Fitzwater Saw Mill at Benson Grist Mill Historic Site - Stansbury Park, Utah - Mills and Gins on Waymarking.com

In 1851 L.D.S. Church Apostle, Ezra Taft Benson, was authorized by President Brigham Young to develop a grist mill site at Twin Springs Creek to serve Mormon communities in Tooele County.

The first order of business was to build a water powered sawmill at Twin Springs. The mill started supplying lumber for all sorts of pioneer needs.

In 1854 skilled pioneer artisans, were hired to build the grist mill. Large timbers were hauled by team and wagon from the nearby Oquirrh Mountains to the saw mill where they were cut into beams and planks as required.

The Benson Grist Mill was constructed just a few hundred feet from that original pioneer saw mill, and powered by the same water source.

When the Grist Mill was restored and the historic site set aside, the need for a saw mill rose again. The old mill was gone, but a man named Jay Fitzwater came to the rescue.

In 1981, when Jay retired from Tooele Army Depot, he decided to build his own saw mill, as a hobby. The mill only took Fitzwater a few months to build, but for years it helped him stay active, cutting logs for cabinetry, logs for homes and other such projects in the backyard of his Rush Valley home.

Jay Fitzwater worked at the Benson Grist Mill Historic Site as a tour guide starting in 1997, but in 2002 he added to that role when he brought his own saw mill to Stansbury, enhancing what visitors young and old could learn about the saw mill industry’s role in the county early on.

The new Twin Springs (Grist) Mill, constructed in 2006 on same stream, was built from beams and lumber milled on Fitzwater's Saw Mill.

Though the original pioneer saw mill has passed into history, the Fitzwater Saw Mill is alive and well serving the Benson Grist Mill Historic site in the same capacity as before. The water wheel has been replaced by a vintage Case tractor, but the smell of fresh cut wood is still there.

Sources:
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Year built?: Original Saw Mill: 1851, Fitzwater Saw Mill: 1981 Is the mill or gin still in operation?: Yes What is or was processed here?: Beams and Lumber for building construction Are tours available?: Yes, on a regular basis. How is or was it powered?: The original was water powered, Fitzwater Mill is Case Tractor PTO powered Related link to this waymark.: [Web Link] What is it used as today?: Not listed

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