Willow Springs and the Missouri Ozarks are blessed with scenic beauty that you likely won’t be able to top, no matter how much you travel. Nestled in the beautiful Ozarks countryside are numerous old-time flour and gristmills, which at one time were the center of life, the heart of small communities peppered throughout the region. As people waited to have their corn or wheat ground after harvest time, they spent time visiting with their friends and neighbors – sometimes even overnight.
As such, towns grew around the center of activity. But as the world changed, the mills became less and less of a necessity, and eventually became only relics of the past. Only a few of the mills that once were a familiar sight along Ozarks streams and rivers remain. A trip to each mill is a step back in time. Each mill has a tale of its own, and carries a different appeal for today’s visitors.