After years of working on updates at the building and celebrating the completion of many projects, the Morrison Historical Society held an open house on Sunday, October 11th to debut the mill’s new interior look and collections. The last time the mill was open to the public was during a tour of Whiteside County barns a few years ago, and only sparingly before then due to the original condition of the building.
The society’s newly released brochure shares a brief history of the historic mill, noting that construction began along Rock Creek in 1858 by William Anna and John Robertson. The mill was crafted from fine, local sandstone to make two-foot-thick walls. Heavy timbers were cut from oak and walnut trees and were expertly fitted with nothing more than pegs (tree nails).
The mill was operational by the winter of 1859 and became known as the Unionville Mill or Annan Grist Mill. Using turbine power, it turned out an excellent grade of wheat and buckwheat flour, whole wheat breakfast food, and cornmeal. Annan Mill products were famed over much of northern Illinois and farmers came from as far as the Mississippi River to the west and to Lee County to the east, traveling up to 50 miles to reach the mill.
At its peak and on a good day, the water-driven mill produced about two barrels of wheat flour each hour, or up to 40 barrels in a 24-hour day. Customers would sleep in nearby cabins while they waited their turn, and during the busy season, milling continued into Sundays. The wheat was sifted, dried, cleaned, then ground up, all within the stone walls of the mill.
With the advent of more efficient methods to produce wheat products, commercial operations at the mill stopped around 1942. The building fell into disrepair and was quiet for nearly 50 years before Ted and Jackie Tilton purchased it in 1990 and made it their mission to bring it back to life. They added indoor plumbing and electricity and lived in an add-on to the building facing away from U.S. Route 30. In 2010, the couple had to move closer to their kids in Chicago due to health issues, so the building went quiet again, eventually going on the market in 2014.
In 2015, former Morrison resident and New York City art dealer Brent Sikkema purchased the building and signed over the title to the Morrison Historical Society on Dec. 17th. He stated that the donation was in memory of his great-grandmother Ada Beswick, who lived to age 106. Sadly, Mr. Sikkema, who co-owned the contemporary art gallery Sikkema Jenkins & Co., was killed in January 2024 in Brazil. His nephew DJ Sikkema has carried on his legacy by dedicating countless hours to the necessary building work.
Thanks to the time and efforts of Sikkema, Morrison Historical Society board members, and community volunteers, the indoor space is now ready for a new chapter as a historical destination among a handful of remaining structures.
Renovations included converting an old garage into a display room, raising the floor by 17 inches, installing new floors and lighting on the main floor, and adding a variety of collections and displays such as newspapers, rocking chairs, barn, farm, and ag tools, vintage toys, old-fashioned laundry tools, irons, a spinning wheel, sewing machine, quilts, cookware, and dinnerware.
The newly converted garage houses a substantial collection of Goodenough Dairy items procured by Harvey Zuidema, who worked as a milkman from 1959 to 1962. The family-owned dairy business operated in Morrison from 1924 to 1970 and delivered milk and dairy products to households and stores in Morrison, Albany, Erie, Garden Plain, and Hillsdale. Zuidema, also an MHS board member, has been collecting Goodenough items such as milk bottles, advertising signs and memorabilia, and more, with the renovated room offering ample space to showcase another Morrison business of old.
Preparing the interior of the mill involved hours of deep cleaning, clearing out items, and rearranging displays. Board member Stephanie Vavra pointed out church pews for seating that she purchased at an auction at the Whiteside County Fair.
The first floor features a model mill, old maps and art, an office with older equipment, and historical information about the mill and its founders. A flight of stairs leads to the second floor with household displays and entrance to the addition with modern living quarters. Another flight of stairs to the third floor leads to a large room with some of the old equipment used at the mill. Windows on the second and third floors offer prime views of Lincolnway and Rock Creek. The building also has a basement, which is currently off limits to the public.
The building also has new central air conditioning and a furnace, which will be kept at a minimum during the winter to prevent pipes from freezing. A leak on the roof has MHS planning for a new roof at some point in the near future. But overall, the building upgrades have converted a dusty old mill into a fascinating space to explore and experience what life was like over a century and a half ago.
Many board members greeted hundreds of guests at the recent open house. The Tilton’s daughter Celeste, who once lived in the building, even traveled back to Morrison for the event to see all the progress made over the decade since she’d last been there.
MHS is aiming to open the building one afternoon a month starting next spring, and offer a future setting for artistic venues, public events, meetings, and holiday social gatherings. The mill has also been added to the “Northern Illinois Grain Trail” with other stops in DeKalb, Franklin Grove, Grand Detour, Dixon, Sterling, Fulton, and Moline. MHS is taking pledges to meet their goals and for anyone to be part of the transformation.
The mission of the Morrison Historical Society is to collect, preserve, study, interpret, and exhibit significant materials relating primarily to Morrison’s growth and development. The Morrison Heritage Museum at 202 E. Lincolnway also provides related educational services for the purpose of increasing and enriching public knowledge. If you would like to be a member or make a donation, please visit Morrison Historical Society on Facebook.
Open house photos can be found at Around Ptown’s Facebook page and below:
Annan Mill Benefactor, the late Brent Sikkema.
“The Annan Mill for me is an anchor in my memory bank of growing up in Morrison. It stood sentry on the Lincoln Highway and reproductions of it could be found proudly displayed in so many homes. As children we were captivated by so many mysteries around the Mill. Reports of ghosts and spirits abandoned. As I approach the class of 1966’s 50th anniversary I return frequently to my memories of the small Midwestern town that helped ground me as an adult. When I learned that the Annan Mill was on the market I jumped at the opportunity to purchase it and protect its legacy in some form of a public trust. Fortunately the Morrison Historical Society became my good partner in sharing a vision for its future. Great historical buildings embody the spirit of both past and future generations and as such need their protection. That I could play a small part towards this goal was a privilege.” Brent Sikkema
Morrison Historical Society board members at the Open House
