Dick's Mill Restoration Project

10/16/2026

10/15/2026

On Sunday Oct 25th we will be having our "Music at the Mill" chili and hotdog dinner from noon until 5:00. We are looking for a few people who would like to volunteer by bringing a pot of your favorite chili. One of our area farmers, Tim Kueckelhan has offered to supply his farm raised hamburger to assist anyone making the chili! Tim has helped with moving the mill and we very much appreciate his donations! Anyone wishing to bring chili can let me know and I can get the hamburger to you. This fundraiser is a free will donation and will help keep the restoration of Dick's Mill going. Stop by and see the ongoing progress! Let me know if you will be attending as it will help with the planning.

10/10/2026

I am posting this for the family members of Ronald "Ronnie" Dick who passed away on Oct. 5th. A military graveside service will be held on Monday, Oct. 12th at 2:00 pm at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Tipton, Mo.
Ronald was a proud supporter of Dick's Mill, and was able to visit the mill several months ago during a family reunion. We at Dick's Mill were fortunate to have met him, and send our condolences to his family.

10/03/2026

On Sunday, Oct. 25th from 12:00 to 5:00 we will have a open house fundraiser at Dick's Mill. Dick's Mill is now relocated on the Mo. River Valley Steam Engine Assn. grounds at the corner of I-70 and Mo. Hwy 179, exit 111. We will have some live music at our amphitheater next to the mill along with chili and hotdogs, a bonfire, and tours of the mill. We will have the new tee shirts as well as the Dick's Mill tumblers for sale. Free Will Donation for the chili dinner.
In the below photos you will see a sample of the new tee shirts, in Red, Olive Green, and Ice Grey.
I also had a very old, 24" runner stone donated to the mill collection from Paul Gross of Layfayette Co. Missouri. It is sitting next to the 48" runner stone that will soon be back in place at Dick's Mill.

10/01/2026

09/16/2026

The Missouri River Valley Steam Engine Show brought huge crowds to Dick's Mill this past week. Helge Lorsen and Ommund Tveit of Norway stopped by while traveling through Missour! We had a good visit and I invited them back for next year!
Henry Friedrich dropped by with his award winning hand made model of Dick's Mill to display!
Mike Herron came to deliver some of his stone ground grits and cornmeal, and ended up helping explain the workings of millstones to some of the mill visitors!
Seth Mertz donated a hand made broom and whisk broom so that the mill would be able to sweep up with a period correct broom! We also had our new Dick's Mill tee shirts and also Dick's Mill tumblers created by Debi at Copies Etc. for sale at the mill. I will get a photo of the tumblers on soon.
The show was a success for Dick's Mill, and I want to thank everyone who helped with tours. Most of the Dick's Mill crew were on hand, including Greg and Joan Muencks, Joel Muencks, Robbie and Christy Ramey, my cousins Bob and Robin Painter, Byron Dillner, Steve Winters, and my wife Mary Painter! And I know there were a myriad of others that deserve a thank you for helping with those four very busy days!

09/16/2026

Here is another photo that failed to load, of a 48 inch stone being reassembled for the 1868 Dick’s Mill.

09/16/2026

Last week we started putting the 48 inch stone together. Using our blacksmith shop’s concrete floor, we poured self leveling grout to provide a perfectly level surface on which to put the stone back together. Bernie Tappel, our resident blacksmith helped with the process of getting the metal bands properly placed and welded. The backside of the stone was then filled with a mixture of masonry and Portland cement. The next step will be to learn how to properly dress the stones and get them back into operation. Many thanks to Bernie and Patty at the blacksmith shop.

08/26/2026

I'm falling way behind in my posts on the mill progress! I grow a very large garden and do a lot of canning and along with another project at the Steam Engine grounds, free time has been at a premium! But a lot of work has still been accomplished. Steve has been working on reproducing incredible wooden pulleys and other parts for the elevators. Greg has started working with some of the line shafts, and building new "feet" for the flour packer,which were rotted away, and along with Gary Kammerich, have started working on the electrical wiring needed to "modernize" the mill. I have been working on railings along stairways and other areas to prevent falls. The front deck and wheelchair ramp has been completed with the help of Jason Kesel and Hoke Eichelberger, and was used just recently by a tour of Adolph Dick's descendants.
In the first photo are a grandson and great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren of Adolph Dick. They had a family reunion on this particular Sunday, and topped off the day with a visit to the mill to see the restoration of their grandfather's mill. It's visits like this that makes it all worth it!
William and Ronald Dick gave a very nice donation towards the restoration, and in recent weeks donations have been made by Corey Leiberman, Norman and Pat Lenger, and Steve Wieland. Dick's Mill's restoration has been entirely funded by the public! All hard working, good people who want to see this mill run again! And it will!
We also had a nice donation of a beautiful wood stove to up in the mill to keep us warm when working on cold winter days. It was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Maier of Rocheport, Mo.
Anyone wanting to visit the mill and check out the progress can come to the Steam Engine Show, "Back to the Farm Reunion" on Sept. 9th thru 12th. We will be having a fund raising drive, and will have the new Dick's Mill tee shirts with art work by area artist, Charles Stegner! I should have a photo of these to post within the next week. Also, Debi at Copies Etc. has come up with a beautiful Dick's Mill water bottle that I hope to debut very soon. All will be available at the mill during the show along with mill tours. Hope to see you all there! Bob...

07/25/2026

Jason Kesel, a fellow board member, and Hoke Eichelberger, a lifelong friend, came to the mill last weekend to help with the new deck, wheelchair ramp, and steps. These two know their stuff and this will be a quality, sturdy addition to Dick's Mill! Thank you Jason and Hoke!
I am getting back on the rock, so hope to make progress soon!