Big 'Un: Beauty Outside. Beast Inside.

I think the hardest building to tackle was the largest barn on the property that we refer to as Big 'Un, named after one of the men who worked at the Mill a long time ago. We've been told it stored big equipment for years and that it may have been built in the 50's. We just don't know.

Here's a view of Big 'Un from the parking lot during construction.

But what we do know is that it's a beast of a building where even heavy equipment feels dwarfed. 

We wanted to keep the original steel structure. But we went through multiple renditions over the years until we saw a building in California that was the same shape as our building but a contemporary version that spoke to us.

 So, we pulled off all the galvanized tin, cut out the front steel supports and installed an entire East facing wall of steel windows to bring a new life to this great old workhorse of a building.

Buda Gin Co.'s Brick Cotton Gin and some of its history

Reading "Celebrating 125 years: Buda, Texas (1881 - 2006) has provided a lot of what we know about Buda Mill & Grain Co.'s history - specifically the brick building that was used a the cotton gin.

"In Buda's first 50 years of existence, cotton was the big cash crop of nearly every rural resident...It was a cash crop, but it was also labor intensive from the spring until harvest time in the early fall. David Crews built the first area cotton gin before there was a Buda. In 1890, the Farmers Alliance built a gin at the extreme end of Main Street, with Bob Barton (there have been wo Bob Bartons since that time) as general manager...The Alliance ran the gin for about 25 years...In 1915 the board voted to sell the gin to Mountain City native Will Barber, who was the president of the State Bank and Trust Company. New equipment and a modern brick building was added and Barber brought in his first cousin, Henry Barton, as partner. The gin was operated another 22 years before the boll weevil and the Great Depression put all of the Buda gins out of business."

Megan Jogerson North wrote us to let us know what she'd discovered while researching the history of the San Marcos Brick Cotton Gin Building. The owner of the Farmer's Union Gin Company (in San Marcos), Oscar Calvin Smith supervised the construction of the Buda Gin for local owner R.C. Barton who wanted the Buda Gin to be built just like the one in San Marcos.  Mr. Barton arranged for the laborers and the materials and Mr. Smith saw to the construction of an exact replica.

Megan also explained that the Buda Gin was built in the early Texas architectural style with a very definite German influence, which is evidenced in the arches over the casement windows and the rose windows in each side wall, as well as the massive, well constructed walls which were hand-made bricks rather than the more commonplace stone. 

Sun coming in from one of the two circular windows in the building. We've never learned if there was a functional reason for them so if anyone knows, we'd love to hear about it. 

As we were working on a permit set for the building, a representative from Butler Brick came out to look at the building since we needed to know what the insulating factor of the brick walls were. He explained that the bricks were definitely from the Zilker Park location of Butler Brick and built in a brick formation called a Flemish bond. We learned that a Flemish Bond is rarely used today on new modern buildings because it requires great attention to detail.

 When we started seriously looking at the Mill in 2011 and considering renovation of the current buildings, we'd never paid much attention to the building hidden by four of the smaller silos. But, as we slowly cleaned up the site, the beauty of the building that was the cotton gin became clear.Besides saving the original equipment we found, we also saved the original steel trusses.  

And finally the renovations have been completed this year. 

THE OLD FEED STORE

Livengood's Feed  ran the old feed store at Buda Mill & Grain Co. for years along Main Street in downtown Buda.  And, to this day, we still get calls for baby chicks or horse feed. Google still wants to know how much feed we sell annually. And most of the locals we’ve spoken with over the years, have incredibly fond memories of coming to the feed store and buying feed - which was such an integral part of living in a rural community.

Trucks pulled up to the two loading docks and picked up feed.

And underneath the wonderfully thick wooden floors were the concrete vats filled with molasses. As soon as you walked in, you were hit with that wonderful smell of hay, feed, and history. The building was made up of several pole barns with walls lined with pine. For the foundation, the old building sat on cedar posts or uneven concrete blocks.

When our structural engineer looked at it, he shook his head. Between all the damage from rain over the years and the unstable foundation, we weren't able to renovate the space and bring it up to code.

