This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Motor Mill a Ghost Town Worthy of Clayton County
Motor Mill near Elkader on the Turkey River stands as a relic of a once thriving industrial town. Built starting in 1845 by John Thompson, the 60 by 85 foot stone mill cost 90000 and spurred a community with houses, a hotel, and taverns. Floods and crop failures ended Motor’s boom, leaving a vacant complex, dam remnants, and a vanished water wheel, now a farm remnant.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Turkey River
Ace
Clayton County
Elkader
Stret
John Thompson
Hilsidgts
Motor
Dubuque
Tnt
Recrval