DAYLE DUGGINS: We kind of want to give people that opportunity to take a step back in time throughout the entire property.

So not only do we have this historic mill, we also have the historic Riverside Bridge for people to walk across that we've restored.

And then even our coffee shop, the workshop, that was built in 1932.

It was originally a MoDOT garage, so we really tried to bring people back in time and give them a little bit of piece of Ozarks history.

[music playing] The preservation of local historic sites not only saves buildings, but captures a way of life.

The Ozarks Mill, originally built in 1833 along the Finley River, has had the fortune of being recently preserved, and the area surrounding this iconic structure has been refurbished into a community destination known as Finley Farms.

Today, we'll visit with Dayle Duggins, and she'll show us around the restored mill and the grounds.

[music playing] ANNOUNCER: Ozark's Public Television and Missouri State University are proud to present OzarksWatch Video Magazine, a locally produced program committed to increasing the understanding of the richness and complexity of Ozarks culture.

Visit our website for more information.

Well, I really appreciate you being with me today.

This is going to be a very fascinating show.

And this is really close to my home in Ozark, so I'm really excited to be down here with you.

So why don't we start the program off a little bit by just kind of discussing yourself a little bit, how you get to this role, and-- Sure, sure.

I'm Dayle Duggins.

I'm the Marketing Manager for Finley Farms and the Ozark Mill.

So I've been here for about two years now, and done everything from planning a live bridge raising, to the grand opening of the Ozark Mill, to helping out on the farm and picking weeds.

So every day is a little different here.

So you got lots of stuff going on with that.

So I think the theme of the show today I guess, is restoring and re-imagining.

And so the restoring part is for people that are familiar with the mill itself, they realize that it sat on the river, and it was subject to being flooded, and all kinds of issues.

And then the Morris family kind of took over, jumped in, and said, OK, we're going to do something with this.

When we talk a little bit about the history of the Ozark Mill, and then a little bit about the history of the Finley Farms, and so on.

And then we'll get into the kind of exciting things that have happened since all that.

Sounds good.

So yeah, we're sitting here today at the Ozark Mill.

We're located in Ozark, Missouri, so just about 10 minutes south of Springfield, and 30 minutes north of Branson.

So there has been a mill in this location right on the Finley River since 1833.

So this mill has endured multiple fires and floods, and really, it's kind of been a centerpiece of the Ozark community for hundreds of years.

So at one point, it housed the post office.

And it really was a massive employer for the town of Ozark.

So there's a little bit of also family connection with the Morris family.

So Megan Stack, Johnny Morris's daughter, actually grew up here in Ozark with her family right here on the Finley River on 4th Street.

So they've kind of driven by the mill over the years, and really seen it through many phases.

And really, the whole connection of the Morris family started here because Johnny had a vision for turning this into a riverfront restaurant.

So when it retired as the last commercially operating watermill in the state in 1992, Johnny Morris really thought that it should be invested in and restored to its former glory.

So in 1993, brought this into the fold, and really kind of dreamed about it for a while until 2018 when we started restoring the mill.

So that was a pretty fascinating phase of the mill where we actually lifted the mill off of its foundation, rolled it out into 4th Street at the time, and rebuilt a new foundation.

So today, the mill features original flooring beams, pretty much everything that you see in here today, including this equipment is original to the mill.

And it now sits four feet higher out of the floodplain of the Finley River than it originally did.

We've installed a series of flood doors on the bottom of the mill.

And those have helped to kind of save the mill and preserve it for hopefully, hundreds of more years.

And you were telling me that I guess the flood doors got a little bit of a test earlier in the year that-- DAYLE DUGGINS: Yeah.

There was some flooding that took place.

Yeah, so in May of 2022, there was a big, big flood on the Finley River.

And we put the flood doors to the test.

So we battened down the hinges, and water came about halfway up on the doors.

And it sounded like you were in the Titanic underneath.

You could hear the water rushing by, and tree limbs bouncing up against the walls.

And people actually came out to the Ozark Mill restaurant to flood watch, because right out on the river, you could see the river.

It was so close to the patio of the Ozark Mill.

So it was pretty fascinating for people to watch.

That had to be kind of a little bit of a scary kind of a deal too because-- DAYLE DUGGINS: Oh, definitely.

Because of all work that had taken place.

But at the same time, it's a good test I guess, for everything.

