Friends of Beckman Mill, Inc

10/29/2026

ThrowBackThursday, every year around the first of November, the Mill is prepared for the off-season. This photo shows several things that visitors may not normally get to see.
The wooden cover surrounding the millstones is called the hoop or vat, and it has been removed to expose the stones. The wooden crane is being used to lift the runner stone, revealing the cutting surface of the bed stone beneath it.
With the stones exposed, they can be thoroughly vacuumed and cleaned. The runner stone is then carefully lowered back onto the bed stone, with wooden spacers placed between them. The stones will remain this way until spring, when we begin preparing the Mill for another season of grinding.
It’s one of those behind-the-scenes jobs that helps keep our historic Mill operating season after season!
Pictured from left to right: Sheri Disrud, Greg Kovarik, Dave Erickson, and John Zwilling

10/25/2026

As the sun sets on our 2026 season please remember we are open today and next Saturday for tours. Stop out and see us!

10/22/2026

🍂 Celebrating the People Behind the Mill! ❤️

Tonight is the Friends of Beckman Mill, Annual Membership Meeting!

It's a special opportunity to come together in fellowship, reflect on another wonderful year, and most importantly, say a heartfelt THANK YOU to our amazing members and volunteers! ❤️

Beckman Mill is so much more than a historic landmark. It's a place where history comes alive, friendships are made, and a shared love for our community brings people together.

This year, 58 incredible volunteers contributed 336 shifts to help keep the mill and its history alive for generations to come!

Whether you've given countless hours or helped out whenever you could, please know that your time, dedication, and generosity truly make a difference.

🌾 The mill may be built of stone and timber, but its future is built by volunteers.

From all of us at the Friends of Beckman Mill, thank you for being part of something so special!

❤️ We couldn't do it without you!

10/22/2026

ThrowBackThursday, we often talk about the early members of Friends of Beckman Mill (FBM) and the many talents they brought to the restoration. One such person was Robert Schmidt of Rockford. If my memory serves me right, his title was Avocational Archeologist.
Bob had a special interest in uncovering artifacts that told the story of the Mill’s past. He approached this work methodically, laying out the entire Mill basement, a space measuring 30 by 40 feet, in a grid. He then carefully excavated the dirt floor, documenting each discovery and recording its exact location within the grid.
This careful work helped preserve pieces of the Mill’s history that might otherwise have been lost. Today, some of Bob’s discoveries can be found in our Museum, where they continue to help tell the story of Beckman Mill and the people who worked here long ago.
It’s a wonderful reminder that restoring the Mill wasn’t just about rebuilding a building. It was also about uncovering and preserving the history hidden beneath our feet!

10/20/2026

10/16/2026

🍁 Join Us for the Friends of Beckman Mill Annual Membership Meeting & Dinner! 🍁

As another wonderful season at Beckman Mill comes to a close, we invite our members to join us for an evening of fellowship, good food, and reflection on another year of preserving and celebrating our local history!

It's a great opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces, hear about the past year's activities, and look ahead to what's in store for Beckman Mill!

📅 Thursday, October 22, 2026

🕔 5:00 PM – Social Time

🍽️ 5:30 PM – Dinner

📍 Newark Town Hall
9528 W. Beloit-Newark Road

🍂 A FREE catered dinner will be provided for all Friends of Beckman Mill members and volunteers!

Following dinner, we'll hold our annual business meeting, including board openings and elections.

🇺🇸 Special Guest Presentation!
We're excited to welcome Beloit Public Library Director Nick Dimassis, who will share a special presentation on the Revolutionary War!

📣 Please RSVP by October 18!

Contact Ron Betley to reserve your spot:

📧 [email protected]
📞 608-774-8967

Please note: This is a members-only event.

We appreciate everyone who helps keep the history and traditions of Beckman Mill alive. We look forward to gathering together and celebrating another wonderful year!

🍁 We hope to see you there!

For more information about Beckman Mill:
🌐 www.beckmanmill.org
📞 608-751-1551

10/15/2026

ThrowBackThursday, let’s take a trip back to 1990, or maybe 1991!

Those were the early days of the Beckman Mill restoration, when there was still so much to do and every little step brought us closer to bringing the Mill back to life.

Before the real work could get underway, the crew needed electricity near the Mill. We have to remember, battery-powered tools hadn’t come on the scene yet, so getting power to the worksite was an important first step.

The photo shows the crew installing the wooden box that still hangs outside the Mill today, protecting our circuit breaker box from the elements. More than 30 years later, it remains a small but lasting reminder of those early restoration days.

From left to right: Bob Fosler, Bob Carlson, Kirby Simpson, and Rick Feltman.

Looking back, it’s amazing to think how far we’ve come. So much of what visitors enjoy today started with projects just like this one, a few dedicated volunteers, a little ingenuity, and a lot of hard work. Those were exciting days, with a big job ahead and a dream that was slowly becoming reality.

10/08/2026

ThrowBackThursday, Beckman Mill is powered by two water turbines. The larger Leffel turbine drives some of the mill’s equipment, while the smaller Merrill Houston turbine powers the rest. Leffel is a longtime turbine manufacturer that is still in business today. Merrill Houston, on the other hand, has roots right here in Beloit.
Both turbines needed rebuilding, and we were fortunate to have two members, Bob Fosler and Paul Newton, who worked at Beloit Corporation’s Rockton plant. Beloit Corporation agreed to help us by machining new parts for the turbines.
The ring in the photo was machined by a Beloit Corporation employee, while some FBM members were given the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and do some of the machining themselves.
It was a great example of local industry and the skills of our members coming together to help bring the Mill back to life!

10/01/2026

ThrowBackThursday, the basement floor of the Mill will periodically get wet. Some of it comes from leakage around the turbine shafts coming from the turbine pit, while some is simply surface water making its way in. With the water table being fairly high around the Mill, water has always been an issue in the basement. Before we rebuilt the Mill, the basement floor was dirt, and it was not uncommon to see water actually running across the floor. Today, there is a sump pump in the concrete basement floor to help remove that water. In this photo, (R) Paul Newton and Kirby Simpson are installing drain tubes, so when water does make its way onto the lower basement floor, it has a way to flow back outside the Mill.
It may not be the most glamorous part of the restoration, but keeping water moving in the right direction is pretty important when you have an old Mill sitting next to a creek!