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R.H. Fanders portrays George Simons, frontier artist during Florence's 150th Birthday Bash 2004. George Simon's sketches were on display at the Loft Gallery at the Florence Mill.*

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Dale Clark and Linda Meigs during 2003 Storytelling session at the mill.*

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Morn. Twilight: 6:50 A.M.
Sunrise: 7:20 A.M.
Sunset: 4:59 P.M.
Duration: 9h, 39m
Eve. Twilight: 5:29 A.M.
Visible Light: 10h, 38m

"Florence Mill"

A preservation project, the Winter Quarters Mill Museum and ArtLoft Gallery.

Open Dates and Times

Open May 1st through October 31st, 1 to 5 P.M. CDT (with the help of Volunteer Angels) Wednesday through Saturday, and 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT on Sunday.

Tours are also available by appointment at other times by calling 402-551-1233.

Location

The mill building is next to the 30th street exit from Interstate-680 and the Mormon bridge that spans the Missouri River.  Travelers along I-680 crossing the Mormon Bridge saw it as the "pink building" in the 1970s.  This mill is the oldest mill in the state, being built while the land still was considered "Indian Country." The mill has now been turned into a museum and art gallery* by a local artist.*  The museum contains historic photos, newspaper clippings, and objects from the pioneer era of Florence. (see more history below)

Address: 9102 N. 30th Street.  This location is handicap accessible on the outside and on the ground floor during Florence Days (in May). The access to the rest of the inside is by way of stairs. Also, the upper levels are also accessible by stairs, one being more like a ladder.
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Latitude: 41°20'39"N (41.3441667), Longitude: 095°57'30"W (-95.9583333)
Physically: (41.3441667, -95.9583333)   (Terraserver Compass symbol. Click to see the area from satellite view.) (Symbol of USGS. Click to see a map.) (Symbol of USGS. Click to see a map.) or (Symbol of USGS. Click to see a map.) 41.3434635 -95.9625247 (GeoHack logo)

Passport:

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You can get your "Passport" at the Florence Mill.  The Passport is a special pass that allows you to get $1 off admission to several area historic attractions from Fort Omaha to Fort Calhoun.  See the Passport page for more details and additional locations where you can get the pass.

Exhibits and Events

On Display

Exhibits & Events

We do not currently have an upcoming event or exhibit scheduled for 2024. We are getting ready for the holiday season, and for next year when there will be more exhibits and events.

The Connor Meigs Award

The Connor Meigs Award includes an honorarium, professional mentoring, solo exhibit, invitations/mailings, reception for the artist and studio-tours. It is given to a talented BFA graduate just beginning their art career. Connor was the son of Linda and John Meigs. He was promised an exhibit in the Florence Mill's ArtLoft when he graduated from KU. Instead, the exhibit of his paintings, drawings, sculptures and editorial cartoons was a retrospective. Connor passed away on December 24, 2004 from injuries sustained in a car accident. Through this award, the mentoring and exhibit promised to him is given to others...in his memory.

Present and Past Recipients of the Connor Meigs Award:

  • 2019 Holly Tharnish (show during September-October)
  • 2018 Mary Heldridge (show during September)
  • 2013 Katherine Irwin (show during September)
  • 2012 Christine Fredendall (show during September)
  • 2011 Woohyun Shim, Chicago, Illinois
  • 2010 Matthew Farley, Lawrence, Kansas
  • 2009 Stephanie Olesh, Omaha, Nebraska
  • 2008 Sariah Ha, Diamond Bar CA, BFA California State University at Fullerton
  • 2007 Nick Shindell, Phoenix AZ, BFA Chicago Art Institute

History

Summary:

The Florence Mill originated as the 1846 Winter Quarters gristmill, which was built under the supervision of Brigham Young. After the Mormons abandoned Winter Quarters in 1848, the mill was rebuilt by a Gold-Rusher who never made it to California. The Florence Mill provided agricultural support for the new town of Florence in Nebraska Territory. It is listed as the Weber Mill on the National Register of Historic Places, in honor of the Weber family's 104 years as millers of Florence. Renovation of the formerly dilapidated building is still ongoing. No longer pink, the Florence Mill remains today because it evolved to fit the times and changing agricultural needs of farmers from the Civil War to the Cold War. The Florence Mill contains the only structural remains from Winter Quarters. Though remodeled, moved and added to, the Florence Mill contains some of the original hand-hewn beams and wooden pegs cut for the 1846 gristmill. The grain elevator, which was added in 1915, continues to use the rope man-lift to reach the upper bins.

Mill History:

  • During the time of the Mormon settlement in the area, they needed a mill to grind corn, wheat, and rye to create cornmeal and flour products.  Brigham Young had the mill built to serve those needs.  The original mill was constructed next to a creek that flowed into the Missouri River.  When the Mormons moved on, usable parts were dismantled and moved on as well.  The rest of the structure was eventually deserted.  Later on, a new owner of the mill property tore the old structure down and some of the good timbers were used to build a new mill in the area.  Surprisingly, that mill still stands, though it is no longer operational as a mill.  The mill operated until the 1960s.

More on Mormon Era:

Historic Markers

The Florence Mill has two* historic markers.  Click on the marker images at the left to see each in detail.  You can read the text formatted exactly as it is on the original markers.