Bollinger Mill State Historic Site | Landmark Landing

Bollinger Mill, Bufordville, Missouri, taken by Jennie Moore

     Hi everyone, and welcome back to the blog!  Today's post is the newest installment in my series "Landmark Landing".  If you're not familiar with this series, Landmark Landing is where I share the story and my experience of the landmarks I visit!  If you enjoy this style of writing, feel free to check out the first post in the series on Hurricane Mills, Tennessee!

     My most recent landmark stop was to the Bollinger Mill State Historic Site in Bufordville, Missouri.  Bufordville is a small community about eight miles west of Jackson, Missouri.  This historic site is not only home to a magnificent mill, but also one for four of the last covered bridges left in Missouri.  Aside from the designated historic site and state park, Bufordville holds multiple historic homes that have stood the test of time, and adds to the area's character.  

     Bollinger Mill and present day Bufordville came to be all because of one man.  This man was George Frederick Bollinger, a Swiss-German immigrant living in North Carolina.  Bollinger came to the Midwest with a friend in 1796, and upon exploring along the Mississippi River, wound up in the Cape Girardeau area in 1797.  This territory was under Spanish rule at the time, and Bollinger soon became friends with Don Louis Loromier, the Spanish Commandant of Cape Girardeau.  

     While Bollinger was in the Cape Girardeau area, him and Lorimier made an agreement.  Lorimier vowed to give Bollinger a land grant for himself and other settlers if he would return to North Carolina and brought back with him others to settle in Missouri.  Bollinger agreed, and began his trek back to North Carolina. 

     In North Carolina Bollinger found 20 Swiss-German families, along with his own to make a new life on Lorimier's land grant.  The group loaded up their covered wagons, and began their journey.  After weeks of travel, the group arrived on the east bank of the Mississippi, across from Ste. Genevieve.  They set up camp and waited two weeks until the ice was thick enough to cross, and then proceeded to their new settlement.  In January of 1800, present day Bufordsville was settled.  Upon arrival, Lorimier followed through with his promise, giving each family several hundred acres, and the Bollinger family 640 acres along the Whitewater River.  The settlement was called "The Dutch Settlement".

Antique Shop in Bufordville, taken by Jennie Moore

   
     In 1803, the Louisiana purchase was made, and by 1804 The Dutch Settlement was officially a part of the United States.  Bollinger then proceeded to build a log dam, a log mill, and a blockhouse on his property.  It was at this time the settlement began to be referred to as Bollinger's Mill.  The town had already been maintaining a steady growth, but in the next coming years, it would begin to prosper.

     As Bollinger's Mill flourished, Bollinger himself found great success.  Aside from his growing village, in 1806 Bollinger began his political career.  Bollinger did well in politics, and became a prominent figure in the area.  He did so well in fact, that Governor William Clark appointed Bollinger lieutenant of the Fouth Regimental Militia.  By 1820, Bollinger was elected to Missouri State Senate.

    In 1819, a man by the name of Timothy Flint visited Bollinger's Mill.  Flint was an author and missionary, who documented his findings in the town.  He spoke of homemade liquors, lush orchards, well built structures, prospering businesses, and hard working residents.  He concluded that the German immigrants which inhabited Bollinger's Mill dramatically improved the land.

     By 1825, Bollinger had added a distillery and a blacksmith shop.  He had also taken it upon himself to replace his early wooden structures with stone.  Bollinger replaced the dam, and built a new foundation for the mill.  He also added another wooden story to the mill at this time. 

     George Frederick Bollinger died on September 23rd, 1842.  He was proceeded in death by his wife that had passed away only a few years after they had made the move to Missouri.  They lay to rest in the Bollinger Family Cemetery, which is located on the park property in Bufordville, and is open to the public.  Following Bollinger's death, his daughter Sarah Bollinger Daugherty and her sons took over the mill.

     The mill had been running strong for several years after Bollinger's death, that is until the Civil War broke out.  During the war, as Union troops moved through the area, they set fire to Bollinger Mill.  Their reasoning for the fire was to prevent the Confederate Army from gaining access to the flour and meal produced by the mill.  The fire destroyed the 1825 mill, leaving only the foundation.  The war not only impacted the mill, but halted the construction of the covered bridge over Whitewater River.  The bridge construction had begun in 1858, but would not be finished until 1868.

