Davis Mill
Salado, Bell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1864 by William A. Davis; first stone mill with carding machine in this vicinity. A sawmill and gin were added in 1866. French burrs, Leffel water wheel and silk bolt brought from Galveston by wagon in 1871. Made flour for Central Texas homes. No widow paid toll at the Davis Mill.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
William A. Davis built this mill in 1864, the first stone mill with a carding machine in the Salado vicinity, and added a sawmill and gin two years later. In 1871 he hauled French burr millstones, a Leffel water wheel, and silk bolting cloth in by wagon from Galveston to grind flour for Central Texas households. A local point of pride was recorded on the marker itself: no widow ever paid a toll to grind her grain at the Davis Mill.
Why it matters
Water-powered gristmills like this one were the essential industry of frontier communities, and the miller's charity to widows reflects the neighborly ethic that bound together isolated nineteenth-century Texas settlements.
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Related people
- · William A. Davis
Themes & tags
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