Property Record
UNDER STATE HIGHWAY 85 AT ROCK CREEK
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Rock Falls Dam |
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| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 233438 |
| Location (Address): | UNDER STATE HIGHWAY 85 AT ROCK CREEK |
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| County: | Dunn |
| City: | |
| Township/Village: | Rock Creek |
| Unincorporated Community: | Rock Falls |
| Town: | 26 |
| Range: | 11 |
| Direction: | W |
| Section: | 22 |
| Quarter Section: | NW |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: | NE |
| Year Built: | 1923 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2015 |
| Historic Use: | dam |
| Architectural Style: | NA (unknown or not a building) |
| Structural System: | Steel Frame |
| Wall Material: | Concrete |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It is a part of archaeological site 47DN451. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. An earlier dam had been at this site since 1857, when a flour mill was constructed on the west bank of Rock Creek, just below the rock falls. The mill was built by Weston and Chamberlin. Eventually, in about 1899, the mill and dam was purchased by Samuel and Dan Andrews (father and son). After Samuel (the father) died, Dan, aka D.W., became sole proprietor. In 1923 Dan took out the wood dam and built the concrete dam which still exists today. Andrews manufactured rye, wheat, buckwheat, wheat graham, and rye graham flour as well as corn and oats for livestock feed. In 1948, Dan Andrews sold the mill to his son-in-law and daughter, Wesley "Bud" and Mildred Smith. Bud Smith ran the mill for ten years, then sold it to Durand Cooperatives, who discontinued using the dam, as they hooked up power through Dunn County Electric Cooperative. In 1969 the mill burned down, and was not rebuilt. Only foundations, and the concrete motor housing remain of the mill. 2017- "This property includes both the archaeological site 47DN451 related to the historic mill at the property, and AHI #233438, the dam, as they would have been used as a complete unit historically. This would include the park limits, which would have been historic location of the mill, the mill foundations, the historic dam and presumed location of pipes connecting it to the mill, the diesel house, the dam power house, historic grinding stone, and existing ramp. This DOE represents all cultural features described above as a whole. 47DN451 - Rock Falls Mill The archaeological site of the Rock Falls Mill includes the remnant limestone foundation of the mill basement along with a small concrete foundation associated with the mill to the south. This foundation is immediately east of the existing lawn of the park, and can be confused with a retaining wall, particularly when it is overgrown with vegetation. The northern wall of the foundation measures 21 feet 8 inches east to west. It is broken at the eastern end, and it is assumed that there was some more foundation wall present at one time. The western end of this northern wall connects with the largest part of the foundation wall, measuring 55 feet north to south. The southern end of this long wall connects with a limestone wall along the sloping ramp that is 32.5 feet east to west. The wall measures approximately 9 feet tall at the northern end where more foundation material is present, while the longer section of foundation is between 8 and 9 feet tall. The portion of the foundation along the ramp slopes down with the ramp at the southern end. A concrete foundation is located northwest of the northern end of the limestone foundation. This concrete foundation is small and its purpose for the mill is unknown. This foundation measures 10 feet east to west and 12.5 feet north to south. Shovel tests and probes were impeded in the park area by a thick layer of gravel that is less than one foot below the current ground surface. The situation is similar with the area "below" the park between the foundations and the water. The Rock Falls Mill building, first constructed in circa 1879, was a two and one-half story side gabled, wood (or timber) framed building with clapboard siding. It historically had an elevated loading dock which was covered with a shed roof on its south and west facades. It had a hipped roof cupola on the peak of the gabled roof. Historic photos indicate that the building changed little throughout its history. It burned down in 1969. AHI #233438 - Rock Falls Dam The Rock Falls Dam was constructed in 1923 out of poured concrete. The dam replaced an earlier, circa 1878 dam which was constructed of wood. The current concrete dam was constructed by then-owner Dan Andrews. According to local accounts, the dam took approximately two months to build, with all of the work done by hand by local workers. Sand, gravel and water were shoveled into a small cement mixer, then wheel-barrowed or carried by buckets to the dam site. The electricity for the cement mixer was provided by the mill, itself. The design of the dam allowed water to flow through a draft tube under the bridge from the millpond on the south side of the bridge, against the west abutment of the bridge. A propeller located in the lower level turned under the force of the water. A shaft, connected to the propeller rotated and by a series of pulleys and line shafts, provided much of the power necessary to mill grain. The dam itself creates a two level spillway. The top of the spillway was at the level of the mill pond. A near-vertical drop of approximately 12 feet lands on a horizontal concrete platform which extends approximately 8 feet out to the north, where again, another near-vertical drop of about 10 feet falls to Rock Creek, below. According to historic photos, prior to the construction of the concrete dam, there were large rocks and boulders which the water cascaded over, creating a natural waterfall. Those rocks are now encased under the concrete spillway of the dam." -"Rock Falls Dam and Mill Site Foundations", WisDOT#7120-01-04, Prepared by Barbara Kooiman, (2017). |
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| Bibliographic References: | Curtiss-Wedge, F. and Geo. O Jones, ed. History of Dunn County, Wisconsin. Minneapolis: H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co., 1925, pp 219 - 220. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |