Historic Messer Mayer Mill in Richfield, WI (Oct 2017 - Jan 2018)

Let's get the mill grinding again.

The historic Messer Mayer Mill was built in 1856 in Richfield, WI. The mill still has all original components, making it the only fully complete mill in Wisconsin. The Richfield Historical Society has been working hard to restore and make improvements to all of its original parts, with the goal of making it the only fully complete and functional mill in Wisconsin,  so that future generations could enjoy its historical significance. This included Badger Contracting Inc's role: we came in shored (held in place) the mill and redid the crumbling foundation. This lofty endeavor made the project oversight so important and Badger Contracting Inc was up to the task. No one wanted to lose the mill to its crumbling foundation!
Interesting fact: the old, original stone was removed to add new, reinforced concrete. Each individual stone was documented, labeled, and placed back exactly as they were originally. That's quite a job! 

Despite the monumental success of this project, Badger encountered a few challenges: . 
1) The mill sits over a creek, where the foundation drops 26 feet down - all of it was crumbling; 
2) Badger had a free span of 48 feet; and 
3) Badger had to secure the historic hurst structure (holds millstone), which rested on the foundation, too.
Messer Mayer Project Profile:
Mill height: Stone foundation walls 26 feet (down from the wood building); 28 feet tall
Mill length & width: 60 X 30 feet
Mill weight: Estimated 100 ton; shored up about 70 ton