Leaving the Ozarks: A Morning at Bollinger Mill/Burfordville Covered Bridge
For today's post I've decided to leave the hills of Missouri's historic Ozarks and focus on another equally beautiful spot in the South Eastern section of the state. I spend a lot of time shooting Missouri's old mills and each has it's own unique charm and Bollinger Mill is no exception. I also really enjoy how that one can get in a car and find a location within a few hours of home, yet feel as though you have travelled back in time. I've only had the privilege of shooting this location twice, but on my first visit, I found my mind wondering thinking back to how this special place must have once bustled with activity. It was easy to imagine mule drawn wagons and to Model T Fords crossing the bridge, where at the mill beside it, the grains provided by local farmers were being processed into flour and other goods to be distributed to the country stores of Yesteryear. For those old enough to remember the tv series The Waltons (though that was way before my time (cough, cough) ), the scene when you first arrive is very reminiscent of that era in America.The stream that supplied the mill with power is the Whitewater River. Spending most of my time shooting Missouri mills in the Ozarks, I've grown accustomed to the spring feed rocky streams that were the power source of so many Ozark Mills. This being said, one of the first noticeable differences I found at this historic site compared to many of Missouri's Ozark mills was how different this stream is from those I am more used to seeing. Some of this could be do to the fact that the rich flat land of South Eastern Missouri was deforested for farming, and nowhere in that state has water been diverted more for irrigation than in this area of the state.
From a photographers point of view, Bollinger Mill and Burfordville historic sites a photographer's gold mine. Nowhere else in the state is it possible to capture a grist mill and covered bridge together. The current mill was the third built on this site dating back over a 200+ year span. The construction of the first mill under direction of George Frederick Bollinger began in 1800. Of particular interest to me was the demise of the second mill built on this location. The mill was burnt in 1861 by Union troops, as a means to disrupt food supplies reaching the Confederate army. After the Civil War, the Bollinger family sold the mill site to Solomon R. Burford, who completed the current four story structure which still stands today by 1867. As a state historic site, Bollinger Mill is maintained by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and offer demonstrations for visitors on the workings of the mill providing the water flow is enough to power the machines.
The adjacent covered bridge which had begun construction in 1858 before the start of the Civil War, was completed in 1868, according to some sources, while other's say it was already completed sometime before or during the years of the Civil War. It remains a Missouri mystery, and I for one always appreciate a good mystery. Regardless of the exact date of completion, Burfordville covered bridge is the oldest surviving covered bridge in the state of Missouri.For anyone looking for a trip back into the past, a stop at the Bollinger Mill/Burfordville Covered Bridge Historic Sites is a worthwhile stop. The parking lot is on the Western side of the front of the mill, and makes a wonderful place to catch a sunrise capture or two of the sun rising over the mill and bridge.
Up until 1906, the road on which the bridge stands that connected the towns of Burfordville, Jackson, and Cape Girardeau was a toll road. When one thinks of covered bridges, states like Pennsylvania and Ohio is usually the states that come to most peoples minds. It's estimated that between 1820-1900 Missouri had built somewhere around 30. In 1967, Missouri had five remaining covered bridges, when legislation was passed to protect them. One of the 5 unfortunately was destroyed by flood. The three other remaining covered bridges in Missouri are, Sandy Creek Covered Bridge in Jefferson County, Locust Creek Covered Bridge in Linn County and Union Covered Bridge in Monroe County.
For directions to the site and further information on Bollinger Mill and Burfordville Covered Bridge, contact the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at 573-243-4591. You can also read more about the site at the DNR's website at the following address:
© Tommy Burgess
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