WATTS MILL

At what is now 103rd and State Line stood a grist mill. It was originally called Fitzhugh’s Mill in 1832, run by George and Jonathan Fitzhugh who set up business grinding corn and wheat. The waterfalls, limestone creek beds and adjacent woodlands not far from the Santa Fe Trail made an ideal location for a mill. James Nesmith, in his diary of 1843 noted that upon leaving Independence, he and others camped in a grove of trees near the mill to gather their caravan before heading to Oregon. In 1852, Anthony Watts purchased the business. His old friend, Jim Bridger, once a scout and mountain man, moved to the town of Dallas nearby and paid frequent visits to the mill. Anthony’s son, Stubbins took over as miller in 1865 and later his son Edgar continued the tradition. But technology took its toll on the old fashioned water driven mill, and by 1922 business had declined and the wooden building began to show decay. In 1942, much of the mill was dismantled and nine tons of ironwork were donated to the war effort. Today the Watts Mill Shopping Center stands on the site.