Columbia Mill
The Columbia Mill is a former grist mill on Cedar Creek in Cedarburg, in the United States. The mill was built in 1843 by Dr. Frederick A. Luening[1]. The Columbia Mill was the first mill to be built on Cedar Creek; several others would be built in the following years, forming the local area’s early industrial economy. While the mill was initially successful overall, it had a troubled history. The mill was sold nine times before 1900; notably, it was owned by Joseph Trottman from 1853–1864, who would later have an interest in the Hilgen and Wittenberg Woolen Mill located upstream[1]. It was also partially owned by Ernst Hilgen, the nephew of Cedarburg Founder Frederick Hilgen, from 1864–1874[2][1]. The mill would also suffer from flooding issues. Soon after completion, settlers upstream complained about flooding on Cedar Creek, and the dam was torn down and rebuilt further downstream. In addition, in 1881 the mill’s dam washed out during heavy spring flooding and was rebuilt some time later; it was also rebuilt again in 1914[3][1]. In 1926, the mill was bought by the Wire and Nail Company, whose mill is located just downstream, for use of the mill’s hydropower.[1] From the 1960s through the 1970s, a sewer carried waste oil, including PCBs, from Mercury Marine’s Cedarburg factory to the Ruck Pond above the Columbia Mill Pond[4][5]. The contamination was also carried downstream to the Columbia Mill Pond, where it settled into the sediment of the millpond. In the same time, the mill fell into disuse and disrepair in the twentieth century and was demolished in the 1970s, and a bank built in its place, with the dam and millrace remaining.[3] In 2017, PCB-contaminated sediment was dredged from the millpond in a large-scale effort to clean up Cedar Creek.[5] In 2019, the City of Cedarburg completed significant repairs to the remaining dam and millrace to increase the dam’s capacity.
See also
| Mill Name | Year Built | Products Produced | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concordia Mill | 1853 | Grain | Dam washed out and removed 1996 |
| Exelsior Mill, later Cedarburg Wire and Nail Factory | 1871 | Grain, lumber, drawn steel, hydroelectricity | |
| Columbia Mill | 1843 | Grain | Demolished |
| Cedarburg Mill | 1844 | Grain | Rebuilt 1855 with current stone structure |
| Hilgen and Wittenberg Woolen Mill | 1864 | Textiles |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "The State: Early history of Ozaukee County, Wisconsin: The Columbia Mill - now known as the Weber Milling Company". digicoll.library.wisc.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- ↑ "N60 W5314-6 COLUMBIA RD | Property Record". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Dam Inspection - Report". dnr.wi.gov. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- ↑ Writer, Richard Wronski, Tribune Staff. "QUAINT TOWN'S TAINTED CREEK TO GET CLEANUP". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "CEDAR CREEK Site Profile". cumulis.epa.gov. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
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