War Eagle Mill

Tucked into a scenic Ozark valley about 16 kilometres east of Rogers, War Eagle Mill is a working water-powered gristmill that has stood on this creek, in one form or another, since 1832. The current building is the fourth on this site, rebuilt in 1973 on the original foundation after floods, fire and the Civil War took the earlier ones, and it still grinds grain today. It is the only working watermill in Arkansas, complete with a large cypress wheel that uses a unique design where the water strikes the paddles at the bottom and turns the whole thing. This whole area is overflowing with shooting options from the tall red building to the wheel turning on the creek side to the water spilling over the low dam, and the old iron bridge from 1907 just downstream, all wrapped in wooded Ozark hills. You can easily shoot from the bridge or down on the riverbank to line everything up, and experiment with a slow shutter to blur the falling water and the spinning wheel into something soft while the mill stays sharp. Autumn is the ideal season to be here when the valley turns gold and red, though the rich spring greenery and a misty morning on the creek are just as good and far quieter. Inside, the creaky floors and old grinding gear are worth a few frames too. The grounds, the bridge and the creek are free to wander. One thing to plan around is the big arts and crafts fair every October, that draws a lot of extra visitors so try to skip that week if you want clean, calm shots. (War Eagle, Arkansas, USA)