Engine room, Saw Mill & Flour Mill - East side
Left to Right: "Charles" Baker, William Granger, Edward F. Leach
Head of Mill standing in door - "Charley" C.H. Baker
Looking out window - H.C. Baker
On log wagon - Charley Casey
On Ox - Jim Casey

Photo courtesy of Yvonne Leach-Skouby.  Identification of people was supplied to Yvonne from Ida Elsner & William Granger.

This photograph of the Leach-Baker Mill has hung on a wall in many Leach homes.  Several descendants of William Leach consider this photo to be their Leach "Coat-of-Arms."

The Leach-Baker Mill was constructed in 1858 at Cooper Hill Landing near the confluence of Third Creek and the Gasconade River.  This was a combination steam saw and grist mill.  The saw-mill was built first and then the grist mill was added.  This provided services for both lumber and grain and enabled bartering for multiple products.  Since the 38 ft. long boiler running a 4 ft. stroke piston consumed 1 1/2 cord of wood per day, customers could trade cord wood for milling services.

The first record I have included in our abstract concerning the mill is dated 1863 when William Leach sold 3/4 share of  one acre lot with Steam Mill and improvements on said lot to James Leach, Edward Leach & Charles Baker.  In 1864 James Leach sold his 1/4 share to Louis Baker except for one acre of land he lives on and then in 1866 Edward Leach sold his 1/4 share of all Mill property and his home to Timothy Leach.  Edward had served as a confederate soldier during the war and relocated to another county after is was over.  The Mill operated continuously until 1924 and then the old mill was razed in the 1930's when it was considered an eye sore to some of the local residence.

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