Park Features

Spring Mill State Park is home to a wide representation of natural features. Donaldson’s Woods is one of the most important sections of original forest in the state of Indiana, and the cave system visitors can access is incredible as well. There are three nature preserves in the park, the Pioneer Village and grist mill, a long history with the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the Gus Grissom Memorial with the story of space travel. You’ll also find the traditional state park features like campgrounds, a nature center, a small lake for fishing and boating, and hiking trails. Spring Mill is a beautifully complex park with much to learn about nature and culture! While last week I focused on the park’s natural resources, today, we’ll learn about its cultural history.

The Grist Mill: Technology from the Past

One of Spring Mill State Park’s biggest draws is the Pioneer Village and grist mill. I was given an in-depth tour of the mill and village from the miller Tom Wade. He provided a thorough explanation of how the 200-year-old grist mill works. The location of the mill is its first advantage. The water that powers it comes from Hamer Cave, which is around 50 degrees year round. That means the mill can operate in every season and would have provided the original owners with a steady income. 

The mill has frequently changed hands throughout the last two centuries. A smaller mill was built in the area by Samuel Jackson in the early 1800s, but he left after a few years because of bizarre weather patterns that were a result of a volcanic eruption halfway around the world. After Jackson sold it, another family bought the land and built the grist mill. They milled corn and wheat on the giant, 3,000-pound quartz stones, which you can still see in the mill. After that, various families owned the mill, using it to develop their own farms and businesses. 

How does the mill work? The water flowing from Hamer Cave is what powers the entire process. A flume brings water downhill, letting gravity do much of the work. Tom said a lot of people come and ask, “Where's the electric motor?” They're surprised that even a little bit of water can power the entire mill, but it does. The 24-foot wheel powers the mill, and thanks to cogs, wheels, and gears, Tom said it “puts down about 25 horse and 20,000 to 25,000 foot pounds of torque.” The mill was built in 1831, so it’s amazing the stones and equipment were assembled and placed with such precision, especially without modern equipment. 

The mill is still operational today and recently finished a full-scale restoration. A major issue with the shaft turned into an opportunity to update other parts of the mill that would need fixed eventually. Park manager Mark Young said, “Let's just go ahead and address the whole thing. That way we're good for another, you know, hopefully 50 years, 60 years.” Now, the grist mill is operating again, and it looks beautiful!

Along with the mill, I was surprised to discover the top two floors of the building are also a museum showcasing pioneer life in Indiana. You'll see books from the village school, farming equipment, intricate old quilts, furniture, doctor's tools, a loom, and much more. Outside of the mill, you can also explore the rest of the Pioneer Village. And it's no wonder this was such an important place to settle. Not only is it beautiful, it's full of natural wealth. Between the springs in the ground and water flowing from the cave, there were great resources available for pioneers. 

Tom's tour of the village and mill helped me see the ways technology and innovation have always driven us. The mill was able to feed more people, generate revenue, hire employees, and keep a village thriving. The same quest for progress is what eventually led to people shifting their gazes from the land to the sky, wondering what secrets were hidden in space. Gus Grissom, who very likely visited Spring Mill State Park as a boy, got to find out what was up there.

The Grissom Memorial: Technology for the Future

After I talked with Tom, I met with Mark Young, the park property manager, at the Gus Grissom Memorial and learned why it's at the park. The Grissom Memorial, located near the park’s entrance gate, is dedicated to Gus Grissom, one of the original seven astronauts. Grissom was born and raised in Mitchell, Ind. As a kid, he fell in love with flying while building model airplanes. He was in the Air Force, then graduated from Purdue with a degree in mechanical engineering. Later, Grissom served in the Korean War, flying 100 combat missions. 

After being invited to learn about the US space program, he went through a series of tests and was eventually chosen as one of seven Project Mercury astronauts. In 1961, he became the second American to fly in space on the Liberty Bell 7. In 1964, he became the first person to fly in space twice in a spacecraft he called the Molly Brown. Visitors to the Grissom Memorial at Spring Mill can see the Molly Brown in real life! 

Grissom continued with the space program until his tragic death. During a pre-launch test, the Apollo 1 caught fire, killing Grissom and two other astronauts. Mark told me, “When he died in the fire in 1967, right away, [the state] decided to do something. And so the legislature came up with funds. The state said, well, the best place to put it is right here in Spring Mill State Park. It's just three miles away from Mitchell. So, they built it in 1971.”

While the park doesn't shy away from Grissom’s death, they spend more time focusing on his childhood. The museum draws attention to the fact that anyone can have a positive impact, no matter your age or where you’re from. It might not be as global as Grissom’s, but you never know how long lasting it can be. 

The grist mill and Grissom Memorial are reminders that we are driven to create, invent, refine, and take chances on the future. The human spirit adapts, mourns, learns, accepts risks, and tries again. These places in the park are testaments to the ways technology and creativity constantly push us into the future. They're separated by time, but joined by engineering and ingenuity. How cool that we can see both of these incredible advances in the exact same park?

Planning Your Visit

The best time to visit the Pioneer Village and grist mill is during a park event or on a summer weekend. You can see the water wheel turning, talk to volunteers in pioneer dress as they work in the general store, or watch the blacksmith in action. The Pioneer Village is open anytime for people to walk through, but the buildings themselves aren’t open year round. The grist mill operates from mid-April to mid-October. Check the park’s website for hours and events. The Grissom Memorial is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is a perfect spot to cool down or warm up, depending what time of year you visit.

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