Old Boxley Grist Mill - Ponca, Arkansas - Fall 2017
The three-story mill was built in 1869 by Robert Villines. While up until this point, most grist mills were built on rivers, and reliant on seasonal water supplies, the mill in Boxley used a mill pond that was created by impounding a nearby spring so water was available year around.
The mill was used for 80 years, under three different generations of Villines. At its peak the milling capacity was about 200 pounds of meal per hour. By the late 1950s, demand for meal began to decrease as store-bought bread became more popular and after a flood damaged the mill, Clyde Villines (the 3rd generation owner) shut down the mill.
After years of falling in disrepair, the mill eventually was turned over to the National Parks Service and was entered into the National Historic Register of Historic Places in 1975.
