(by Mike Roe)
Mike and Karen Roe purchased the Bridgeton Mill in 1995. They first saw the old mill and the beautiful site it was part of in the mid 1970’s.
Mike fell in love with the mill and would occasionally stop by to see it. Water powered mills had always fascinated him and this one was overlooking a waterfall and a covered bridge. When he stopped by to see the mill in 1995 he saw something new...a FOR SALE sign. Several months later the old mill was purchased by the Roes.
The plan was simple... Step One, save the mill. It was old and needed a lot of work. Step Two, get it recognized for the beautiful site and make it a success. Mike always said “If people knew this beautiful site was here, they would come and see it.” Step Three, use the profits from the success to restore the old mill. Step Four, run the mill through the summer and go south for the winter. Well, they are now starting step three.
The biggest problem is restoring the old milldam. It is 9 feet high and around 200 feet long. It was made out of wood originally and in 1913 concrete was poured over the old wooden dam. At times there is more water going through the dam than over it. Estimates for restoring the dam were way to high for the Roes. So they decided to do the restoration themselves.
Step One, patch the big hole on the south end of the dam near the mill and replace the washout gate. Step Two, restore the center of the dam by diverting water through the restored washout gate. Step Three, restore the headrace, inlet gate and tailrace of the old mill. Step Four, divert water through the old mill so the north end of the dam can be repaired.
Progress has been made. The Roes are now in the middle of Step Three and hope to finish the dam by the end of 2008. Once the dam is restored the beautiful millpond under the covered bridge should return in a few years. Mike hopes to repair the waterpower after the dam and millpond are restored. Then maybe Mike can take Karen south for the winter.
Mike and Karen Roe would like to thank everyone for their help on the restoration of the dam. If you would like more information about the dam restoration project, feel free to call Mike Roe at 765-548-0106.
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