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RC&D Grant Aids Historic Grist Mill Restoration
the Old Cordova Grist Mill in Vadito, New Mexico |
Fitting in nicely with the mission of the Northern Rio Grande
Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council -- to foster social and
economic development for rural areas -- the Society for the Preservation of Old
Mills recently worked with the RC&D to repair and restore the Old Cordova Grist
Mill in Vadito, New Mexico.
The restoration project required that the mill be completely dismantled to
replace rotten beams and to pour new concrete footings. A new water wheel,
identical to the original which had completely deteriorated, was also built.
The Old Cordova mill was built about 100 years ago by Acorcinio Cordova to
produce coarse feed for animals and flour for the people in the region. Cordova
cut and hauled the logs to build the mill from the nearby mountains and
fashioned the millstones in Dixon and then hauled them 20 miles by horse cart to
the mill site.
Preservation of this small handmade grist mill contributes not only to the
economic history of northern New Mexico, but also provides a cultural asset for
the community of Vadito and surrounding area.
Your contact is David Manzanares, NRCS Northern Rio Grande RC&D Coordinator, at
505-753-6412, or david.manzanares@nm.usda.gov.
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