San Luis Flour Mill Grinding Stone

According to an article in the Colorado Magazine in 1923, the original mill was built sometime before 1886 by a Mr. St. Vrain and Harvey Easterday.  It was then bought by a Mormon organization who sold it to a Mr. Cohn and A. A. Salazar.

Marianne Stoller of Colorado Springs recalls her grandfather, William F. Parrish, lived in Conejos and worked for Lafayette Head in his flour mill.  He then moved to San Luis and was hired by A. A. Salazar to work in the San Luis Mill, and later bought the mill.

About 1914 or 1915, he built a new mill across the road from the old one.  The mills were originally run by water.  In the 1930s they were converted to electricity.  In 1958, the mill burned.  Mr. Parrish passed away in 1958.

The grinding stone shown above can be seen at the San Luis Valley History Museum in Alamosa.