Exploring the Missouri Ozarks Part 9: Turner Mill and Spring
Yesterday, my good friend @hethur240 and I spent the majority of the day hiking and taking pictures with my dog, Diego and her dogs, Willie and Emma Jane. This was actually the last stop of the day. Turner Mill is located about 15 miles south of the small town of Winona, Missouri, which is about 30 miles from our hometown.
Of course, I had to use one of the better photos for my first image ;) But this second photo is from when we first spotted the wheel through the growth on the trail. We didn't know what to expect, so it kind of shocked us when we first caught sight of it!
Although this place is still referred to as Turner Mill, the mill obviously no longer exists. All that remains is this spectacular 25-foot tall steel wheel that was hauled in by oxen in pieces in 1915, as you can read about in this next photo:
A little more information about the old village and the history of the mill
Heather and Willie next to the wheel
After hanging out around the wheel for a while, we ventured up alongside the spring. Here are a few shots of the "calm" part of the spring right around the mill where there is a good amount of water cress!
The spring was stunning, and I honestly wasn't expecting such beauty. All of the "hype" on the websites is about the mill, and I was in total awe of the flowing, crystal clear water and the bright green moss!
I had forgotten my tripod in the car, and I wasn't about to hike back down to the car to get it! So, I attempted a few somewhat slow exposures by leaning against trees or trying to hold the camera steady on rocks. Oh, and holding my breath lol.
You can see @hethur240 up toward the mouth of the cave
I have many, many more photos from this place, but I'll leave you with one of the dogs. The "old man", Diego is actually Willie and Emma's father, so I thought this was a cute shot of him looking down at his kids ;)
All photos were taken with a Canon Mark II and 17-40mm lens. Hope you enjoyed this part of our little adventure. You can check out my other entries in this series if you're interested in the great outdoors in the Missouri Ozarks!
https://steemit.com/travel/@melodyrussell/exploring-the-missouri-ozarks-part-7-johnson-shut-ins
https://steemit.com/travel/@melodyrussell/exploring-the-missouri-ozarks-part-8-noblett-lake
Thanks for looking!!! :)
It was a great day! Your photos are marvelous. The one of Diego and his babies is darling. Thanks for sharing, Melbert. :)
We couldn’t have picked a better day! I’m so glad we stuck to our plans 😊
Excellent post, very well articulated. thank you so much.
Thank YOU @jerryhuge! :)
How beautiful! Glad you all were able to have a great day!
It was a beautiful day to be out and about! You guys should take the kiddos out there sometime. The trail was pretty short and not difficult at all!
We may just have to do that!
WOWWW the photos you got of that spring are incredible...it must have been so peaceful there, I would have definitely been in awe.
That wheel was something else too....holy!!!
Thanks for checking it out Lyndsay! It's fun to go check out the remains of history around these little towns!
This is amazing! @melodyrussell
Thank you :)
Those are some truly amazing pictures. When I see something like that I think of the people who worked there, who passed so long ago. Their toiled there for years earning a living. We get to witness the beauty of what exists there now but for decades, that was people's jobs.
Thank you for taking us on the tour with you. A truly stunning pics of what was once the sight of a mill.
Thank you! That’s what I think of too! It’s fascinating to think that just a couple days ago, I was standing where people once milled corn and other things and did their business at the town post office :) I’m so glad that this piece of history is still standing. Thank you so much for checking it out! :)
I love all the waterfalls.. I've been to the Ozarks a couple times it's always so beautiful. I believe I would have been forced to climb that wheel and get a pic on the top.. maybe even roll one. .
Totally doing that next time I go ;)