The Messer-Mayer Flour Mill, built in 1873, will be in partial operation and available for tours during the Richfield Historical Society (RHS) Thresheree & Harvest Festival, set for Sept. 16-17 at Richfield Historical Park.
The mill was last operated in 1954, and it sat abandoned until the Village of Richfield purchased it in 1998 and granted a long-term lease to RHS for its restoration. Since then, RHS volunteers have put many thousands of hours of work into getting the mill back into running order while keeping it faithful to its original construction.
Richfield Historical Society invites all to see the mill at its annual Thresheree & Harvest Festival event. The park is located at 1896 Hwy 164, Richfield WI 53076. Admission is $6 for adults, 12 and under free, and parking is free. A wagon ride to the festival area is also free.
This will be the 24th year for RHS’ largest event, featuring field demonstrations including steam engine threshing, log sawing, plowing, and draft horses. See a steam-powered sawmill, antique engines, trucks, and tractors. There are plenty of children’s activities as well.
As always, tours of all the park’s historical buildings will be free. In addition to the flour mill, these include the Miller’s House, the Lillicrap House (Welcome Center), the Motz log cabin, the Messer Log barn, and the granary. Reconstructions of historic buildings include the blacksmith shop, sugar shack, and horse shed.
The event is accompanied by live music, and a variety of delicious foods items will be offered, making it a lovely outing in the park!
Funds raised at the Thresheree and Harvest Festival and other RHS events support the Society’s educational programs and maintenance of the Richfield Historical Park. For more information, visit www.richfieldhistoricalsociety.org and stay connected to RHS on Facebook and Pinterest. The mission of the Richfield Historical Society, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, is to discover, collect, preserve, and promote the history of the Village of Richfield.