So, we did what we could to save the parts and pieces. We salvaged the wood floors and the wood shiplap. The wood from the floors was re-milled and used in Buda Bike Co. and Stella’s Boutique. We kept the roof pitches as close to original. We added more 6” x 6” poles in one of the retail space that has been leased by Assemblage Gallery in memory of the old poles in the feed store. And, we made sure that you could still see the old brick building next door with its brick purchased from Butler Brick.

And now the old feed store has found a new life. Ellipsis Boutique has moved into the Southern end and Okami Ramen hopes to open this Summer on the North corner. 

Uncovering bits and pieces of history at the Mill

For the past five years, we have walked by the brick building trying to discern what the words  on the wall said. We knew it said something, but just couldn't figure it out. 

Meanwhile, as we've been finalizing the next phase of development, we've been finding more of the old rails as we've trenched for wastewater or electrical. Many are now in use as car stops and show dates from 1916. But, we still had piles of them left. We'd placed them next to the railroad tracks hoping that Union Pacific might pick them up since we'd heard that it was illegal to take them to the scrap yard. But, we had to do something with them so no one tripped over them once we opened the parking lot.

After contacting Union Pacific, they started a search for any contract they showed up in their database for the property. After a week or so, they came back and said that they'd found a contract between Buda Gin Co. and Union Pacific dated 1911. The rails belonged to Union Pacific but after such a long time, they gave them to us so we could recycle them.

FINALLY, as we walked by the brick building following that conversation, we realized what the words said - UDA GIN CO. The B had slowly disappeared. What a wonderful piece of history for Buda Gin Co. that Henry Barton and Will G. Barber started in 1911 at the Mill property.

America's Next Great Metropolis Is Taking Shape In Texas, according to Forbes Magazine

Click on the link below to read the recent article in Forbes Magazine, "The Next Great American Metropolis is taking Shape" about the Austin to San Antonio Corridor. 

In fact, there is no regional economy that has more momentum than the one that straddles the 74 miles between San Antonio and Austin. Between these two fast-growing urban centers lie a series of rapidly expanding counties and several smaller cities, notably San Marcos, that are attracting residents and creating jobs at remarkable rates.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2016/10/13/the-next-great-american-metropolis-is-taking-shape-in-texas/#2488ff405bce

The Hay Barn

One of the things we have loved most about renovating Buda Mill & Grain over the past five years have been the stories people bring us about their memories of the Mill. Many locals have reminisced about growing up in Buda and coming to the feed store.  Local Billie Grey remembered that the Mill was the first business to receive the telephone in Buda even before the doctor's office or the grocery store, pointing out the Mill's importance in the community. Another local explained just how hot it was the summer his job was cleaning out the insides of the big silos.   

One of my favorite stories came from Mr. Doherty who grew up on the Mill property in the little white house next to Sac N Pac. His father worked at the Mill and his father could remember when there was a dairy in the back south acre at a time when Buda had up to 150 local dairies.  One of Mr. Doherty's favorite memories was about the Hay Barn (304 S Main Street).  We hadn’t known what the long pole barn was used for until he told us that the feed company, Buda Milling Co. stored their hay there. But the best part of his recollection was that they also stored the corn cobs in the Hay Barn after the corn had been cut off for feed. He explained that sometimes they would have corn cob fights along Main Street in the 50's. He laughed as he pointed out just how much it hurt to be hit in the back with a flying corn cob.

When we started renovations, the Hay Barn was being rented by a man who did car repairs. After this tenant left, we removed the tin siding, trying to save the original pole barn structure. We tried multiple ways to keep the poles but the creosote coating was just too toxic to save.

Here are a few pictures of what the Hay Barn used to look like before the renovations.

The back side of the Hay Barn

Pole Barn

Opening on South end of building.

The original pole barn structure

The back of the Hay barn with the old lift system still in place that was used for dumping grain. We were told that it lifted the front wheels of the truck, dumping the grain from out of the back into a large concrete subterranean tank.

When we designed the new space, we kept the original foot print of the old barn and the same ridge height of the building so it would mirror the original building. We wanted to keep large posts in the building as a reminder of the history of the pole barn structure. And the new window on the south end, looking out at the silos, is a reference to the door opening from before. 

