Edina Mill Ruins

Can you hear the ghostly rumble of millstones? The Edina Mill Ruins whisper stories of a bygone era. Here at 50th and Browndale, where Minnehaha Creek meanders, once stood a bustling hub of industry. The Edina Mill wasn’t always called that. It began life in 1856 as the Waterville Mill, named after the small settlement that sprung up around it. Farmers traveled from miles around, bringing their grains to be ground. Imagine horse-drawn wagons laden with wheat, rye, and oats, converging on this spot. During the Civil War, under the ownership of William Rheem and Jonathan T. Grimes, the mill operated day and night. It produced flour for the Union Army. The mill saw many owners. Then, in 1869, a Scotsman named Andrew Craik purchased the mill. He renamed it Edina, a nickname for his birthplace of Edinburgh, Scotland. Craik introduced oatmeal and pearl barley to the mill’s repertoire, making it the first in Minnesota to produce these staples. George Millam, another Scotsman, later bought the mill from Craik. He modernized operations, switching from a water wheel to turbine power. But progress, as it often does, brought change. In 1895, a dam built on Lake Minnetonka drastically reduced the creek’s flow. This spelled the beginning of the end for the Edina Mill. Although attempts were made to power the mill with a gas engine, it eventually fell silent. The mill was demolished in 1932, despite efforts to preserve it. Decades later, in 1977, an archaeological dig unearthed the mill’s foundation and remnants of its equipment. Today, at the Edina Mill Ruins, you can see the outlines of the mill, the millstones, and informational exhibits. Stand here, close your eyes, and listen. The creek still whispers its stories. The Edina Mill may be gone, but its legacy remains, etched in the foundations and woven into the fabric of this community.