Cedar Creek Grist Mill /aka Red Bird Mill - Clark Co. Washington

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Cedar Creek Grist Mill /aka Red Bird Mill
Mill No: Wa-06-01-Cedar Creek Grist Mill-1

Official Mill Website:
www.cedarcreekgristmill.com

State -	Washington
County -	Clark Co.
Township -	n/a
Year -	1876
Water Source -	Cedar Creek.

Pictures by: Late 1990's Jim Miller - A photo of the partially restored old Red Bird Mill built by George Woodham and two of his sons in 1876 on Cedar Creek, about 3.5 miles upstream of the confluence with the Lewis River. The dam was damaged the first winter by swift flowing debris, causing the Woodhams to give up and vacate the mill site, lock, stock and equipment.

Picture: Late 1990's Jim Miller A photo of the partially restored old Red Bird Mill built by George Woodham and two of his sons in 1876 on Cedar Creek, about 3.5 miles upstream of the confluence with the Lewis River. The dam was damaged the first winter by swift flowing debris, causing the Woodhams to give up and vacate the mill site, lock, stock and equipment.

Pictures by: Mid 1980's Jim Miller - The mill sat idle for 7 years until it was leased by the new owner, Mike Lynch, to Gustave Utter. A log dam was constructed across the narrow, rocky gorge about 80' upstream. A flume was built to convey water to the mill and a Leffel turfine installed to convert the waterpower to mechanical power to grind wheat and other grain for the farmers that had settled in the area.

Picture: Mid 1980's Jim Miller The mill sat idle for 7 years until it was leased by the new owner, Mike Lynch, to Gustave Utter. A log dam was constructed across the narrow, rocky gorge about 80' upstream. A flume was built to convey water to the mill and a Leffel turfine installed to convert the waterpower to mechanical power to grind wheat and other grain for the farmers that had settled in the area.

Pictures by: Late 1990's Jim Miller - The flume on the upper left of photo paralleling the all season creek. The mill was up and running for 13 years while Washington was still a territory; the state becoming the 42nd state of the Union on Nov. 11, 1889.

Picture: Late 1990's Jim Miller The flume on the upper left of photo paralleling the all season creek. The mill was up and running for 13 years while Washington was still a territory; the state becoming the 42nd state of the Union on Nov. 11, 1889.

Pictures by: Mid 1980's Jim Miller - The mill passed to Gorund Roslund in 1905; Utter not able to make a profit any longer, even adding the cash from the raising of hogs. With logging going strongly, Roslund added a shingle mill to the rear and a machine shop was the new function of the mills lower story. Later a blacksmith shop was added onto the end toward the covered bridge. All these new uses were powered by water from Cedar Creek utilizing the turbine. The machine shops operator, Victor Roslund, died in the late 1950's and after that the property sat idle and deteriorated.

Picture: Mid 1980's Jim Miller The mill passed to Gorund Roslund in 1905; Utter not able to make a profit any longer, even adding the cash from the raising of hogs. With logging going strongly, Roslund added a shingle mill to the rear and a machine shop was the new function of the mills lower story. Later a blacksmith shop was added onto the end toward the covered bridge. All these new uses were powered by water from Cedar Creek utilizing the turbine. The machine shops operator, Victor Roslund, died in the late 1950's and after that the property sat idle and deteriorated.

Pictures by: Late 1990's Jim Miller - The Fort Vancouver Hist. Soc. leased the property, and along with the state fish & game agency, provided some essential repairs, eliminated the dam and installed a fish ladder.

Picture: Late 1990's Jim Miller The Fort Vancouver Hist. Soc. leased the property, and along with the state fish & game agency, provided some essential repairs, eliminated the dam and installed a fish ladder. "The Friends of the Cedar Creek Grist Mill" was formed in early to mid 1980's. The mill was restored from The late 1980's into the mid 1990's. A new covered bridge was built in 1994 to replace the old covered bridge that had lost its roof and siding in an effort to forestall total replacement sometime in the mid 1900's. The Cedar Creek Grist Mill National Historic Site today is a working museum. For more information about the mill, check out the website listed above. The mill is the oldest building in Washington State that is still used for the purpose for which it was built.

Pictures by: George Fountain 2006 - The newly completed restoration of the mill and the existing covered bridge.

Picture: George Fountain 2006 The newly completed restoration of the mill and the existing covered bridge.

Pictures by: George Fountain 2006 - Mortise and tenion detail of post and beam construction of the new additions. Notice the wooden pegs used as nails to hold the joint together.

Picture: George Fountain 2006 Mortise and tenion detail of post and beam construction of the new additions. Notice the wooden pegs used as nails to hold the joint together.

Pictures by: George Fountain 2006 - George Fountain, current President of the Friends of Cedar Creek Grist Mill standing by the hopper and grindstone assembly of the mill manufactured by Joseph Wagener & Co.

Picture: George Fountain 2006 George Fountain, current President of the Friends of Cedar Creek Grist Mill standing by the hopper and grindstone assembly of the mill manufactured by Joseph Wagener & Co.

Pictures by: George Fountain 2006 - George Fountain grinding some grain into flour at the mill.

Picture: George Fountain 2006 George Fountain grinding some grain into flour at the mill.

Pictures by: George Fountain 2006 - The mill and bridge complex after a winter skiff of snow.

Picture: George Fountain 2006 The mill and bridge complex after a winter skiff of snow.

Pictures by: George Fountain 2006 - Cedar Creek Mill Covered Bridge with the sun's ray filtering through the trees.

Picture: George Fountain 2006 Cedar Creek Mill Covered Bridge with the sun's ray filtering through the trees.

Pictures by: George Fountain 2006 - Workman shaping a beam with a large chisel.

Picture: George Fountain 2006 Workman shaping a beam with a large chisel.

Pictures by: George Fountain 2006 - A beam with a tenion projection lying atop a beam with a mortise slot cut into it to receive just such a tenion.

Picture: George Fountain 2006 A beam with a tenion projection lying atop a beam with a mortise slot cut into it to receive just such a tenion.

Pictures by: George Fountain 2006 - Hand plane used to shape down the area that received the motise slot, to give a perfect fit.

Picture: George Fountain 2006 Hand plane used to shape down the area that received the motise slot, to give a perfect fit.

Pictures by: George Fountain 2006 - The completed mill with the newly completed blacksmith shop addition and another room on the opposite end.

Picture: George Fountain 2006 The completed mill with the newly completed blacksmith shop addition and another room on the opposite end.

Directions: Exit I-5 at Woodland going east on Wa 503. Take the first right, cross over the Lewis River, and turn left onto County Rd 16. Go 11 miles and turn left on Grist Mill Road. Go about one mile down into the shady, wooded hollow to the mill and covered bridge at Cedar Creek.

"'Let both grow together until the harvest, and at th time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"
Matthew 13:30 NKJV

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