John James Audubon, the famed ornithologist and painter, came to Henderson in 1810 determined to make his fortune. He tried his hand at a number of businesses, initially meeting with some success. In 1816 he decided to undertake his most ambitious project, building a steam-powered saw-and-grist mill. Property at this location was leased from the city, and construction began in early 1816. The $15,000 project was ill-fated from the start with construction delays, cost overruns and frequent equipment breakdowns. The biggest problem however was Audubon's misjudging the market; there simply was not enough lumber to saw or wheat to grind to make the mill profitable. Audubon later referred to the business as "that infernal mill." The failure of the mill in 1819 left the family destitute, hastening Audubon's departure from the city.
Comments 0 comments