Yeah, I mean, you're trusting that these flood doors are going to work.

And thankfully, they did.

And yeah, fun story to tell now.

Yeah.

So all the stuff that's behind me, I guess, this is all part of the original mill?

Yes, yes.

So this is bagging equipment.

And actually, at the end of 2022, we will be opening a mill tour where you actually get to go see the turbine close up.

You get to go through the gear room, and then go up to a series of floors of milling equipment.

So you get to learn about how the mill functioned, and just mill machinery.

Which is fascinating.

Is it going to be an operational mill at that point?

Or is it just more of a I guess, for demonstration anyway?

Yeah.

Right now, it's for demonstration.

We could always choose to start making something again.

But right now, it'll just be for educational purposes.

Well, for the education purposes, and I don't know if people really realize how important water mills were in the development of the Ozarks in the various communities along the rivers.

DAYLE DUGGINS: Yeah, so there were tons of mills right along the Finley river here up at Lindenlure, and just downstream.

And really, it was a massive employer.

People also have so many memories they've told us coming in to dine at our restaurants, of coming here to pick up corn or feed with their dad, and they'd hang out at the mill.

Or they snuck into the mill.

So we get to hear all kinds of fun stories about people's memories.

JIM BAKER: It was kind of really a big social deal too for people to come in, spend time having their crops, the milling and take place, and that was their social networking at the time instead of the internet, I guess.

Yeah, absolutely.

So they were able to get together and spend time together.

So it was kind of a neat deal.

What was the I guess, the biggest challenge that was faced during the restoration project?

Obviously, the flooding and-- Yeah, I mean, moving a 500,000 square foot building is a pretty massive challenge.

But I also think we tried to preserve the outside in as authentic of a way as possible.

So you'll see the stamped metal tin, the stamped tin on the outside of the mill.

That's original to the mill.

So we actually had to take it off of the mill, because we needed to insulate it as well.

It had never been heated or air conditioned.

So we wanted to make sure that this is a nice place to come get a meal.

And to do that, we had to remove all the siding, number it, and then put it back in piece by piece, so a big, big puzzle.

I was always impressed with the Morris group as far as just the authenticity of-- I mean, it's painstaking to take things apart, put them back together.

It'd be much less expensive to just kind of say, this is what it looked like, and put it up yourself.

But there's a certain care that takes place in that process.

Absolutely.

So it was really important to the Morris family to preserve the mill in as authentic of a way as possible.

So I think a great example is the floors that we're sitting on.

So those were actually stripped out and put through a wood kiln firing process to strip out all of the moisture.

And they were put in piece by piece, just like that metal exterior.

So and then I mean, getting the mill back up and running has been a feat itself.

So we have a miller.

His name's Blake Adams.

He also mills at Dogwood Canyon.

He's world renowned.

He's 27-years-old.

And so he has really basically taken apart every piece of machinery that operates the mill, made sure it's up to snuff, and replaced things, tweaked things.

And yeah, pretty soon all of his hard work we'll be able to show off.

JIM BAKER: Yeah, when you park in the upper parking lot, as you look down at the mill, the thing that impresses me is it looks like it's 1800.

I mean, it looks like it's just sitting there like it always was before.

And so you can visualize everything that happened, and people coming in, and all the things.

DAYLE DUGGINS: Right.

We kind of want to give people that opportunity to take a step back in time throughout the entire property.

So not only do we have this historic mill, we also have the historic Riverside Bridge for people to walk across that we've restored.

And then even our coffee shop, The Workshop, that was built in 1932.

It was originally a MoDOT garage.

So we really tried to bring people back in time and give them a little bit of piece of Ozarks history when they're here.

JIM BAKER: So we'll talk a little bit about the Ozark Mill is just one-- it's one piece of the overall property.

So this re-imagining is really the next phase of that.

So the Finley Farms has got a lot of different aspects to it, a lot of different venues, a lot of different things.

And I know that there was a grand opening, and that the Mountain Daredevils were here, and so on.

Talk a little bit about the grand opening, and how exciting that was for everyone.

Yeah, so we're sitting in the mill today.

But outside of the mill, we have 40 acres total of property here at Finley Farms.

So we are a sprawling, nature-based dining destination.

So you can learn about Ozarks history while you're here, get a chance to enjoy nature, and enjoy some amazing food as well.

