I have read that Dells Mill and Museum in Augusta is “the most photographed site in Wisconsin, so I tried my hand.
Dells Mill is a water-powered flour and feed mill built in 1864, the first flour mill in the Chippewa Valley, which still stands to this day. It is three and a half stories high, also known as five levels.
It originally ground wheat, which at the time was the agricultural mainstay of the state. It is made of hand-hewn timbers with wooden pegs joining the timbers together.
It operated continuously from 1864 through 1968. The mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The website augustawi.com has published three fascinating articles about the Mill, which I commend to you.
A visitor said in August 2023 that “An Amish family of 11 has bought the property and is refurbishing the mill into working order. It is worth a stop. Dells schoolhouse is just down the road.”
I visited the Mill in April 2021, and winter’s cold still hovered over me and through me. It was closed, and I roamed around the site. I went back in June 2025, and clearly the new owners spiffed the place up quite a bit, as I’ll soon show you.
The late Gustav Clark, born in Eau Claire, took over the mill after his father died in 1964. He decided to transform the mill into a historical landmark. He had a great interest in the Civil War and collected artifacts from that era. He conducted tours for 44 years. He passed away in 2014. The area's Amish community bought it and continued to run it as a museum, hoping to return it to milling operations.
The Mill was in full operation up until May 1968. It originally operated as a flour mill but later expanded to include feed grinding.
The Mill was built along the dells of Bridge Creek, which rises to the south. Augusta had previously been known as Bridge Creek, but its name was changed after the handsomest girl in town, “Augusta Rickard.”
During my visits, I was captivated by the flow of water over the water wheel, a type of turbine wheel. R.K. Martinson describes the wheel,
“ The main drive gear, equipped with wooden teeth, has lasted through more than a century of use. The teeth, made of hard maple, last from 8 to 10 years under normal usage. Over 3,000 feet of belting and 175 pulleys operate the milling apparatus.”
On my next visit, I’ll take the tour inside to see how the large turbine wheel drives the other mechanisms to grind the wheat into flour.
There is an old blacksmith shop on the site. The owners have displayed numerous items from the past, including horse collars, old trunks, and flower boxes, to put you in the mood.
The Mill is located off CR V off of Hwy 12 near Augusta, in Eau Claire County. Or you can take Hwy 12 into Augusta’s town center and take Hwy 27 north.
