that bend, and the width between the upper and lower curves
measured only about 450 feet. He decided that if he could tunnel through the hill, he could then build a
dam at the upper end another 4 1/2 feet high and put in a gate to give him an 11-foot drop. This would be
sufficient to turn a mill wheel.
Exactly when he came to the area is a subject of dispute. Effie Kantor, MacKinlay Kantor's mother, wrote
about the mills along the Boone River for J. W. Lee in his 1912 Hamilton County history book. She states
that Watson built the mill in the 1850's. Her sources were her father, Adam McKinlay, who was the miller
at Bone's Mill, and also her grandfather, Joseph Bone, who owned what is now called Bell's Mill. But the
fact that Watson's nickname was "Bluejacket" would indicate that he served in the Civil War. He was a
member of the 8th Regiment of the Iowa Infantry, but he is not listed as joining the Union forces from
Hamilton County.
A check of courthouse records revealed that Robert Watson purchased 50 acres from three different
owners: Samuel Osbun on Jan 20, 1865; the Hamilton County Sheriff on Jan. 10, 1865; and the last parcel
from M. Sweaney on Jan. 18, 1867. The mill was put into operation starting in 1867. To the writer, it
seems highly unlikely that Watson would have dug a tunnel on property that was not owned by him, which
would have been the case had it been built in the 1850's.
In any event, Watson's feat was remarkable. With one assistant, and using a pocket compass and a level, he
dug through 400 feet of hillside. He dug halfway from the south end and halfway from the north. He dug
and placed the dirt on a cart which was pulled from the tunnel by the assistant. The ceiling of the tunnel
was lined with 3-inch planks of oak and walnut. The sides were shored up with 3 X 8 inch posts. The
finished dimensions of the tunnel were 3 ft. high and 2 ft. 9 in. wide. The floor of the tunnel was not lined.
He then constructed the dam and gates through which he controlled the flow of water to the tunnel.
Watson operated the mill for one year as a saw mill, to which he added corn grinding. Then he sold it to
Lyman Perry for $6,000 on January 17, 1867. The dam property was excluded from the sale. Perry
operated the mill for one year, when he was joined by his brother, Gilbert. They added wheat burrs to
make flour. In the first advertisement appearing in the Hamilton Freeman on Nov. 10, 1869, it was
announced "Tunnel Mill in Operation." It further stated that "the mill was located nine miles south of
Webster City and would do all kinds of grinding on short notice. A stock of flour is offered for sale by the
pound or ton." Lyman sold out to his brother, Gilbert, on October 24, 1870.
In 1869 Watson moved further upstream and constructed another mill, named Turbine Mill, on the river
about 5 miles south of Webster City. This mill was sold to five different owners until it was finally
purchased by Lyman Perry in 1878. This mill was not a financial success and was torn down by A. D.
Arthur.
Lyman Perry continued operating mills along the Boone. He purchased what we now call Bell's Mill from
Joseph Bone. This mill was another turbine mill with two turbines. When the mill finally ceased
operations, one of the wheels was displayed in Bell's Mill Park and the other was moved to Bonebright
Park.
Tunnel Mill was a very successful operation. People came from great distances to have their corn ground,
and later they brought wheat. The Webster City Graphic issue of August 6, 1951, reported that at its busiest
time there were up to 20 wagons in line waiting to have grain ground. The Red Cedar postoffice was
moved from the Saratoga area to Tunnel on December 21, 1881, and Gilbert Perry was named postmaster.
Mail delivery was made from Webster City to Tremaine, to Tunnel, and then to Homer.
Robert Watson moved on to Marion County, Kansas. In 1882 he gave a Quit Claim Deed to Perry for the
dam, the water gates, and the land on which they stood for the sum of $1.00. Why that part was withheld
from the original sale to Perry has been lost in history.
