Blue Mills

Historic image of Blue Mills

Quick Facts

Location:

3101 Lentz Rd., Independence MO

Significance:

No longer standing, the mill once located at this intersection may have served traders involved in international commerce and travelers heading to or returning from the west.

Though not standing today, the mill once located at this intersection may have served traders involved in international commerce and travelers heading to or returning from the west. The filling station of the 19th century was the grist mill where needed commodities of flour and cornmeal could be procured and would sustain travelers over an 800-2,000 mile journey as they walked along the westward Santa Fe, Oregon and California trails as well as nearby forts and local residents. The road, “of great utility to the neighborhood as well as the surrounding County,” was dedicated by the county legislators as a “public highway” in November 1843, and led directly to Independence Square.

Site Information 

Location (3101 Lentz Rd., Independence MO)

Safety Considerations

Civil War at Blue Mills

Oregon National Historic Trail

California National Historic Trail

Santa Fe National Historic Trail