NPS Santa Fe National Historic Trail
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  • 1011. Blue Mills

    Faded, historic photo of blue mills building with trees.
    Blue Mills

    Though not standing today, the mill once located at this intersection may have served traders involved in international commerce and travelers heading to or returning from the west.


    The filling station of the 19th century was the grist mill where needed commodities of flour and cornmeal could be procured and would sustain travelers over an 800-2,000 mile journey as they walked along the westward Santa Fe, Oregon and California trails as well as nearby forts and local residents.


    The road, “of great utility to the neighborhood as well as the surrounding County,” was dedicated by the county legislators as a “public highway” in November 1843, and led directly to Independence Square.