Some farmers paid for the grinding, but most paid the Perrys with what was called the "Miller's Toll." In
the beginning the millers generally kept one-eighth of the corn and wheat as their toll. Later, in the latter
1880's, it was changed to one-seventh. An attempt at Bone's Mill to change it to one-sixth met with
resistance and the local farmers formed a strike until it reverted to one-seventh. This meant that the miller
had wheat and cornmeal to sell. Perry opened a small store in the mill, where local people could purchase
flour, salt, soda, and other staple goods. An article in the Hamilton Freeman in 1883 reports, "Tunnel store
has a big trade now days, as it rightly deserves to have, for it has a good looking clerk, a big proprietor, and
gives good bargains." Lyman Perry built a large house east of the mill, and Gilbert's family moved in with
them. The Perry home accommodated many farmers overnight while they waited for the grinding of their
grain. In 1884, Gilbert replaced the burr mill wheels with a roller, which produced a finer grade of flour.
The Perry home had advanced features for its time. Lyman Perry tapped into a spring and piped the water
into the house, so his wife had running water all of the time. He also constructed cob chutes into the
kitchen. An outside bin was filled with cobs, and Mrs. Perry opened a small gate in the wall to catch cobs
for her stove.
The Indians lived in the woods along the river and came to the mill to sell their goods to the waiting
farmers. The farmers would get their grinding done, get supplies from the store, or get their mail. Nina
Bishop related that her mother told her of the Indians boiling sap to produce maple syrup to sell. Her
mother told her that sometimes the Indians cooked their game in the sap, hanging it by leather straps to a
stick across the kettle. Fish caught by the Indians were offered for sale. Local farmers also brought in bags
of coal which were sold at the store. There were many coal mines along the banks of the river nearby.
In April 1889, the tunnel collapsed, shutting down operation of the mill until repairs could be made. The
entire tunnel was relined, this time with a floor as well as a ceiling.
It was customary for a rowboat to be left on the river bank so people could cross as they did their business
at the mill. School children also rowed across from the mill to attend school at the Harmony Center
School, which was about a half-mile south of the mill. This school building has been moved to Bonebright
Park in Webster City.
On Nov. 4, 1889, the mill was destroyed by fire. Perry had been grinding buckwheat all day and a hot box
on the mill wheel bearing caused them to shut down. The men worked to repair the bearing, which took
until nearly midnight. Satisfied that everything was repaired, the men returned to the Perry home to sleep.
Early in the morning, Solomon Dick, who lived south of the mill, discovered light coming from the mill
area. He hurried to the Perry home to alert the family that the mill was on fire. It was too late for the men
to put the fire out. The entire mill and a very large stock of grain, flour, and other goods were completely
destroyed.
The idea of supplying water for a mill by means of a tunnel has intrigued the writer as being very unique.
Searching has since located 17 other mills throughout the United States that were also called Tunnel Mill.
The post office was moved to the John Newell Williams home, which was located just west of the former
mill. He was named postmaster on May 10, 1893. The name of the post office remained Tunnel. Williams
served until Oct. 31, 1897, when he was succeeded by Hezekiah Fisher. The Tunnel Post Office was closed
on Oct. 31, 1899, and all mail was then handled from the Homer Post Office. This mill was destroyed by
flood so he rebuilt another mill at what was later called the Bone's Mill site.
Merl Williams, grandson of John Newell Williams, related that as a child he and other children played in
the abandoned tunnel. Fearful that someone would be hurt, his father, Carl, dynamited the tunnel at both
ends. Carl married Annie Perry, thus combining the Perry and Williams families. Annie was the
granddaughter of Gilbert Perry. Today the major portion of the tunnel remains buried as a silent reminder
of the mill's history.
To help understand the Perry-Williams connection I here list the order in the Williams family:
 John Thomas (Henry) Williams. (Janelle Martin has reported that his name, according to her research
was Thomas Henry Williams.
