Reed Springs ~ This 56 degree spring is channeled into small lakes, with waterfalls, which eventually empty into the Black River. It is not known how far into the hills this beautiful spring starts but it has served the area surrounding Centerville in the most useful ways in every era of its time. In 1881, Nathaniel Scott built the dam and grist mill to grind the corn into meal and wheat into flour. Shortly thereafter a saw mill was erected supplying much needed lumber to early settlers to build their homes. Sometime before 1915, Dr. Shy had the idea of generating electricity from its water power, so they took off the overshot wheel, installed a turbine and ran electric lines into town. Though the lights were bright at the mill, but dim in town, this supplied the towns’ electric until 1929. The original building and wheel were taken apart, board by board, and sent to San Francisco for exhibition at the 1939 Worlds Fair. This display is now in storage at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Although privately owned, this incredibly picturesque mill is fully visible from the road. From Hwy 21 in Centerville, go west on Pine Street for 1/2 mile.

I visited this mill on my way to Cape Girardeau from Jefferson City, MO on August 25th, 2016 and got there around 9:58AM DST. I revisited it on my way home on August 29, 2016 and got there around 7:30AM DST. If you are standing on the road in front of the mill you are looking south. The sun rising from the east will be on your left painting a beautiful light across the mill. There is enough shade to shield the water fall preventing blown out highlights in the water. Although I did not hike the area to locate the numerous sources of this spring I did observe and photograph the ponds that were created to feed it. The area surrounding the mill site is forested. The water from the mill runs into a series of creek tributaries which ultimately empty into the black river.