JOLLY MILL NEAR PIERCE CITY, MISSOURI

On the cool morning of September 26, 2010, the Rebel Car Club and some friends convoyed over to a park near Pierce City. It was purchased in 1983 by The Jolly Mill Park Foundation and was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in that same year. It was built in 1848 by Thomas and John Isabell. It was known as "Isabell's Distillery". The village of Jollification thrived as a rest stop and resupply point for westward bound wagon trains to Kansas and Indian Territory.

The area was the scene of two clashes during the War Between the States. Bushwhackers terrorized and burned the village but spared the distillery. In 1872, the railroad into Indian Territory ended the need for the wagon trains. When mill owner, George Isabell, refused to pay the new tax on spirits, he closed the distillery but continued to mill flour. The village faded but the name "Jolly Mill" became commonly used by the year 1894. The mill was improved and continued to mill flour until the 1920's. It continued to grind grist until 1973.

Now it is an out of the way park that is a beautiful back drop for pictures and a quite place to picnic and play.