 John Newell Williams (postmaster at Tunnel Mill for a time)
 Carl Williams married Annie Perry. Their three sons were
 Perry
 Merl (Mike) married Martha Rehnblom. Their three children were:
 Patty, Shirley, Steven
 Clare
The Perry family listed in order are:
 Ira and Charlotte Perry
 Homer, Fanny, Oliver, Seth, Mary, Lansford, Lyman, Almira, Gilbert, Lucretia, Jerusha, and Delia


Lyman - married Mary Endovia Van Fleet. Their children were:
 Van Fleet Perry (see story on Bell's Mill)
 Elgie
 Vina
 Delia
 Warren
 Mills
 Therma
Gilbert - married Irene Mettz. Their children were:
 Ora Edith - died age 2 years
 Bertha - died age 1 year, 4 months
 Igee - died age 1 year, 7 months
 Merrill - died October 27, 1878
 Ver Hazard
 Ira E. - married Their children were:
 Annie (Anna)
 Margaret
 Alpha
 Ira
 Roscoe
 Newmarsh
 Roscoe C.
The Lon Crosby family now lives at the mill site. Their home is near the location of the original Lyman
and Gilbert Perry house, which has now been torn down.
Other Mills in Hamilton County
A reference to the first mill in our county was given in the Iowa Centennial edition of the Freeman-Journal
in 1938. It states that the first mill, known as Bruce Mill, was located three miles north of the mouth of the
Boone River, north of Stratford. Some date the mill to 1851-52. It was a grist mill made of "nigger-head"
granite-like rocks. No other reference to this mill has been made.
The second mill was constructed by David Eckerson, a Methodist preacher about 1853, near the site of
what was later called Bell's Mill. The mill was known as Eckerson's Mill. It was a grist mill and had corn
burrs which were used to grind buckwheat. It had an overshot wooden mill wheel. At the time the mill
was operating it was the largest mill for many miles in each direction, from Story City to Wright County.
Eckerson became ill and had to dispose of the mill. It was purchased by Joseph Bone in 1867, who rebuilt
the mill. He hired A. A. Wicks and M. E. Pringle, both of Webster City, to do the construction work. In
1869, Alanson Bryan, father-in-law of Bone, purchased a half-interest. James A. Snodgrass was hired as
the miller. Bone built a large home for his family on top of the hill overlooking the mill. Ice was a major
threat to the mill and the dam. One spring day, the Bone family watched as huge cakes of ice piled up and
tore at the corner of the mill, destroying the dam, the mill, and their stock of flour. Again, the mill was
rebuilt. In 1873, Bone sold his share of the mill to John Atherton, and, two years later, Bryan sold his share
to members of the Bell family. In 1878 Atherton sold his share to Benjamin Bell and his son, John. The
Bell family were now owners of the whole mill. The various Bell family members sold their shares to
Jasper N. Bell, who ran the mill for another eight years. In 1883, Bell employed Lyman G. Perry as his
miller. During this time, Perry often cautioned his children about playing about the mill. One day, Perry
noticed that the mill wheel had stopped. When he investigated he learned that his son, Van, had apparently
been trying to cross the head-race and slipped and fell into the machinery. He drowned when he was but 4
years and 5 months of age. The child Van had been named Van Fleet Perry in recognition of his mother's
maiden name of Van Fleet. On the night of March 2, 1888, Benjamin Bell died. It was that night that a
flood washed out the dam, stopping the mill wheel forever. The dam was never rebuilt and the mill was
torn down for the lumber. The two turbine wheels were saved for display. One was placed in Bell's Mill
Park and the other was located to Brewer Creek Park (frequently referred to as Bonebright Park) in Webster
City. It was a surprise when the wheel was placed on its base that Van Perry's little shoe fell out of the
wheel.
According to Lee's 1912 History of Hamilton County, the third mill constructed in our county was the
Groseclose Mill in Section 15, Township 87, Range 26, near the David Hook farm. The dam was
constructed by Andrew Groseclose in 1853. He hired Lewis McCrary and William Stickler to put up the
mill as he went back to Polk County to load up the machinery. It had an overshot millwheel, and the burrs
were "nigger-head" granite. It was first operated as a flour mill. A sawmill was added the next year and
laths and shingles were made. The mill was first sold to three men, Snell, Butterworth, and Messmore of
Homer. They then sold the mill to Dr. Charles Fisher, who was also a millwright, and the mill name was
changed to Fisher's Mill. The mill later burned down and was never reconstructed.
