Nestled near the rambling Fremont River, three miles southeast of the town of Bicknell in rural Wayne County, a wooden grist mill still stands. Although deteriorating, it has little chance of restoration. It is among the last of such mills in Utah.
The old grist mill was one of several through the years that meant the survival of pioneers. It represents a history of hard times. It was the go-between for the farmer's grain production and the housewife's daily staple for her family, namely bread.Following the destruction of a mill that was built of logs in 1883 near the "Narrows" north of the river, the one still standing was constructed to serve the people of the towns of Thurber (now Bicknell) and Teasdale. The first mill burned to the ground.
The name "Thurber" is an interesting sidelight in the history of Wayne County. A man by that name promised to provide the community funding for a library if residents would name the town after him. He failed to come up with the money, and it was later named Bicknell, although the local unit of the LDS Church is still known as the Thurber Ward.
Historians say four grist mills were built in Wayne County and two once operated at the same time. The first was between Fremont and Loa, completed in 1881 by a Danish immigrant who became the area's first miller. The operation changed hands several times and the mill was razed.
In 1893, the Fremont Valley Milling Co. was formed and a rock building was built north of Loa. That facility operated under several ownerships until the late 1920s, when George E. Eckersley was the last to grind grain in the mill.
Power at the old grist mill along the river was supplied by water and an improvised turbine. The mill that stands today was built by Niels Hansen, an excellent carpenter who immigrated to Thurber in 1890. The owner, Hans Peter Ni-el-son, installed roller and bolting machinery.