Dawt Mill History

Dawt Mill, located in Ozark County, Missouri on the North Fork River, is an unincorporated community. It was home to a rebuilt mill, built by George Hodgson, which also featured a general store, blacksmith shop, cotton gin, sawmill, and a large family dwelling. A post office was opened in 1907 and closed in 1934. The mill was later owned by the Bushong family, with a period of operation that ran day and night for three years. In the 1940s, after World War II, the mills in the area started shutting down as farming transitioned from grain farming to cattle farming.

Dawt Mill was the exception and continued to operate. In 1995, Dr. Ed Henegar, an Oklahoma native, purchased the mill, which he continues to own and operate. Flooding has been a constant in the history of Dawt Mill, with two major floods occurring in 1905, 1918, and 1968. In 2017, a historical flood shook the Ozarks, fully submerging or sweeping away many buildings, including the Grist Mill Restaurant. Despite the destruction, Dawt Mill underwent reconstruction and continues to hold its place in Ozark history.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons