
From Thriving to Surviving - Thompson’s Mills State Heritage Site
Posted by:
Volcanoguy
N 44° 27.638 W 123° 04.869
10T E 493544 N 4923039
History sign at Thompson’s Mills State Heritage Site near Shedd, OR.
Waymark Code: WMWR5N
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 10/05/2017
Views: 0
There are a variety of signs at the site which deal with specific details of the Mills.
This is one of a group of three signs which deal with the history of the Thompson’s Mills.
Text of the Sign:
From Thriving to Surviving
After four decades grinding flour for local farmers, the mill was converted around 1900 to a commercial mill and expanded over the next two decades to take advantage of a thriving global market.
Unable to compete with larger mills for wheat to grind, Thompson’s Mills ended flour milling in 1946 and focused on animal feet. When the feed market began to shrink, the mill sold hydroectric power to make ends meet.
Today the mill survives as a window to our past, telling its story to you.
Photo Captions:
Otto Thompson ran the mill from 1910 to 1965.
Animal feed, alwas a byproduct of grain milling, became the solo focus in 1946.
In 1917 the silos were built to increase storage capacity.
Historic Topic: Pioneer
 Group Responsible for placement: State of Oregon
 Marker Type: Roadside
 Region: Willamette Valley
 County: Linn
 Web link to additional information: [Web Link]
 State of Oregon Historical Marker "Beaver Board": Not listed

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