by Kylee Boyter
kboyter@cherryroad.com

On Wednesday, March 5, members of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DoUP) were notified of an act of vandalism that affected the Nielsen Grist Mill marker, located along Highway 24 near Teasdale.

“The extremely heavy sandstone bench top was removed from its original location and now lies broken on the ground a few feet away,” said Lauralee Williams, Wayne County president of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

Williams promptly reported the incident to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and the local DoUP chapter has already taken steps to replace the broken bench.

“We are thankful that the actual monument marker was left intact, but we are still saddened by this incident,” Williams stated. “We hope that anyone who was involved or witnessed anything will come forward to help make this right.”

Williams emphasized that much of the work involved in placing and maintaining these benches and historical sites is done by local DoUP members.

“These markers and the surrounding viewing areas are sacred to our local history,” she added.

Anyone with information regarding the vandalism is encouraged to contact Lauralee Williams at 801-824-5500 or the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office at 435-836-1308.

About the Nielsen Grist Mill

The Nielsen Grist Mill is situated at the foot of Thousand Lake Mountain in a region known to ancient Indigenous peoples as “The Land of the Sleeping Rainbow.” Constructed around 1893 by Niels Hansen for his father-in-law, Hans Peter Nielsen, the mill was originally known as the Thurber Rolling Mills. It operated using water from the Fremont River, which was channeled through a wooden pipe and dropped 22 feet to power a turbine that ran the mill.

The mill still houses a double stand of Wolf Rolls, two double stands of McNalley Rolls with scalpers under each, and various elevator legs. It features sixteen elevators and five reels for flour milling. The Barnard and Leas dust collector, along with the turbine and belting system, still have pulleys made of native wood. Additionally, old models of Howe Scales, used for weighing wheat and flour sacks, remain intact. Remarkably, all equipment, including the original cash register, is in good condition.

The mill produced flour, germade, shorts, and bran, each dispensed from individual spouts. Farmers received one sack of flour for every three sacks of wheat they provided. Each 48-pound bag of flour was sewn shut by hand using a long, sharp needle with a built-in thread cutter.

For 40 years, the Nielsen Grist Mill supplied flour to the surrounding area. However, the construction of improved roads in the 1930s marked the beginning of the mill’s decline. Due to the region’s inability to grow hard wheat—ideal for breadmaking—it became just as convenient to truck in flour as it was to transport hard wheat.

The Nielsen Grist Mill, designated as Marker Number 522, was commemorated in 1999 by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Camp Thurber.