Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

Urban exploration in Springfield, Missouri
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White Rabbit
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Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

Post by White Rabbit »

Okay, I think I've finally been able to run down an official name for the mill I've been calling Messiah Project Mill on my site. I got an old Press article from 1931 with a drawing that looks exactly like the mill, and it calls it Meyer Milling Company all throughout the article. But, because it's just a drawing, I can't be 100% sure it's the same mill.

The only other clue I have is that the mill in the article is located at North Boulevard Avenue. As far as I know, there isn't a Boulevard Avenue in Springfield, at least not anymore, but I could be wrong.

Anyone happen to know where Boulevard Ave used to be?
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

Post by Willard »

White Rabbit, do you remember this post?
The Massiah Mill Project building is not but 3 blocks south from where I live. I have some old fire insurence maps that go back to the 1880's. The first map that shows it is one from 1902 and it's called Model Mills. On my 1933 map the name had changed to The Meyer Milling Co. On the 1950 map it shows that the current elevator structor was built in 1936 and that the name in 1950 was Springfield Flour Mills. And on the 1957 map it says that it was the Missouri Farmers Association Milling Company. (MFA) And yes they also owned the mill on Boonville too. As far as the old Eisenmyer Mill is concerned. That is the old Mill up on Broadway and Commercial. It was later used by Budwiser.
I posted it when I first joined. BTW National Avenue used to be called Boulivard and also National Boulivard. The northern part of National from Division heading north was originally called Springfield Avenue back in the 1880's. Anyway, you are corredt about it being Meyer Milling Co. But more appropriatly it was originally Model Mills.
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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I also wanted to say that the Meyer family that called it Meyer Milling, called the Model Mills so if you're wondering, there's your answer.
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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Yeah, I remember you posting that. I almost went with Model Mills when you did, but I held off because I didn't have any way of confirming how long the present building had actually been there. For all we knew, the mill now could've been just a few decades old and built on top of the previous ones by later companies and Model Mills may have just owned the property at one time.

But, here's what we know from the article I've got. Boulevard is National (man am I glad you knew that), so that means the mill we have now is the same one in the sketch. And in the article it says that the building was purchased from a previous owner, which I'm assuming from the close time frame with your plat map, is probably Model Mills.

Now we have positive confirmation that the current building was owned by Model Mills.

And now if there were just a way to confirm that Model Mills was the one that actually constructed the building. Do you know if they built the building they owned?
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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Actually, wait. I just realized you said the first plat map that shows it says Model Mills. That makes it pretty likely that they constructed the first building on the site, which wouldn't have been rebuilt in such a short time frame.

Doesn't make it 100% that Model Mills built the present building, but that makes it pretty damn likely.

What's the next farthest back map you have after the 1902 one? 1901 or 1900 maybe?
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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The farthest back map that exists of the area of town near Chestnut and National is 1902. On that map it says "Model Mills" and the line under it says "Jno. F. Meyer and Sons propr's (abreviation for proprietors aka owners). The 1910 map says on the same site "Jno. F. Meyer & Sons" The line below it says "Flour Mill & Elevator" The 1910 map says the same thing. No more maps were made until 1933 and on that map for the same mill it says "The Meyer Milling Co." Second line "Model Mills" Third Line "Louis M. Meyer, Prop." It also says in a side note that the mill was built in 1900. On the 1950 map, it now says on the site "Springfield Flour Mills" and next to it it says "built 1900" The big tall elevator structure is on there as well and it says that it was built in 1936. I guess that's where I need to go to the Library Center and take a look at the City Directorys of 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1938 to see what business was in the mill and built the tall structure that is still standing. I will say that the shorter building that is still there was built in 1900. as was the building that used to sit between the tall mill and the short building.
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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So, when you say the elevator structure, you mean the taller of the two current buildings, right? If so, does that mean on the plat maps before 1950 it just shows one building, and on the 1950 it shows two?

Man, I really wish we just knew someone that had a history of this place with who built what and when :p

Here's the sketch for what it might help. It only shows the tallest point as being 7 stories tall. But in the sketch, it's all one connected building... Maybe it isn't the same buildings, because the buildings that are there now are two separate distinct buildings.
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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I'm going to the Library Center today and I'll look in the City Directorys from the mid 1930's and see who owned the old mill at that time. like I said the oldest structure that is there is the short building and the tall elevator structur was built in 1936. I will also say that the maps that I have are very accurate and relyable... it's just that after 1910, Sanborn didn't put out as many maps... more like they sent sections to be pasted over when a part of the map changed. When the map became to "cluttered" with pasted bits, they made a new map. The exact dates of the structures I'm for sure on, and the owners of the structures at the times I listed. The only way to find out who owned what without having to go and bug the people at the archives is to look in the city directories. I'll do that today and have an answer as to which company built the 11 story mill structure. Also that sketch is most likely a concept drawing. A lot of times the building designs would change at the time they were being built.
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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Awesome. Thanks for running down a lot of the info on this place. It sounds like we can reasonably assume Model Mills built the smaller building and Meyer Milling Company probably built the taller one. Still, wish we had either documentation or someone that was around when it all happened to tell us for sure, but we may just have to go with educated guesses.

