Graue Mill & Dam - Oak Brook, IL - Water Dams on Waymarking.com

The current Graue Mill (suject of several other waymarks) is a historic grist mill and currently the only operating waterwheel grist mill in (Oak Brook, a suburb of Chicago)Illinois. The mill is currently used as a working mill and museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The original dam at this site was used to power a sawmill, but was washed out a few years later, and about 1844 was replaced with a log dam. At that time they also built a log mill which was burned in 1848. The log dam was replaced by a crib and plank dam in 1879.

The mill dam provided resource for another industry that was important to Hinsdale and the surrounding communities. The J. F. Ruchty Ice Co. began cutting ice during the winter on Salt Creek in 1880, storing it in an ice house west of the mill on the south side of the creek, and distributing it by wagon during the summer. In 1916 the crib dam built in the 1870’s was washed out. For 18 years there was no dam at this site until the new concrete and stone structure was constructed. In 1935, after the wooden wings were removed, the Civilian Conservation Corps company built a new concrete dam, faced with stone, on the site of the former crib dam. The position of the mill water wheel indicates that the original dam (hydraulic head on the wheel) was significantly higher (as much as five feet higher) than the 1934 restored dam height of three feet.

3800 S. York Road
Oak Brook, Illinois United States
60523

Waterway where the dam is located: Salt Creek Main use of the Water Dam: Recreation Area Material used in the structure: embankment Height of Dam: 3 ft Date built: 01/01/1935 Fishing Allowed: yes Motor Sports Allowed: Not Listed

Visit Instructions:
Photo of the Dam and a description of your visit.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   03/16/2015 meadow68 visited it 09/20/2009 Moun10Bike visited it 09/20/2009 Prying Pandora visited it 08/10/2008 Go Boilers! visited it

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