So we had the grand opening for the Ozark Mill in September of 2021-- I'm sorry-- October of 2021.

And it was really just a celebration of all of the talented craftsmen, and women, and engineers, and architects, and our entire team that came together to reopen this place after so many years.

So we had a big celebration and kind of fall festival themed, where we had an opening concert with the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

We also had a concert near the Riverside Bridge where people could walk along out there, bring their lawn chairs, and be right on the river to enjoy a concert.

We also had a marketplace full of vendors up at the workshop, and all sorts of hands-on classes throughout the weekend.

So you could do a botanical dyeing class.

You could do stand-up paddle-boarding on the river.

So really gave people a lot of opportunities to connect with nature, spend some time outside, or learn a new skill as well.

That must have been a pretty exciting time for the Morris family to see this finally come to fruition.

Yeah, yeah, it was pretty incredible.

I mean, John has had this property since 1993.

And really, his daughter, Megan, has also been incredibly instrumental as a visionary for the property.

So she got involved in 2016, and really, she took it upon herself to reach out to those our community to see what do you want in a community gathering place like this?

So she joined the historic River District for the town of Ozark, and talked to them about do you want live music?

Do you want more of a festival atmosphere?

And they came up with the ideas of we want a coffee shop.

We want walking trails.

We'd love a farmer's market.

And so we really leaned on the community's feedback to help shape what we have to offer here today.

You can kind of walk us through a little bit of a tour of the mill and the Finley Farms.

And we'll just start off, and you can kind of describe things.

And we'll have some camera shots that show everything so we don't have to walk around ourselves.

I'm feeling nice and lazy today.

So why don't we talk a little bit about the mill itself, and the basement, and the different aspects of the mill?

Yeah, my ideal day here at Finley Farms would start at the workshop, our coffee shop and craft space, grab a cup of coffee, then you can head down to our urban farm.

So we have about an acre of farmable land here.

And we grow a lot of the produce that's featured throughout our restaurants at that farm.

So it's less than 1,000 feet from our main kitchen, which is-- I've eaten here before, and that's a good thing.

Yeah, yeah.

So grab a coffee, stroll through the farm.

We have about a mile of walkable paths.

So then you could head across the river via the historic Riverside Bridge, take a look at our riverfront chapel, and then come and spend some time at the Ozark Mill.

So when you enter, you're immediately going to see all of the historic and original flooring, beams, elements of the mill.

And you get an amazing view of the Finley river right when you walk in.

So here, we're on the main floor.

And this is where the Ozark Mill restaurant is featured.

So that's our more family friendly, casual restaurant.

When we launched its menu, it had 28 items that are grown from the farm featured on the menu.

And we also have a seasonal menu here.

Upstairs, we also have one of our event spaces, the Hawkins Room.

So we use that for overflow dining, but it's also a great event space for birthday parties, weddings, corporate events.

Then downstairs, you'll go into our largest event space, which is the Riverside Room.

It can host up to 150 people seated, and it provides really beautiful views of the Finley river.

You're right on the river.

And that's where the flood doors are.

So downstairs, we also have the Garrison, which is our newly opened fine dining restaurant.

So it's an homage to Howard Garrison, a famous Ozark character that once owned the Riverside Inn just a mile and a half upstream.

So really, there's multiple restaurants inside the mill, event spaces.

We also have a general store where you can shop for gifts.

So lots to do here.

And you're right on the Finley river.

And everything except on Monday, as the saying goes, because it's closed.

So you just kind of welcome people just kind of coming and walking around the premises of the area at least?

Yeah, yeah, we love to see people walking around the property, and taking in all the sights, and sounds, and smells of nature.

So people can walk around our property when we're open, when we're closed.

And it's just a really beautiful place to mosey around.

Yeah, it really is.

And let's see, why don't we talk a little bit about some of the-- I know you have a lot of plans for the future.

And I'm really kind of excited about all those.

And let's talk a little bit about what some of the things that you kind of anticipate in the future for this area, and maybe the broader area around the Finley River, because there's some development taking place, a lot of development in Ozark, which is really nice around the river.

So we are currently wrapping up phase two of Finley Farm.

So once we complete the Ozark Mill history tour, we will move on to phase three.

So phase three features a brewery just south of the mill.

And then we will also have a boathouse just north of the mill, where you can rent canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and just make a day on the Finley River.