Just upriver from the Groseclose Mill was another sawmill, which was erected in 1854 on bottom land
below where Bell's Mill would later be located. This mill was named the Lickskillet Mill, named for the
family which owned the land it was built on. Butterworth and Messmore were the first owners. They sold
it to Hiram Dayton, who moved the machinery to Homer. Sometimes Lick-skillet was spelled with a
hyphen.
A map of the State of Iowa dating back to 1856 gives this location of Williams Mill, which was built by
John Thomas (Henry) Williams in 1855. Williams is credited with entering the first official filing, in what
is now Hamilton County, when he recorded 400 acres on June 25, 1853. Williams' first mill, located south
of Allbright Bridge, washed out the next spring, so he moved downstream and reconstructed another mill.
This construction took him three years and he went heavily in debt. The property was transferred to
Lambert Sternberg. Sternberg constructed a dam of logs bolted together with long poles. He added wheat
burrs to the mill. The machinery was operated by an old-fashioned Rose Wheel. Sternberg sold the mill
to a relative, Jay Sternberg, in 1863. Five years later the mill was sold to John Ross. In 1869, Ross was
found shot in the back and stuffed into the mill wheel machinery. A coroner's jury determined that his
death was due to drowning. Ross' nephew, also named John Ross, was suspected of the murder. He was
brought to trial in the new Hamilton County Courthouse, which was built three years earlier. This was our
first murder trial. Through the efforts of his attorney, he was acquitted. He immediately left the county,
never to be seen again. The mill reverted to Jay Sternberg who then sold it to James W. Kimbrell. He
installed a feed burr and a new Lafell Wheel of the turbine type, which operates horizontally. He sold a
half interest to his son, Ben, who soon died.
Ben's half-share was sold to Joseph Bone, who bought the other half the next year. Bone married Minnie
Tremain, a farmer for whom the small village of Tremain, Iowa, was named. Bone put the mill on a new
foundation, constructed a second story, and it became the largest flour mill on the Boone River. When
Bone also bought what is now Bell's Mill, he named this mill Excelsior Mill to distinguish it from his other
mill, Bone's Mill (later called Bell's Mill).
Adam D. McKinlay was Bone's miller. His wife, Evelan, was the daughter of Joseph Bone. The
McKinlays had only one child, a daughter named Effie. Effie was the mother of MacKinlay Kantor, our
Pulitzer Prize winning author and his sister, Virginia Kantor Sours. It should be noted that MacKinlay
spelled his first name with an extra "a" because he thought it sounded more Scottish.
In 1889, the mill was sold to P. G. LaBarr, who ran it for six years. He sold out to P. B. Osborne. Osborne
decided to add a boiler and a steam engine to provide a more reliable source of power. An explosion of the
boiler in 1899 destroyed the mill completely. A marker located at the east end of Bever Bridge is a
reminder of this important mill.
In 1855, Walter C. Willson constructed a water-powered sawmill at the junction of the Boone River and
Brewer Creek in the east part of Newcastle, later named Webster City. The mill turned out boards and
shingles. In 1856, the mill was purchased by Stoddard and Pray. They established a planing mill and a
furniture factory. A corn cracker was added so the pioneers could add hominy and "samp" to their diet.
Samp was a form of cornbread. In 1868, John Hill bought the mill and sold a third-interest to his brotherin-law, Preston Kimbrell. Hill converted the mill to a flour mill. Hill sold his interest to Judge D. D. Chase
in 1873, and four years later, Chase acquired the remaining third-interest. Chase employed Charles Closz
to run the mill in 1882. During this time, Chase sued the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad for damages to
his business as the railroad ran west of his mill. He stated that the trains bothered the horses and kept
business from using the mill. He was successful in his suit and won some money for damages. Two years
later, when Closz left the business, Frank G. Stearns was employed as miller. After two more years,
Stearns left to start his own milling business, a steam flour mill that produced Plansifter Flour. This mill
was called the Stearn's Mill. It was located near the Crooked Creek Railroad Depot. Chase Mill, as it
became known, was then abandoned and stood empty for many years. D. C. Chase, the son of D. D. Chase,
offered the mill, the dam, and all of the land to the city for $1.00 for a park. The city council turned down
the offer, as they determined the cost of maintaining the property would be too much. The building was
torn down for the lumber. The foundation stones were removed and used for foundations of several
houses. Many of the stones were used at the corner of Second and Prospect Streets to stabilize an
embankment created when a gas station was located there on the southwest corner. A. C. Hoot purchased
the Stearn's Plansifter Mill and operated it for about 30 years as the Hoot Mill.
