1830s: Construction of Gristmills

As more settlers arrive, the need for food increases. This, in turn, causes the conversion of natural lands to agricultural production. There is also a need to process the grain produced for use locally, and as a commodity for export. In 1830, John Hamlin and John Sharp construct the first flouring mill in Illinois on the Kickapoo River, three miles west of Peoria. This mill produces approximately 50 barrels of flour per day, most of which is shipped to New Orleans by flatboat. In 1837, a larger mill known as Hale’s Mill is constructed farther up on the Kickapoo west of Peoria. The number of gristmills continues to grow; mills appear in other Illinois River towns, usually on smaller tributaries near the Illinois River. By 1850 there are four mills in operation in Peoria; in 1858 the number increases to six; and by 1870, flour is the leading manufacturing interest in Peoria, with eight mills in operation producing 16,407 tons of flour. Flour production declines after 1870 (Johnson & Company 1880).

The impacts of the construction of gristmills on tributaries near their mouth are more subtle than other changes that occur. Changes to the river itself include dam construction to impound water to drive the grindstones at the mill. The construction of these small dams changes the dynamics of the streams.

Some mills are constructed on land and powered by coal burning machines. In 1870, the flour mills in Peoria utilize 603,000 bushels of coal (Johnson & Company 1880). This burning of coal leads to air pollution that contributes to a decline in the nearby water quality.

An indirect impact from the increase in gristmills, particularly where the product is exported in large quantities, is the need for barrels. Barrel making requires the felling of hardwood trees and the forging of the metal components. Blacksmithing requires coal, which again contributes to the decline of both air and water quality.

The proliferation of mills reflects other changes that occur on the landscape. More and more land is converted to agricultural production to feed the incoming populations and to export goods to New Orleans, New York, and even Europe. For example, in 1870, the mills in Peoria process 2,765,200 bushels of grain (Johnson & Company 1880). This conversion of natural lands to agriculture leads to increased sheet erosion and therefore to increased sedimentation of the Illinois River, although people are not yet aware or seemingly concerned about these changes.