War Eagle Mill - Rogers, Arkansas - Working Mill


War Eagle Mill is located along the War Eagle River approximately 15 miles east of Rogers, and 25 miles southwest of Eureka Springs in Arkansas. It opens to visitors seven days a week between March 1st and January 1st from 8.30am to 5pm, whilst the rest of the year the mill is only open Thursday to Sunday. The mill is also open on many of the holidays with the exception of Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, while on Christmas Eve it closes early at 2pm and again on New Year's Eve at 3pm.

The mill was initially built in 1832 when Sylvanus Blackburn and his wife Catherine settled in the area and started to plant corn in the creek valley. Given the nearest mill was some 25 miles away in Richand, the couple built their own mill using the War Eagle Creek as its energy source. Subsequently the Blackburn's neighbors brought their corn to the mill for grinding

During the lifetime of the Blackburns the mill had quite a lively history, with the initial building washed away by floods in 1848. Then when they evacuated to Texas for four years during the American Civil War, both the Union and the Confederate Armies used the mill to grind grain for food at different times. The mill had to be rebuilt after the war and was completed in 1873 only for it to be burnt down in 1924, where it was left untouched until 1973 when once again a mill was erected using much the same design used over a century before.

A big striking feature of the water mill is the waterwheel, which is an eighteen feet cypress waterwheel. This is the only working mill in Arkansas so visitors can see the flour making process and the owners believe it to be the only undershot water wheel currently in operation in the United States. Formal and informal tours are provided at the mill by a member of staff, with information provided about the history of the place and the products made and sold here.

A limited number of daily fishing passes are issued here on request to use the War Eagle River, where there are bass, sunfish, channel catfish, sucker fish, gar, carp and drum. Throughout the year various events are held at the mill including arts and craft fairs. Visitors can also visit the mill gift shop to purchase produce made here such as bread, cereals and jams as well as War Eagle cookbooks.

On the third floor of the working mill is the Bean Palace restaurant, which is open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. Visitors can enjoy a cooked sausage and egg breakfast and/or waffles from 8.30am to 11pm, sandwiches, soups and salad lunches from 11am to 4pm or delicious ice cream from 4pm to 5pm. The restaurant opens seven days a week most of the year with the exception of January and February when it is open Friday to Sunday only.

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