Bufordville Covered Bridge, taken by Jennie Moore

   
     After the burning of the mill, the Bollinger family sold the mill ruins to Solomon Richard Buford in 1866.  Buford rebuilt the Bollinger Mill on the original 1825 foundation, which was completed in 1867.  Along with the mill, the covered bridge was completed at this time.  The bridge was constructed by Cape Girardeau builder, Joseph Lansmon.  Lansmon built the 140 foot long bridge from nearby yellow poplar trees.  This bridge soon became a lifeline for the town, as the Macadamized Road Co Toll Road began operation.  The toll road was vital to the area, as it spanned from Jackson to westward Greenville.  The bridge operated as a toll bridge until 1906, when local farmers grew tired of waiting for the tolls to be abolished.  They then ripped out the toll gates themselves, and proceeded to use the bridge without paying.

     The small town that began as a settlement of just 20 families gained its post office in 1869, under the name Bufordville after Soloman R. Buford, the current mill owner.  Buford operated the mill until 1897, when he sold the property to the Cape County Milling Co.  The company operated the mill until 1953, when they sold it to the Vandivort family.  The Vandivort family were relatives of George Frederick Bollinger, and had interest in preserving the mill and it's property.  Wanting the mill in the best care, the Vandivort's donated the property to the Cape Girardeau Historical Society in 1961.  In 1967, the property was donated to the state of Missouri, who still owns it today.  Both the mill and the bridge are on the National Register of Historic Places.

 Bollinger Mill State Historic Site, taken by Jennie Moore

   
     I really enjoyed my visit to the Bollinger Mill State Historic Site.  The mill's ground floor serves as a museum with many examples of how the mill worked in its day.  There are many artifacts for visitors to see, many original to the mill.  This museum is self guided, and completely free.  The staff also sells guided tours, where you will be taken through the entire multi-story building.  There property can be explored freely, including the covered brige, the Bollinger Family Cemetery, and a hiking trail.  There are multiple seating areas, including picnic tables. 

     I also want to add that I found that the property is friendly for all kinds of visitors.  There is wheelchair access to the mill and site office, along with public restrooms, and once again, lots of seating.  I really loved the kind lady that was operating the office that day, as she was extremely fun to talk to and very helpful.  There are souvenirs available for purchase at the mill, where I found a super cute iron-on patch for my patch jacket! (Which I will be sharing in another post.)

     Overall, I really recommend this as a stop on your road trip.  The Bollinger Mill State Historic Site is a great place for the family, a date, or the lone wolf that loves to travel.  This place is just another example of hidden gems in your local area.  Let me know if you visit Bollinger Mill, and what you think!  Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed! 

     
With love,
Jennie

     

Hurricane Mills, Tennessee | Landmark Landing

Hurricane Mill (c. 1897), Hurricane Mills, Tennessee

     Hello everyone, and welcome to my first installment of the new series, "Landmark Landing"!  In this series I will be taking you along on my travels to America's landmarks.  I absolutely love to travel, and I know many of you do too.  I hope this series is helpful and sparks your inspiration! 

     This series is kicking off with Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.  I visited Hurricane Mills for the first time this past July, and it did not disappoint.  Truthfully, it was even better than I had anticipated.  As most of you know, Hurricane Mills is home to Loretta Lynn's Ranch.  This is what draws almost all of the tourism, but there is so much more than a celebrity home here.  Hurricane Mills is a beautiful small town, and I have immense respect for what the Lynn family has done to preserve it.  Although, many people are too starstruck to take in the history of the town, I want to do my best to showcase all of the things that Hurricane Mills has to see.

  

   Hurricane Mills is an unincorporated community in Humphreys County, Tennessee.  Hurricane Mills is a part of the Hurricane Mills Rural Historic District, which is 300 acres that was placed on the National Register Of Historic Places in 1999.  Although there isn't much to show it these days, there was settler activity in Hurricane Mills as early as the 1830's.  One of Hurricane Mills' earliest known builds is the dam on Hurricane Creek, which can be seen in the photo above.  The concrete face you see now was placed in 1912, but underneath is the original stone dam that was built c. 1839!  Going hand-in-hand with the dam is of course Hurricane Mill, where the community takes its name from.  As seen in the photo above, Hurricane Mill is a large, wood built grist mill that was built in stages from 1897 to 1910 by James T. Anderson.  The building was not only the mill, but a portion of the building housed the Hurricane Mills post office, now located down the street.  The Mill is now home to one of many Loretta Lynn's attractions, a quaint gift shop that I personally, really liked.    

