Old Mill Updates
A historic flour mill on the Palouse was saved by a community effort to purchase it after it went on the market. Now begins the road to restore it.
Built in 1890, the J.C. Barron Mill is the last surviving mill of its kind in Whitman County, about 40 miles south of Spokane.
Towering four stories over the center of Oakesdale, the wooden structure remains an important symbol for the town whose summer festival, Old Mill Days, is named after it. Aside from occasional tours by former owners, its doors have been shut since 1960.
With the help of community donors, Spokane-based Innovia Foundation bought the property in May from MaryJane Butters, an organic farmer in Moscow, Idaho. The property was listed for $217,000.