In 1855-56, Wesley Camp built a sawmill north of Webster City on the Boone River. It stood near the
intersection of the Annetta Woods Blacktop road and the river. He sold it to Hiram Bennett who changed it
to a grist mill with a turbine wheel. Bennett was quite successful but, after a number of years, he sold it to
a man named Averill on contract. A year later Bennett reclaimed his mill, then named Bennett Mill.
Bennett ran it for a short time before selling it to Levi Harris, a Civil War doctor, and hog farmer. Harris's
large stone home was located northeast of Kendall Young Park. From then on, the mill was called Harris
Mill. This mill was the furthest north of any of the many mills located on the Boone River. A Mr. Mauler
was killed at this mill, when his coat got caught in the gears and he was pulled into the machinery.
The first steam sawmill located in Webster City was put up by a company composed of C. T. Fenton, Jacob
Funk, S. B. Rosenkrans, and Julius M. Jones. The four men were businessmen active in the life of Webster
City. Fenton operated the mill. This mill was located east of where the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad
tracks now run. It was on the west side of the river near the flowing wells. In 1860, this mill was sold to
Thomas Richards, who moved it to Bach Grove. At a later time, Edward Mabbott, purchased the mill and
moved it back to Webster City. He installed a grist mill and added a planing mill. This mill, known as
Model Mills, was located near the old Armory on Second Street. Mabbott sold the mill to the Biernatzki
brothers, William and Charles. The mill was later destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt.
The Willson brothers, Walter C. and Sumler, erected yet another mill in 1859 on the east bank of a ravine
on Third Street. This mill was called Eagle Mills, and it made huge quantities of flour. A fire damaged the
mill but it was rebuilt in 1883 by Moore and Fenton, who purchased it from the Willsons. Another fire a
few years later completely destroyed the mill, causing the owners a severe loss.
In 1867, Hamp Dixon built a steam-powered sawmill at the Ten Eyck farm north of Stratford and at the
south end of Hook's Point. He operated it for two years when it caught fire and was destroyed. Since the
location proved to be a poor one, the mill was never rebuilt. It was called Dixon's Mill.
In 1869, Robert Watson, the man who built Tunnel Mill, erected a new mill on the west bank of the Boone
River near the old Sterling Farm. This was about five miles south of Webster City and about two miles
north of Bone's Mill. The water wheel was a horizontal turbine constructed so that the water poured into
the center of the wheel and it ran out at the sides. This mill became known as Turbine Mill. Watson sold
the mill to Mr. Brillhart in 1870. He sold it to Mr. Gillette in 1871. He then sold it to H. H. Robinson in
1873. H. H. sold it to H. W. Robinson in 1876 after three years as operator. H. W. sold a one-half interest
to a Mr. Farmer in 1877. The two men had fierce arguments over the operation of the mill. One day
Robinson got so angry that he left the mill and returned soon carrying a shotgun. Farmer spotted him
coming down the road, so he hurried into the mill just as a shot caught him in the back. He managed to get
inside the mill and bolt the door. He then climbed out a back window and started running north along the
river bank, but Robinson heard him and took chase. Farmer escaped across the ice on the river. Farmer
filed suit against Robinson for trying to kill him. Robinson pleaded self-defense. The jury acquitted
Robinson, which was strange since he shot Farmer in the back. It was well known to the jury members that
Farmer was a person who enjoyed goading people. Farmer sold his share to Lyman G. Perry, who acquired
Robinson's share. Perry operated the mill as a grist mill for a few years. He sold the building to A. D.
Arthur, who tore the mill down for the lumber.