The
historic Dowlin's
Old Mill,
the oldest building in Ruidoso, was built in 1868
by Captain Paul Dowlin and his brother, Will.
"Captain
Paul", as he was known by the locals, was brought
to New Mexico to serve at Fort Stanton during the
Civil War. The Old Mill was a grist mill, saw mill,
bean thrasher, black smith shop, general store and
(legend has it) a place to purchase, "moonshine",
from 1868 to the turn of the 20th Century. The town
of Ruidoso was actually called "Dowlin's Mill"
in the early days.
Like
any legendary structure in the American West, The
Old Mill has its "colorful past."
Billy
The Kid,
would often frequent dances and suppers there. Billy
was actually hidden in a flour barrel in the Old
Mill from pursuing lawmen. Other visiting legends
of the day included--Pat Garrett, "Blackjack"
Pershing, Geronimo, and even (future General) Douglas
Macarthur.
One
of the few remaining large-scale working water wheels
in the Southwest, it still grinds flour and corn
meal
on the premises. It is truly an historic New Mexico
landmark. The Old Mill offers unique gifts, decorative
items, jewelry, moccasins and books.
How
Does the Mill Operate
The
Old Mill
stones are made of solid flint. There is
no way of telling their age, but it is safe to say
that they have been in use for more than 100 years.
At the speed they are turning, they will grind 15
to 20 pounds of whole wheat flour in an eight hour
day, depending on the mesh size desired. The stones
could be made to produce several times as much by
turning them faster but this is limited by the type
of kernels used, the mesh size and the flow rate.
The
stones are powered by the 20 foot, over-shot water
wheel at the outside of the building. In the olden
days the wheel was powered by the combined waters
of the Carrizo River and the Rio Ruidoso which together
offered enough power to operate the mill, a bean
thresher and a large saw mill. The water is delivered
to the trough by means of a diversion ditch.
The
wheel is made of redwood that is now over 80 years
old. The pillars and hubs of the wheel are well
over 100 years old, as is the adobe building which
today houses the shop.
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