From the mid 1800s into the early 1900s, milling was a common business in Northwest Arkansas. Nearly every town had at least one grist mill where folks could bring corn and wheat to be ground into foodstuffs such as meal, flour, and bran. This circa 1912 photo shows the interior of the Springdale Burr Mill, which was located on the appropriately-named Mill Street in downtown Springdale. Today, the mill site is near the northeast corner of the Shiloh Museum campus.

At the time of the photo, the Springdale Burr Mill was owned and operated by James William Havens, George Washington Bowman, and James Clinton Bowman. James Clinton Bowman is pictured here on the right, along with Bob Stobaugh on the left and Jasper Henson in the rear.

Courtesy Louise and John Havens
S-2006-177-11


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