Florence Mill - Mormon Trail Winter Quarters

This historic mill now serves as a museum featuring historic photos and artifacts from the mid-19th century. It also features a small art gallery with works by local artists. The mill was established by Mormon pioneers to the West in 1846. The mill served as winter quarters for Mormons traveling to Utah territory between 1848 and 1848. A prospector who intended to only pass through Nebraska Territory during the Gold Rush stopped in this area and rebuilt the mill. The mill later served as an important center for the agricultural town of Florence. The grain elevator was added in 1915. Although the mill has been rebuilt and remodeled numerous times between 1846 and the late 20th century when it ceased operations, some of the original heavy timbers that were cut by Mormon pioneers remain. The mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.