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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 13, 2006 Butte Creek Mill owner Bob Russell looks out from a window above the spillway, which he and his wife, Debbie, made visible after cutting down some tall brush. The Russells have been renovating the 135-year-old mill for the past eight months. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Pair breathe new life into historic mill By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune Eight months and several renovation projects into their new lives as owners of the Butte Creek Mill, Bob and Debbie Russell have no regrets about their purchase. Bob Russell speaks enthusiastically about recent repair and renewal efforts on the 5,522-square-foot, 135-year-old working flour mill, adjacent 2,275-square-foot defunct Ladino Cheese Factory and surrounding 1.72 acres. "Every day is fun," says Russell. The Russells have cleaned out the basement, revealing historical details of the Western states’ oldest operating water-powered grist mill. And they’ve cleared away the blackberry bushes to create a picnic area where visitors can relax with a glass of wine on the banks of Little Butte Creek. Eagle Point resident Helen Wolgamott approves of the Russells’ efforts. Wolgamott’s family homesteaded in the area in 1853. The mill — built when Ulysses S. Grant was president — was the "hub of the community" during Wolgamott’s childhood. Advertisement It was the place where old-timers could sit on the bench outside and reminisce or catch up with life’s happenings, she says. "As long as I’ve been here, it’s been there," says Wolgamott, 78. First on the new owners’ to-do list were fire safety and clean-up concerns, says Bob Russell. One section of the old mill had served as a public meat locker for more than 70 years. In addition to farm-raised beef and pork, hunters’ kills of moose, elk and even an occasional cougar were stored in the 500 lockers cooled by three feet of frozen sawdust, Russell says. Wolgamott remembers using the community cold storage for a small fee. "We didn’t have electricity so we’d store our meat there," says Wolgamott. But aged overhead pipes full of ammonia and oil were "an accident waiting to happen," says Russell. "We sent a notice to everyone to come get their meat," he says. Russell received just one complaint about ending the mill’s frozen era, he says. But not everyone promptly picked up their groceries. "Even after they came and cleared out their lockers, there were 2,000 pounds left over," says Russell. A call to Howling Acres Wolf Sanctuary in Williams took care of the problem. "They came and picked it up in their pickup trucks," says Russell. "They were so happy to get it." Russell also removed five 35-cubic-yard Dumpsters of accumulated junk, he says. Downstairs, Russell made the mill’s inner workings ready for visitors. Bins hold thousands of pounds of grain awaiting transformation into flour between the grinding stones brought from France more than 135 years ago under the watchful eye of miller Mike Hawkins, says Russell. "We grind every day," he says. Removing a blocking stick, Russell gives an easy tug to a single cog — and the 100-foot-long belts begin moving. The ancient machinery is amazingly silent as it goes about its work. "This is about as pure green technology as you can get," he says. Wolgamott remembers taking trips to the mill to buy Snowy Butte flour long before the days of "store-bought" bread. "Everyone made homemade bread," says Wolgamott. "We’d get the big sacks of flour. They would last all winter." The formerly dark and cluttered basement is now an open winetasting area. Ax marks are clearly visible on the huge hand-hewn beams. The basalt rock wall has been cleaned and repainted. A 14-foot-long, quartersawn oak table Russell acquired from the Multnomah County Library sits under glowing lights at the base of the stairs. Upstairs, Debbie Russell, 54, went to work in the mill’s store which features more than 500 hand-packaged Butte Creek Mill products. With the help of their nine employees, the pair plan on adding to their product line, she says. The Russells will partner with other local gourmet food producers such as Rogue Creamery Cheese, Gary West Meats and local wineries, they both say. Debbie Russell says the best part of her new job is meeting and greeting in the general store — including visits from the occasional celebrity. A photo of the Russells and Carol Channing is prominently displayed in the mill’s general store. Channing popped in before performing at the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater in Medford last August, she says. "She comped us tickets to her show," says Bob Russell, imitating Channing’s trademark laugh. The former Ladino Cheese Factory is rapidly being transformed into an antique store. Wolgamott remembers the factory, too. ‘We used to get cheese there," says Wolgamott, remembering trips made in an old Model A Ford that "didn’t have any windows." Her family sold milk to the factory, and traded for whey. "We’d milk our cows and deliver it down there, says Wolgamott. "They’d fill the cans up with whey and we’d take it home to feed to our pigs." The Butte Creek Mill is open daily. For more information, call 541-826-3531. Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail Pair breathe new life into historic mill ">[email protected] . A bold move Bob and Debbie Russell traded in their 7,000-square-foot Lake Oswego home for a two-bedroom apartment across from the mill perched on the west bank of Little Butte Creek in June 2005. Bob Russell’s "coat-and-tie job" as a wholesaler and retailer with Canon USA and Konica Minolta had garnered him a generous salary and 300,000 accumulated airline miles. But life had become a grind, says Russell. "I was really ready for a change," says the 55-year-old. Russell’s primary passion is collecting general-store memorabilia. A few years ago while on a business trip to Medford, Russell stopped by the mill to see the collection of former mill owner Peter Crandall. That single visit planted a seed that would take almost two years to germinate. In December 2004, after 33 years of caretaking the mill, Crandall decided to put the property on the market. The Russells heard the news and placed their bid within two days. It took six months to close the $600,000 deal. But as soon as they took ownership, the pair lost no time making their vision for the property become a reality. The Russells are the sixth owners of the mill, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. City Planner Bunny Lincoln says the mill is a vital part of Eagle Point’s history. "It is also the town’s tourism base," says Lincoln. "It provides a prime motivator. They’re coming to see the mill — and Mr. Russell is bringing it back to its former glory." Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Absinthe Supply Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Debt Consolidation California Casinos Generic Viagra Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada King of Spirits Advertisement s Advertisement