Explore the nation’s first museum of milling. In a scenic location along the Sandusky River, the museum was built on the site of an 1861 mill built for the Wyandotte Indians. The miller’s office tells the story of milling from ancient times to the present. When the War of 1812 ended, the Wyandotte settled near modern-day Upper Sandusky. Along with them was a group of African-Americans, both free blacks and escaped slaves, who also settled nearby. The Wyandottes, who had always been farmers, worked with the blacks, and the blacks, in turn, worked with them. Part of this intermingling led to some of the Wyandottes accepting Christianity and forsaking their customs. This, in turn, led to limited perks granted by the government, including federal money to build a mill.

In 1820, a flour mill and sawmill were both constructed on the banks of the Sandusky River. These mills provided important services for the Wyandotte farmers as well as the blacks living in the area. They were able to process their harvests and turn logs into timber to build their homes. However, under pressure from many white settlers that lived in the area surrounding the Wyandotte reservation, the federal government decided to permanently remove the Wyandottes from Ohio. Several years later, the last of the Wyandottes left the area.

The mill fell into disrepair and was abandoned. Some years later, the flour mill was rebuilt on the present site by Lewis Rummel. He used three Leffel turbines in his new mill. The mill has been owned my various people over the years and was purchased by the Ohio History Connection in 1968.

Indian Mill is managed locally by the Wyandot County Archaeological and Historical Society.