The workers of Pearl Oat Mill, 1892

Workers of the Pearl Oat Mill and local townsmen pose for a photograph in front of the brick and stone mill. Most of the men wear hats and overalls or suspenders. They stand or kneel in a grassy area off the side of the building. The mill itself looks to be four stories total; the glass windows are almost all open, as well as the three doors lined in front. Metal stars decorate the front and sides of the building. At the bottom of the photograph is white, it is written: "1892 Pearl Mills, Coralville, Ioa."

The building was originally a woolen mill, but once the operations became unprofitable, it was converted into Pearl Oat Mill. The mill employed twelve men and operated for many years processing oats, but ultimately proved unprofitable before the turn of the century. The unused building was destroyed in a fire in 1912 (Lovetinsky et al., p. 14-15; Walch, p. 33).

Front row, left to right: Albert Carlton, Jim Fairchild, Ronie Davis.

Back row, left to right: George Fox, Jack Anspoker, Ed Koser, William Wylant, Charlie Koser, Fred Robinson, John Hart, John McGinnis, Vance Anspoker, Louie Robinson, Charles Robinson, Sam Marifield, and B. W. Bowers, at the end of the row, sits on the fence.

Charlie Francis sits in the wagon behind the rest of men; horses Jim and Nig are harnessed to the wagon (Lovestinsky et al., p. 14).

Coralville Public Library. Coralville Digital History Library.

1892

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English

Coralville, Iowa