This following article was published in the Arkansas Democrat and reprinted in the Pocahontas Star Herald on November 24, 1955.
Logs Fence In A River At Birdell Dam (Carter Mill aka Hufstedler Mill)
One of the most unusual dams to be seen in Arkansas is on the Elevenpoint river at Birdell in Randolph County. The dam, which is about 150 years old, is built of logs, much after the pattern of early split rail log fences. A double row of logs form “pens” that are filled with large rocks. Also, huge stones are piled against this log structure to secure it. This crude sound barrier holds back the water of Elevenpoint river.
Elevenpoint river, so call because of the eleven creeks that come together to form its source, flows down out of Oregon County Missouri, to meander through the northern part of Arkansas and empty into Spring River a short distance above the confluence of Spring and Black river.
The dam across Elevenpoint river at Birdell was erected by John Carter in 1805 to furnish water power for his grist mill. This was one of the first water mills west of the Mississippi river in the broad Midwest. For over seventy years, John Carter and his family operated the mill under the name “Carters Mill”
the mill grew to be the center of community life for the surrounding area. No other grits mill was located near than 100 miles. Farmers brought their families and camped beneath the trees while they waited their turn at the slow-grinding burrstone. Tall tails were told by the men while the ladies related the news of new babies and deaths and, perhaps, a spicy bit of scandal.
Rayburn says in his “Ozark Country”, that Carters Mill was one of the few water mills in the Ozark area that escaped destruction during the Civil War period and continued in operation during the struggle.
About 1880, Joseph Hufstedler bought Carters Mill, changed the name to Hufstedlers Mill and began a program of improvement. A community had grown up around the mill. Hufstedler secured a post office and named the town Birdell to honor his two daughters, Birdie and Ella Hufstedler. Across the road from the mill he built his home a large, rambling, one story frame house.
The Hufstedler family was active in Old Union Church, one of the early churches located on Elevenpoint river territory. It was on the west side of the river. Other members, as Dalton list them in his “History of Randolph County”, included the Dunn, Campbell, Lemmons, and Perrin families.
At that time a bridge crossed Elevenpoint river about 100 feet above the dam. The bridge connected the road from east to west.
The Hufstedler mill operated for about 40 years. It was one of the last water mills in the Ozark country to still its wheel.
Today, the bridge is gone. The mill is gone. The old store is gone. The post office is gone, but the old dam and the Hufstedler home remain.
The Arkansas-Missouri power company has enclosed a park site here, called Kilo Vista. It is a place for company employees to come and enjoy their holidays. This enclosure takes in the site of the old mill. Modern cottages line the bank of Elevenpoint at this place. The unusual old dam ties into the bank only a few feet from the back door of one of these cottages.
Elevenpoint river flows smoothly until it meets the old barrier of logs and rocks. Then, as though indignant at the interference, the water dashes in a froth over the spillway close to the place where the old water wheel stood. Fisherman paddle their long row boats up stream to cast for game fish in the turmoil of water.
After turning off Highway 62 visitors find the road out to Birdell a good smooth one.
Pocahontas Star Herald, 24 November 1955