The town of Ruidoso had its beginnings around 1868 with the construction of a water powered mill that was first used to cut timber, then later used to grind grain produced by farmers in the area.
It became the hub of activity in Ruidoso in the late 1800s, attracting such visitors such as Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, Gen. John J. “Black Jack” Pershing and the Apache chief Geronimo. It served as a post office for many years, as well as a general store and blacksmith shop. It was a regular stop for travelers from El Paso, Fort Stanton and the Mescalero Apache reservation. At one point, the name “Dowlin’s Mill” was considered for the name of Ruidoso. Anyone who has driven along the main drag in Ruidoso — Sudderth Drive — has seen the structure that gives such historical significance to the southern New Mexico mountain community.
Known originally as Dowlin’s Mill for its builder, Capt. Paul Dowlin, and later as just “The Old Mill,” the historic structure is still standing. Its iconic water wheel is still visible but currently not operating and in need of repair.
The building, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, has had its share of hardships in recent years, including an explosion in 2017 from a gas leak which severely damaged the adobe and rock structure. At one point, plans to demolish the structure were considered.
I remember the Old Mill fondly from my childhood in Ruidoso. It was owned and operated by the family of Carmon Phillips. Phillips was a good friend of my father’s, who operated it as a bookstore. He was also a photographer who also processed film for others, including photos for my father’s newspaper, the Ruidoso News.
I also remember that years ago, my wife’s former boss at the New Mexico State Library in Santa Fe was Ed Dowlin, who claimed to be a descendant of the mill’s founder.
I got a tour of the work underway to restore the Old Mill two weeks ago when I attended a Ruidoso High School reunion. The tour was given by Michael and Delana Clements. Delana is the daughter of Carmon Phillips and she and her husband have started an effort to restore the historic structure and turn it into a gift shop, museum and performing arts venue.
The mill itself has an interesting history. It was first built on land just north of its present location across Sudderth Drive, but a flood severely damaged that structure and it was moved south to its present location. Ironically, that original location was swept clean again just last summer in one of several flooding events following heavy rainfall on burn scars on the slopes and foothills of Sierra Blanca.
The water-powered mill was first used to cut timber for use at nearby Fort Stanton, then later powered a grinding wheel inside the main structure to process grains.
It is said that outlaw Billy the Kid of Lincoln County War fame was a frequent visitor to the Old Mill. Apparently well liked, he occasionally attended dances there. However, one day when authorities were searching for him, friends hid “The Kid” inside a flour barrel in the building to help him avoid capture.
In the mid 1870s, mill founder Paul Dowlin sold half of his interest in the building to Frank Lesnett, who operated the mill part of the operation. Dowlin, who was also the village’s postmaster, was fatally shot in 1877 outside the building by a local cowboy and mill employee during a heated argument. His brother, John, then took ownership of Paul’s half interest.
The building was originally made of adobe and rock, which has held up surprisingly well for more than 150 years. There are still places that you can look from the inside the building through cracks in the rock and adobe to see the outside, but the walls seem to be fairly sturdy.
The wheel was powered by water that was channeled to the site from nearby Carrizo Creek by a viaduct, parts of which can still be found today. The wood and metal wheel — more than 20 feet in diameter — was in bad repair when the Phillips family acquired the property in 1950. They rebuilt it with timbers from a nearby abandoned mine and put it back into operating condition. I remember its steadfast rotation during my years growing up in Ruidoso, kind of like those big clocks on large urban buildings that were a reassuring reminder that things were always in motion but running smoothly.
But now, according to Michael Clements, the wheel in need of another restoration.
“It’s more bolts than wood,” he lamented.
I’d strongly recommend going to the website devoted to restoring the Old Mill to learn more about it and its history. Here’s the website:
There are a couple of videos on the website you can watch and there is a link for making donations to the restoration project, which I also recommend.
The Clements say they hope the restoration work will be completed next year. If you’re driving through Ruidoso sometime next spring or summer, I recommend stopping by to see what it looks like and enjoy being in a building with a lot of character and history.
aero-cordero.com 