Florence Mill, also known as the Weber Mill, is a historic mill located at 9102 North 30th Street near the 30th Street exit on

I-680 Interstate 680 may refer to: *Interstate 680 (California), a connecting freeway between I-80 and I-280 in the San Francisco Bay Area, California *Interstate 680 (Nebraska–Iowa), a bypass in Omaha, Nebraska *Interstate 680 (Ohio), a loop through Y ...

in the

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

community in

North Omaha, Nebraska North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ea ...

. It was built in 1846 and operated into the 1960s. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

as Weber Mill in 1998. The mill is also known as the Mormon Mill, Grist Mill, and Old Pink Mill. It is now operated as the Winter Quarters Mill Museum and ArtLoft Gallery.

History

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...

supervised construction by the

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

pioneers of Winter Quarters in 1846. The Florence Mill is the only surviving building to have been built by the Mormons. The settlers needed a mill to grind corn, wheat, and rye to create cornmeal and flour products. Constructed next to Turkey Creek, later called Mill Creek, which flowed into the Missouri River, the original structure was deserted in 1846. A new mill was built in 1847 at the cost of $3000. Brigham Young sold this mill to John Neff, who deserted it when he moved to Salt Lake City. Alexander Hunter began operating the Mill in 1856, helping to fill the demands of the new town of Florence, founded in 1854 on the old site of Winter Quarters. He tore down the original mill, reusing some of the good timbers to build a new mill.

Weber family

Jacob Weber acquired the Mill around 1860, replacing water-powered machinery with new steam-powered equipment. The Weber family operated the Florence Mill continuously for over 104 years, contributing to the development of the

milling Milling may refer to: * Milling (minting), forming narrow ridges around the edge of a coin * Milling (grinding), breaking solid materials into smaller pieces by grinding, crushing, or cutting in a mill * Milling (machining), a process of using rota ...

industry between the last half of the nineteenth century into the twentieth century. The Weber's business was long considered to be the longest operating business in Nebraska.

Winter Quarters Mill Museum and ArtLoft Gallery

The mill is now operated as the Winter Quarters Mill Museum and ArtLoft Gallery. The museum features pioneer-era historic photos, 1854 newspaper clippings and agricultural artifacts. The mill also hosts a

farmers market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...

from June through the end of September. Contrary to previously published reports, Omaha billionaire

Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net w ...

has not been actively involved in a drive to renovate the structure.Minge, J. (nd. Mr Buffett autographed a portrait drawn by the late artist, 19-year-old Connor Meigs. He allowed the signed drawing to be auctioned as a fundraiser for renovation on EBay during the 2006 Annual Meeting. Unfortunately, there were no bidders
To give is devine: Buffett’s Philanthropy spreads to the Florence Mill
''City Weekly''. Retrieved 6/6/07.

References

External links

Florence Mill
- official site, includes museum information
1920s picture
of the Florence Mill.

HistoricFlorence.Com {{NRHP Omaha Buildings and structures in Omaha, Nebraska Flour mills in the United States Landmarks in North Omaha, Nebraska Industrial buildings completed in 1847 Grinding mills on the National Register of Historic Places in Nebraska Mormon Trail Museums in Omaha, Nebraska Omaha Landmarks Latter Day Saint movement in Nebraska Mill museums in the United States History museums in Nebraska 1847 establishments in Indian Territory Grinding mills in Nebraska National Register of Historic Places in Omaha, Nebraska

History

Weber family

Winter Quarters Mill Museum and ArtLoft Gallery

See also

References

External links