Jolly Mill

Jolly Mill is an antebellum distillery and grist mill that was once the center of a thriving village called Jollification. Originally built in 1848, the former mill is now the centerpiece of Jolly Mill Park which features period buildings relocated here including a sawmill and an 1884 schoolhouse. There is also a modern playground, a small bridge, and interpretive signs in the park describe the area's history. The park is a popular place for fishing and is available to reserved for weddings and other gatherings. Jolly Mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

In the 1800s, mills were vitally important for rural communities across the country. Farmers brought their grains to local mills for grinding and selling since transporting their product elsewhere was difficult. Mills were also a place where people could socialize and served as stops for wagon trains and stage coaches. There were 872 mills in Missouri by 1880.

Jolly Mill was established by Thomas Isbell and his son, John, in 1848. Enslaved laborers built the mill out of hand-hewn timbers, which still bear the workers' adze marks (an adze is a cutting tool with the blade at right angle to the handle). It appears that the mill first started as a distillery but soon became a gristmill as well. It was quickly successful and a small community developed around it. By 1861, the village of Jollification featured three general stores, a church, eight homes, a post office, a drug store, a saloon, and a Blacksmith shop.

Unfortunately, Jollification did not remain unscathed during the Civil War. In 1862 a skirmish occurred in the village and it was burned down. However, the mill was untouched, which was lucky since many mills were destroyed in the war. John Isbell fled from Jollification and his cousin, George, bought the mill after the war and began operating it again.

Stage coach lines started passing through Jollification again but the village, which was reestablished, did not return to what it once was. Railroads contributed to its gradual decline. One was built to the north between Springfield and Indian territory in 1871 and another was built ten years later to the south. The last stage coach line that came to Jollification ceased to operate as a result. The mill continued to operate for many years, however. But in the early 1870s, George Isbell stopped operating the distillery due to new whiskey taxes, which he refused to pay. The mill only produced flour from that point forward. Isbell's nephew and subsequent owners operated the mill for several decades. Although its usage decreased after World War I it didn't close until 1973.

Ten years later, a group of local citizens formed the Jolly Mill Park Foundation to restore the mill and establish a recreational park. The restoration of the mill was completed in 1998. A major flood in 2015 damaged the park but it was restored the next year. The mill machinery is sometimes used to grind corn, wheat and other grains.

Baird, Barbara. "A Visit to Jolly Mill." The Accidental Ozarkian. August 18, 2020. https://www.ozarkian.com/a-visit-to-jolly-mill.

Hays, Juanita & Hays Jr., Otis E. "Jolly Mill." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. October 13, 1983. https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/63819839/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MO/83004021.pdf.

"Jolly Mill Park." Lasr.net. Accessed May 26, 2022. https://www.lasr.net/travel/city.php?City_ID=MO0706040&VA=Y&Attraction_ID=MO0706040a014.

"Jolly Mill Park." Visit Missouri. Accessed May 26, 2022. https://www.visitmo.com/things-to-do/jolly-mill-park.

Smith, Christine. "Jolly Mill." Joplin MO Life. December 3, 2013. https://www.joplinmolife.com/jolly-mill.