The Rock Flour Mill opened in November of 1867. Many local farmers were growing wheat at that time, which often did well even on unirrigated land. The Mill purchased wheat by the bushel and sold the flour to regional grocery stores. Jonas Barber and his son Oscar owned and operated the mill from 1867-1884. At that point, the Colorado Milling and Elevator Company purchased the mill and upgraded it.
The Rock Flour Mill was powered by a mill race–a channel of water diverted from Clear Creek. The mill race also powered the Golden Paper Mill, which was located just west of the Flour Mill.
Flour milling was a somewhat seasonal business, subject to the grain harvest and the flow of water in the flume. The mill was actively producing flour into the 1930s, but then dropped out of the news, so I’m not sure when it was last used to grind flour. For many years after World War II, the building was used for storage and carpenter shops. It was razed in 1963. The flour mill’s warehouse was located on the other side of Cheyenne Street and is still there.
