Ozark County is home to many mills – Rockbridge, Zanoni, Hodgson, Hammond and Dawt.
My first trip to Dawt happened about 20 years ago during a conference, and it included a float trip. I remember being intrigued by the mill’s history and its massive presence on the North Fork of the White River.
The history of the mill includes angst, bankruptcy, divorce, flooding and death. The mill’s title changed hands many time since its start in 1866. The land where the mill stands today was once part of a land grant (homestead) under Pres. Ulysses S. Grant in 1874 to Ruhama J. Isom.
It has been speculated that Isom ran a mill on the property for several years before acquiring the deed. Owner John C. Caldwell began building the present-day mill in 1892 and employed a popular designer of mills, L.A. Rogers, who oversaw the work. A tragedy occurred when Rogers drowned in the millpond in 1893.
Years later, one of its proprietors included Alva Hodgson, who owned another mill over on Bryant Creek. He and members of his family purchased this property in January 1901.
By 1906, the site included the three-story mill, general store with a blacksmith shop, sawmill and cotton gin. The next year, Hodgson opened a post office, and called it “Dawt.”
Some have surmised that Dawt is a word combination of D and A from “dam,” and W and T from “water.” From this time until the mid-1960s, the mill kept “grinding away.” When acquired by Wayne and Ruth Dinnell in 1966, the site blossomed into a tourist attraction. The Dinnells ground corn meal, which they offered for sale at the mill, along with camping spots. At this time, they added a mill wheel to add to the ambience. More owners saw the attraction of the site to tourists and continued offering recreational opportunities to interested parties.
The present-day owners, Dr. Ed Henegar and his wife, Mary, also envisioned the site (purchased in 1995) as a resort/vacation place. With restaurants, meeting rooms, watersports and lodging, the property can accommodate a personal weekend getaway or a small conference for business purposes, as I experienced 20 years ago.
The Henegars have seen trying times surrounding the mill, in forms of flooding, death and fire. According to an article in the “Ozark County Times,” flooding earlier in August 2013 removed a 12-foot section of the dam. In June 2016, 13-year-old Chloe Butcher from Springfield drowned after being sucked underwater near a break in the old dam’s center. Purportedly, the teenage girl had been trying to help another child who eventually got sucked through the dam and rescued on the other side.
Dr. Henegar was onsite and pronounced her dead, after her body had been recovered. Dawt Mill’s owners applied to the Army Corps of Engineers to remove the dam structure shortly after the drowning, in July 2016. The “Springfield News-Leader” reported another problem with taking down the dam: “Dr. Ed Henegar, owner of Dawt Mill, said he wasn’t sure when the project would begin. Aside from the dam’s age — it was built in 1892 and partially collapsed three years ago — the dam might have endangered hellbender salamanders living in it, which could complicate the dam’s destruction.” By March 2017, and after approval of the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and by enforcing provisions from the federal Clean Water Act, removal of the dam began. All in all, 290 feet of the 420-foot structure was removed.
In April 2017, Missouri saw historic flooding, and it affected Dawt Mill greatly. In fact, it wiped away many of the features I saw while onsite in April 2016 for a craft fair.
After rebuilding from the flood, the Henegars’ mill again underwent another setback when in September 2022, a fire started in the kitchen and spread to other parts of the mill. I saw some of the smoke damage that is still evident in the beams of the structure while onsite last April.
However, as has been Dawt’s history, the Henegars rolled up their sleeves, tackled the huge project and hired contractors to restore the site in time to open for this summer’s season. Today, Dawt Mill offers lodging in the form of a variety of cabins, camping and RV spots, floating opportunities (with canoes, kayaks, rafts) along with opportunities such as Hearthside Dining and The Beach Bar. Chef Brandy offers the Chef’s table in the fall and winter, and she says it’s an opportunity for her to try out new menu possibilities and see what the guests like.
The mill’s website lists other attractions, such as drives and hikes, that people may enjoy while staying at Dawt.
I am looking forward to returning to Dawt for a craft fair someday, which Mrs. Henegar says may happen, and most definitely, to try Chef Brandy’s fare.
See more about Dawt Mill.
