My wife is a native Texan, and one of her favorite spots to visit in the Natural State is War Eagle Mill near Rogers. In fact, several of her Lone Star State relatives travel with her to the yearly festival held at War Eagle, one of the most scenic and nostalgic sites in northwest Arkansas.
Even if you’ve never visited War Eagle Mill, chances are you’ve seen the photos — it's one of the most photographed places in the state.
Its authentic, water-powered gristmill is the latest reproduction of a mill that has perched on the banks of the War Eagle River since the 1830s. When it was completed in 1973, War Eagle Mill was the first new gristmill built in Arkansas in nearly a century.
The site has long been an important center of activity. Sylvanus Blackburn, an early settler, miller and blacksmith, built the first mill on the War Eagle River in the early 1840s.
A flood washed away the mill in 1848, but Blackburn replaced it in time to grind grain that fed the Union and Confederate armies during the early years of the Civil War. Following his devastating loss at the battle of Pea Ridge, Confederate Gen. Earl Van Dorn marched his retreating army past the mill in March 1862.
Like many structures in Arkansas during the Civil War, War Eagle Mill was destroyed by fire and wasn’t rebuilt until after the war’s end. When the Blackburn family returned to the site in 1865, only their house was still standing.
Sylvanus' son, James Blackburn, rebuilt the mill, putting it back into operation by 1873. After winning a seat in the Arkansas State Senate, James sold the mill to the Kilgore family, who operated it until 1924, when the mill once again burned down. The disaster left only the foundation and a few other remnants.
In 1973, Jewel Medlin bought the mill property from the Kilgores. Medlin and his wife, Leta, and daughter, Zoe, found a set of original blueprints and rebuilt the mill for the final time.
Standing at three stories tall, the mill today offers a variety of exhibits, as well as fun shopping and dining experiences. Visitors can see the mill in operation and buy natural whole grain products, as well as cereal and flour that are milled and sold on site. Products produced at the mill are also available for purchase online.
Next to the mill is the War Eagle Bridge, one of the most historic and well-known spans in Arkansas. Visitors love walking on the wooden flooring of the bridge and the beautiful views of the mill and river.
War Eagle Mill is home to one of the most popular arts and crafts festivals in the southern U.S. The War Eagle Mill Arts and Craft Fair began in 1954 as a way for crafters from across the Ozarks to sell their homemade wares.
The next festival will be held Oct. 19-22. For more information, visit the fair’s website at www.wareaglefair.com or call 479-789-5398.
War Eagle Mill is located about 10 miles from Rogers and 25 miles southwest of Eureka Springs. The mill is open to the public seven days a week for most of the year except in January and February, when its weekends only.
If you enjoy beautiful Ozark Mountain scenery, old bridges, fine dining and shopping and seeing how things were made in the “good ol’ days,” then a drive to War Eagle Mill would be time and money well spent.
Darrell W. Brown is a proud sixth-generation Arkansan who loves learning and writing about our state's history and culture. He and his wife, Amy, live on beautiful Lake Norrell in Saline County with their beloved Boston Terrier, Dixie. Brown is a public school educator in Bryant, ordained minister and syndicated columnist.
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