Sandwich in DeKalb County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Stone Mill Museum

Photographed by Nichole, January 2, 2025

1. Stone Mill Museum Marker

Inscription. In 1852, Sandwich pioneer William Patten returned from the gold fields of California with $2,000, a fortune at the time. With the coming of the Railroad in 1853, his son, Robert Patten, a carpenter, built the town's first lumberyard and steam gristmill completed in 1856. Investment from his father and land donated by Sandwich founder Alton Gate, made this possible. The Sandwich steam gristmill produced 100 bags of flour each day, making it a vital part of community life. In 1871, one of Patten's partners absconded with funds and left the business and Patten in great debt. The Robert Patten family left for Kansas and the business continued under new ownership.

The three story limestone building was equipped with a 65 horsepower (80 HP in 1891) steam engine in the basement that could power three sets of centrifugal reels, separators, purifier dust collector, and storage bins. In 1879, a local newspaper reported flour production as high as 500 bags being shipped as far as Glasgow, Scotland.

The Mill closed in 1892 and the machinery removed. Twice in 1902 someone tried to burn the building. It has since been used as a machine shop, a farm equipment parts manufacturer, and for storage. In 1964, James Knights donated the building to the Sandwich Historical Society for a museum, which opened in 1969 and will continue to

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safeguard the legacy of Sandwich, Illinois.

Erected 2021 by The Sandwich Historical Society, Illinios State Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Illinois State Historical Society series list.

Location. 41° 38.745′ N, 88° 37.039′ W. Marker is in Sandwich, Illinois, in DeKalb County. It is at the intersection of Railroad Street and North Lafayette Street, on the left when traveling east on Railroad Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 315 E Railroad Street, Sandwich IL 60548, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Illinois.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Plano Stone Church (approx. 4.3 miles away); Welcome to Hinckley (approx. 8.6 miles away); The Golden Age of Bands (approx. 8.6 miles away); Lisa Pickering (approx. 8.6 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 8.6 miles away); Irving Wade (approx. 8.6 miles away); William H. Rissman (approx. 8.6 miles away); Lester Howard Wade (approx. 8.6 miles away).

Also see . . . Stone Mill Museum (Sandwich Historical Society). Excerpt:

When Robert Patten arrived on the scene at Sandwich in
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1854, he immediately became an asset to the community. He is credited with building and owning the first dwelling house in town after the railroad came through. He was also the first Station Agent, and was Postmaster for a number of years. Among his other accomplishments, he built and owned the first lumber yard, and also the first grain elevator and grist mill. That grist mill is what we now know as the Stone Mill Museum, and it currently houses the collections of the Sandwich Historical Society...

(Submitted on January 24, 2025.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 2, 2025, by Nichole of Marble Falls, Texas. This page has been viewed 201 times since then and 34 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on January 2, 2025, by Nichole of Marble Falls, Texas. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.