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Tucked into the rural hillsides of Winona County, the oldest surviving industrial site in Minnesota stands six stories tall, a testament to the history of area pioneers who settled in the valleys of bluff country so long ago.
And every year in September, the wheels start turning at Pickwick Mill, during its annual Pickwick Mill Days fundraising event. They’ve got horse drawn wagon rides, fiddlers and live music, kids’ games, pottery making and live blacksmithing, and raffles, raffles raffles. Events kick off Saturday, September 12 at 7 a.m. with Shadow’s famous pancakes served with blackberry syrup
“All the revenue is used to support the restoration and maintenance of the mill,” said Tony Blumentritt, Mill board member. And for a mill that’s survived over 150 years, that can sometimes mean a lot of hard work. Last year the mill was fitted with a new roof and tuck pointed, the year before Lake LaBelle was dredged.
There will be music and entertainment all day, including the Silo Serenaders, Cedar Valley Bluegrass, and plenty of fiddles. There will be several raffles, including a gun raffle with a Henry Golden Boy 45 LC as the top prize and a cash raffle with a $5,000 first prize. The drawings will take place at 4 p.m. at the Pickwick Fire Station.
Free tours of the mill will be ongoing, with the mill machinery running from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. There will be pork dinners, brats and hot dogs available as well, along with Bingo, a silent auction, craft and flea markets and a bake sale.
And for the kids, the popular “Bobber Pluck” is back. Pluck your choice of bobber from the pond for $5, and you can win up to $500.
The Pickwick Mill is run by a local nonprofit group. It’s located at 26421 County Road 7. To find out more, visit www.pickwickmill.org.
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