     

     We also, of course, visited Loretta Lynn's home, the biggest attraction in Hurricane Mills.  This 19th century plantation style home is known as the Hillman-Anderson home, and sits on rolling acres of lush land.  As you can tell by name, this home was built and occupied by the same Anderson family that built and operated the mill.  The Lynn family purchased the property in the 1960's, and called has called it home ever since.  Other than being the home of the "Queen of Country", the home has gained quite the reputation of being haunted.  Loretta has spoken on multiple occasions about the activity in the house, which has impacted both her and her family.  The Lynn family now lives in a newer home on the property, leaving the mansion open to tours.  Tourists and employees have also spoken on their experiences in the home.  

     So we all hear of this activity, but what I haven't heard much is, why?  Why is there so much paranormal activity in the home?  This is a question I had, and I set out to get an answer.  After hours upon hours of research, I found my answer, which I want to share with you.  The Hillman-Anderson home is no stranger to the ups and downs of life.  Since the home's construction, it has been the site of several events.  It has seen the changes of time, and people from all walks of life.                

          During the Civil War, the home saw a skirmish that took place on site.  The event left several soldiers dead, with 19 men of the Confederate Army being buried on the property.  Those who were buried, still lie there today.  The home also experienced the hardships of slavery, as there is a slave pit located under the home.  In the pit is where it is thought misbehaving slaves were put, and likely abused.  Word has it that Loretta has gone into the pit only once, and refuses to ever go back.  Though fear not, the history of this property isn't all tragic. 

     What many people don't know, is that before the site was settled as Hurricane Mills, it was a thriving Mississippian-Era prehistoric village, inhabited by Native Americans.  This village is known as The Duck River Temple Mounds, or the Link Farm.  Near the Link Farm, there was another farm that was owned by the notorious Jesse James.  There was also a notable Carding Factory, which was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  All three of these sites are located within Hurricane Mills!   

     Hurricane Mills also still has it's general store which has been converted to another Loretta Lynn attraction.  The building holds two shops, a post office, the Native American Museum, a snack shack, and an underground recreation of a coal mine, like the one Loretta's father worked in.  I really like this portion of Hurricane Mills, as you can shop, learn, and eat all in one place.  It's also a great place to cool off if you visit in the summer like I did.  

    Loretta has also had a new building built as her museum called "Coal Miner's Daughter Museum".  The museum is a whopping 18,000 sq feet, and holds a massive amount of memorabilia.  This building alone is paradise for a Loretta fan.  What I liked about this museum is the inclusion of Loretta's friends and family.  There are several exhibits on those who were/are loved ones of Loretta's.  I also really appreciated the amount of seating throughout the museum, and Hurricane Mills in general.  This was such a great surprise for someone who sometimes has trouble getting around.  I found all of the attractions to be very inclusive, and welcoming.                                                                                                                        

     I also have to give massive props to the recreations throughout Hurricane Mills.  The work put into these pieces is extremely obvious, and they really make the history come to life.  There is an exact replica of Loretta's childhood home (Located in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky) which can be toured.  There is also the coal mine that I previously mentioned, and the town itself still has a maintained 19th century aesthetic.    

     As of 2019, Loretta Lynn owns nearly all of Hurricane Mills, and truthfully, I'm glad she does.  The way she has taken care of, and presented this small town, is really admirable.  Without her falling in love with that vacant house on the hill nearly 60 years ago, Hurricane Mills may have been lost to time.  Now, Hurricane Mills is the most active small community I've ever seen.  There are endless activities and events on Loretta's land.  Camping, kayaking, and swimming to just name a few. 

     Overall, do I recommend you visit Hurricane Mills? Absolutely!  I really enjoyed my visit, and would visit again.  Even with everything I spoke on, there is still more to see.  I hope to make another trip in the future and further explore Hurricane Mills.  If you enjoy history, the outdoors, country music, or travel in general, I would definitely make a stop here.  This quaint town 698 people will not disappoint! 

     Thank you all so much for reading!  I really hope you enjoyed this post, and will tune into this series again!  Give me your thoughts.  Have you been to Hurricane Mills?  Would you like to?  

     A special thanks to my mom, Colleen Gallagher, for being my travel buddy and giving me this experience.                            

With love, Jennie

(All photos in this post are taken by myself in July of 2019.)