It's a really fun float up and back, and just really beautiful.

And then we also plan to expand to have overnight accommodations.

So just north of our property, we have some additional land, and we plan on building some standalone boutique style cottages that folks can come and spend a weekend here, and enjoy all that the Ozarks have to offer.

And then outside of Finley Farms, we're really connecting to the larger community in several ways.

I think the biggest and most exciting one is the Chadwick Flyer trail.

So Ozark Greenways, the city of Springfield, and the city of Ozark are all collaborating to create a nine mile pathway that will go all the way from Lake Springfield out to Ozark.

It'll connect on our property.

And then you can get on the Finley River, head to downtown Ozark, or make a loop of it and circle back to Springfield.

So that's a really exciting phase that that's coming soon as well.

It's really kind of a nice overall long-term development plan that's going to really help the Ozark area and the Finley river area, certainly.

So you guys must be pretty excited about the future development.

So you do the marketing and everything.

Do you work a lot with the community to try to figure out, OK, how do we want to best fit into everything?

DAYLE DUGGINS: Yeah.

Because that seems to be very important.

Yeah, absolutely.

Being in a community like Ozark, it's very important to be plugged in.

So we're constantly supporting events, and also opening our doors to host events here at the Ozark Mill and at the workshop.

And our farm, not only does it produce food for all of our restaurants, but we often are donating produce to local food banks.

We also are the hosts of the Ozark farmers market up at the workshop.

So every Thursday during the summer, we host the Ozark farmers market.

So that's a really fun way to get the community out here and connected.

And we have live music, tons of vendors, kids are playing all around.

And they get to see the farm.

And then I think another big way that we connect to the community is through our hands-on workshops.

So up at the workshop, we host a variety of classes where you can learn new skills, such as pasta-making.

You can make different cocktails.

You can go out on the farm, grab tomatoes, peppers, herbs, come back, and an instructor will teach you how to make that into a fabulous farm fresh Bloody Mary.

You can also go out to the farm, harvest flowers, and somebody locally will instruct you on how to turn that into a bouquet.

And we also do kids classes, craft classes, yoga, outdoor classes, farm tours, beehive checks.

So there's a lot of ways for people to get plugged in here.

So really, you take the whole notion of a gathering place very seriously, and trying to create different opportunities for people to get together and to do fun things.

Yeah, absolutely.

From being able to grab coffee any day at the workshop, to learning a new skill, we definitely want people to come make memories here with their friends, and really think of this as yeah, their go-to spot.

Well, after the show, I'll have to go to the workshop and have some coffee.

DAYLE DUGGINS: Yeah.

But we just got a couple of minutes left.

But what's your personal vision for the future?

I guess there's a corporate vision.

There's your own vision of how you fit into all this.

And obviously, you enjoy working here and doing this kind of work.

So what's your-- Yeah, I mean, really, my biggest goal here is just to spread the word about the property.

I think we have gotten the word out pretty good in the Springfield and Ozark communities.

But there's still people that don't know exactly what we do here.

So we're excited to share that with them.

And then also just expanding into other markets as well.

So we really want Finley Farms to grow, and expand, and be a destination for people living in Kansas City, Saint Louis, or coming home to visit they put this on their must visit list.

And that's really exciting for us.

It's fun for me.

I walk around the property to see all the different license plates that are in the parking lot.

So yeah, really, we want to make this a gathering place not only for locals, but for visitors to come and enjoy getting to know the Ozarks a little better.

So this will be listed as a property like any of the other Morris properties, like Dogwood Canyon, or any of those.

And so it would be a destination for people to come to.

Absolutely.

Well, of course, that'll help the Ozark economy as well.

And really appreciate all the things that you guys do, and everything.

Since I live in Ozark, I really appreciate it.

But thank you very much for being with me today.

Yeah, thanks for joining us here at the Ozark Mill.

Thank you.

We'll be back in a moment.

[music playing] ANNOUNCER: Ozarks Public Television and Missouri State University are proud to present OzarksWatch Video Magazine, a locally produced program committed to increasing the understanding of the richness and complexity of Ozarks culture.

Visit our website for more information.

[music playing] I hope you get the opportunity to pay a visit to Finley Farm soon and enjoy what it has to offer.

I'd like to thank my guest, Dayle Duggins, for the tour.

Join me again next time for another episode of OzarksWatch Video Magazine.

[music playing]