Bonneyville Mill: One of Northern Indiana's Historic Gristmills (HI-01)
Edward Bonney, a native of New York City, came west in 1830 and settled in northeastern Elkhart County. Two years later he built a dam of glacial cobbles and boulders across the Little Elkhart River about 3 miles east of Bristol and erected a flouring mill. In 1837 he added a sawmill, and hoping to establish a town there, he named the small settlement Bonneyville. But he had to sell his holdings in 1842 when a federal marshal accused him of counterfeiting, although he was later cleared of these charges. The old mill was modernized in 1897. During 1918 electric generators were installed, and for several years hydroelectric power was sold locally.

In the late 1960's the Elkhart chapter of Michiana Watershed, headed by conservationist Mrs. Chauncey E. Baldwin, raised money by popular subscription. The mill and 155 acres were purchased and given to the Elkhart County Park Department for a historical park.

Our Hoosier State Beneath Us: Historical