Reynold's Flour Mill

Ashley Valley's milling started with muscle. In the settlement's fort years, Bill Reynolds and Moroni Taylor cut and faced two rough stone burrs and set them turning with a horse walking a sweep — grinding by animal power until something better could be built. It came in 1881: the valley's first real mill, raised on this spot on land Robert Bodily gave, its machinery driven by water carried in on a flume. William P. Reynolds and his son Bill ran it for more than forty years. The mill stood another century before fire took it in 1984.

What the plaque says

In 1860 Wm. G. (Bill) Reynolds and Moroni Taylor cut and faced two rough stone burrs which were set up in the "Old Fort" for mill purposes. They were turned by a horse attached to a sweep, later these burrs were used to grind feed for livestock. In 1881 the first mill in Ashley Valley was built on this site. The land was given by Robert Bodily and the mill, equipped with machinery, was run by water power flumed to the mill. Wm. P. Reynolds and son Wm. G. (Bill) operated the mill for over forty years. It was destroyed by fire in 1984.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Utah Field House of Natural History — 2.9 mi
  A dinosaur museum with life-size replicas in an outdoor garden
• Vernal — 2.9 mi
  The self-proclaimed Dinosaur Capital of Utah
• Steinaker State Park — 3.6 mi
  A warm-water reservoir popular for swimming in the desert heat
• McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs — 5.9 mi
  Massive Fremont-era rock art panels on private ranch land open to visitors

More markers nearby

• Fort Thornburgh — 0.4 mi
• Old Ashley Post Office (2) Markers — 1.3 mi
• First Log House — 1.4 mi
• Uintah Stake Tithing Office (2) Markers — 2.6 mi