09/03/2026
I thought I better mention that next weekend you can get a close-up look at three mills in the Mora Valley (St. Vrain, La Cueva, and the Cleveland Roller Mill) as part of the 4th Annual Valley of the Mills Tour. It's presented by Houser Raspberry Ranch, and here's a little more info:
"In Mora Valley, 3 historic mills dating to the 1800s are coming together around a growing preservation effort that’s bringing one of New Mexico’s lesser-known stories back to life. On Labor Day weekend the 4th Annual Valley of the Mills Tour will give our community an exclusive and free opportunity to experience this revitalized history first-hand."
I believe there is a $10 admission to the Cleveland Roller Mill, but most of the activities are free. There's a pre-registration form you can find through the Valley of the Mills Tour website and I've posted that link in the comments.
Shown here is the Cleveland Roller Mill, in, fittingly enough, Cleveland, New Mexico. It's a three-story, water-powered, flour mill built out of adobe. Once a vital component of the region's wheat industry, the mill operated throughout the first half of the 20th century. Agriculture was king here then, and, in 1910, Mora County alone produced 500,000 bushels of wheat.
The mill has been exquisitely restored to functionality, but...only runs on Labor Day. So it's worth trying to make it next weekend! However, if you can't, it's also a museum, and last I heard you could visit during summer weekends between 10am and 3pm. It is well worth seeing the beautiful engineering that went into the mill. It's like touring the inside of a Swiss watch...if it ran with very long, leather belts and utilized gravity. Truly incredible!
