Jolly Mill
Jolly Mill was built on Capps Creek at Jollification, Berwick Township, Newton County, Missouri, United States in 1848 by Thomas Isbell and his son John to serve as a whiskey distillery. Jolly Mill was named for the local Jolly family. The mill also served as a grist mill, and continued to operate in that capacity until 1975.
The three-floor structure still retains the original hand-hewn and pegged framing timbers and limestone slab foundations. A village named Jollification quickly developed around the distillery/mill to serve as a rest stop and resupply point for wagon trains and stagecoaches. Because of new taxes on whiskey that owner George Isbell refused to pay, the distillery was closed in the 1870s. Isbell turned his attention to the milling of flour.
The mill was purchased in 1983 by The Friends of Jolly Mill and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In recent years, under the care of The Friends of Jolly Mill, the mill has undergone somewhat of a renaissance. Mill restoration was completed in 1998 when the repaired water-powered machinery began grist milling demonstrations.
The mill and surrounding land have been restored and converted into a park, with many period buildings moved in from other locations in an attempt to replicate the look and feel of the town of Jollification.
Milling demonstrations are still put on at 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month from May to October.
Where it is:
Jolly Mill Park is located southwest of Pierce City Missouri. The park can be accessed from U.S. Highway 60 to the south on Wallaby Road, which is about 71/2 miles west of Monett.
GPS:
36°53’49.05″ N 94°4’18.288″ W
Maps:
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Hours:
Entrance fee to the park is $5 per car.
Location Contact Information:
Facilities:
The area is a family friendly park with playground equipment, picnic areas, and modern restrooms. No pets are allowed in the park.
The Chapman School was built in 1884 and originally located on the Chapman property about 2 miles from the Park. First called the “Hazel Hill,” the school was later renamed “Hazel Dell,” and eventually “Chapman.” When it was closed in 1951, the school had been in existence continuously for sixty-seven years.
The Chapman family and their friends moved the school to the site on the Park. It was then restored to the way it was when first constructed. The original school had 33 desks and served the area for many years. There are few families in the area who do not have relatives who went to this school.
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