Visitors are encouraged to stop at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site in Burfordville while participating in the annual Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive on April 22-April 23. Missouri State Parks will sponsor special activities at the historic site both days.
Brick Autry, from Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site, will be demonstrating hand weaving on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free self-guided tours of the first and second floors of the mill will be offered Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Bring a picnic lunch and delight in this historic treasure.
The Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive is a regional driving tour that includes a stop in Burfordville. The tour is an invitation from the rural communities of southeast Missouri for the public to join in celebrations of spring with good food, festivals, folk music, dancing, crafts, living history events, camping, scenic vistas and much more.
Bollinger Mill State Historic Site is the site of a Civil War-era mill where visitors can learn how corn and wheat were ground into meal and flour by water power, just as it was done long ago. Burfordville Covered Bridge, the oldest of the four remaining covered bridges in the state, was built in 1858 and stretches 140 feet across the Whitewater River, which powers the mill.
Bollinger Mill State Historic Site is located at 113 Bollinger Mill Road in Burfordville. For more information, about the event, contact the site at 573-243-4591. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit http://mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.