But this opens up a whole other issue... If the place has multiple owners, and different businesses built the different structures, what the hell am I supposed to call the place? Should I just stick with the nickname I've been using? Because it doesn't sound like any one business name is going to be entirely accurate.
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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I didn't make it to the library today... way to many things to do today. I'll go on Monday and get the info we're needing. And as I said before, I'm pretty sure Model Mills built all structures there. The Meyer Milling Company is Model Mills. On the 1933 map it says Model Mills underneath Meyer Milling Co. It's not a matter of two different companies, more like the Meyer family (original founders of Model Mills) wanted to change the name of the mill. Name changes happened a lot in those days. I wouldn't be surprised if the city directory has the mill listed as Model Mills. Also it could have been changed to Meyer Milling Co. if they decieded to incoporate. That however requires more digging at the library but at this point I have to much on my plate to do that much digging at the moment.
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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Yeah, no rush, dude. I just appreciate you digging it up. It's been Messiah Mill on the site for coming up on two years now. It won't hurt it to be Messiah Mill for a while longer :P
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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Ok I've been to the Library Center today and found out that the mill on National was owned by the Meyer Milling Co. until 1931. I also found out through a couple of articals that the Meyer Milling Company owned the old MFA Mill on Boonville at one time and when they owned that mill they bought the land at National in 1900 to open a second mill and have it strictly for wheat operations. The Meyer Milling Company called it Model Mills which made Model Flour until 1935 when Jack Blair (who kept the original names of the mill) passed away and Springfield Flour Mills bought it. The sketch that you have does not have the 11 story mill in it. The tall part you see in the picture is the shorter 5 story structure and the part that sticks out from behind it is the big empty space between it and the 11 story mill. The 5 story mill is built by Model Mills aka Meyer Milling Co. in 1900. The 11 Story Mill was built in 1936 by Springfield Flour Mill. Also an artical from 1951 says that Springfield Flour Mill was owned by Colorado Milling and Elevator Co. out of Denver.
My suggestion on nameing the mill for the site is to name it Model Mills/Springfield Flour Mill Site. The reason not to call it the Meyer Milling Company is because Meyer Milling always refered to it as Model Mills even after they officially moved their headquarters to the site in 1928 after selling the Boonville location (Queen City Mill now known as the old MFA Mill) to MFA.
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Re: RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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Willard wrote:My suggestion on nameing the mill for the site is to name it Model Mills/Springfield Flour Mill Site. The reason not to call it the Meyer Milling Company is because Meyer Milling always refered to it as Model Mills even after they officially moved their headquarters to the site in 1928 after selling the Boonville location (Queen City Mill now known as the old MFA Mill) to MFA.
Awesome, dude, thanks for running down the information. I'm still confused on a couple things, though. The sketch shows one building, but they're sort of two distinct structures linked together, and this is the smaller building at the present-day site? Because the smaller building at the present day site doesn't look anything like that. It's just a straight up and down six story structure. (http://www.undergroundozarks.com/galler ... siahmill01).

Does that mean that all the present buildings were built by Springfield Flour? Because the present smaller building looks about the same age as the taller building.
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RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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I'm still confused on a couple things, though. The sketch shows one building, but they're sort of two distinct structures linked together, and this is the smaller building at the present-day site? Because the smaller building at the present day site doesn't look anything like that. It's just a straight up and down six story structure. (http://www.undergroundozarks.com/galler ... siahmill01).

Does that mean that all the present buildings were built by Springfield Flour? Because the present smaller building looks about the same age as the taller building.
Actually I made a mistake on the shorter building... it was built by Model Mills in 1920. It's that section on my map that I thought had been torn down but after closer examination and studying the distances the 6 story structer is in the picture.

The short building is the tall building in the sketch that you posted. The part sticking out behind it that is one story shorter is where the empty space between the two mills today. I'm thinking I'm going to have to physically show you what I'm talking about.
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Re: RE: Meyer Milling Company aka Messiah Project Mill

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Willard wrote:The short building is the tall building in the sketch that you posted. The part sticking out behind it that is one story shorter is where the empty space between the two mills today. I'm thinking I'm going to have to physically show you what I'm talking about.
Oh, no, I get it now, I think. So, except for the tall structure, none of the rest of the buildings in the sketch remain today?
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