Nate's & the Hay Barn renovated

The building we call Alex Gloria's

Alex Gloria rented a space at the Mill for years. Often you could see him sitting out under one of the huge old oak trees talking with fellow renters or working on a car. He knew my father, Jack Dahlstrom and had sat under that same tree with him shooting the breeze many years ago. He still remembered my Dad's logic in cutting the middle out of the trusses of that building so that he could fit heavy construction equipment into it. Hearing him talk about my Dad just adds another layer to all the memories we've heard about at the Mill.

South end of the building and a look at the interior structure of the pole barn. Great texture on the old tin. And, Willie's Joint used some of the tin to make their new bar outside. It looks great. You should check it out!

Carefully removing the tin for another use.

Removed all the tin siding for other purposes.

Alex Gloria's is another pole barn building and part of the larger pole barn building known as the Hay Barn. We tried saving some of posts by leaving it in place so people would know what it had looked like before and have a sense of the history of the barn. However, whatever the poles were dipped in smelled so toxic once we'd insulated the new building, we had to remove them. Instead we've lined many of the walls in Alex Gloria's with wood that was taken out of one of the southern buildings. It had originally been flooring in a building that couldn't be salvaged, so we carefully pulled it up, stacked it, and took it to Vintage Mill, in East Austin to be re-milled. We can't wait to hear what people think. 

Old wood flooring was salvaged from 306 S Main and taken to Vintage Mills to be milled.

New Interior of Alex Gloria's. Reclaimed wood, milled at Vintage Mills, East Austin.

Stella's Women's Fashion Consignment Boutique moved in August, 2016 and has been busy ever since!

Recent Articles about Buda

Buda keeps coming up the news recently. Here are a few of the latest articles in case you haven't seen them. 

"Population boom predicted for Buda,"

http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/san-marcos-buda-kyle/population-boom-predicted-for-buda/

“Buda Leads in Sales Tax Revenue Per Capita and Overall Growth in 2014 Among Largest Hays County Cities,”

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs158/1112401452587/archive/1119670071630.html

"Behind the Populist Donut: What's Driving growth in Austin Suburbs?"

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2015/01/30/behind-the-population-doughnut-whats-driving.html?utm_source=Buda+EDC+Economic+Report+-+February+2015&utm_campaign=Feb+15+Economic+Report&utm_medium=email

“2015 to bring retail boom to Buda”

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/01/14/2015-to-bring-retail-boom-to-buda/21774605/?utm_source=Buda+EDC+Economic+Report+-+February+2015&utm_campaign=Feb+15+Economic+Report&utm_medium=email

I think it's time to replace some of the electrical and maybe a few other things...

We started upgrading the site infrastructure in November, 2014 after working with the civil engineer at Hollingsworth Pack.  Here are a few pictures of what the site looked like since everything is underground at this point. First thing to go in was the new wastewater line and manholes , as shown below, for the entire site.

Trenching for the 12" water line that will ultimately connect to the Buda water tower.

The contractor had to work around the old scale concrete housing to install the 12" water line.

Quickly following wastewater,  we had  50% of the 12" water line installed. We're still waiting to install the remaining portion once we have permission from the railroad to bore beneath the tracks so we can connect the line with the water tower. As the construction company trenched, they came across the old concrete housing that had held the second scale on the property. Pieces of history keep surfacing. With the wet utilities completed, the contractors started trenching so that all the electric would be placed underground. Now we can finally get rid of all the telephone poles running through the property. When Counterpoint Gas came on the property to install the gas line, having never seen gas pipe installed,  I had been expecting large cast iron pipes. Instead a very flexible yellow pipe was unrolled and quickly installed.  Finally paving is about to begin. Hopefully everyone has started to notice the changes happening at the Mill.

Trenching for the electrical lines by the Doherty House, one of the buildings on the Mill property. 

Electrical lines heading to a pad-mounted transformer

A very wet January for construction

Yellow pipe for the gas line through the property.

"start up" money

These days you hear of people going to sites like gofundme.com or kickstarter.com when they are looking to raise start up money.  Saenger had started working at the Mill six months  before I did and one of the first things he did was to go talk with the Buda Economic Development Corporation. When we started looking at renovating the Mill, we'd intended to start small. Saenger had started talking with Warren Ketteman with the Buda EDC right from the beginning and received a $5,000 EDC grant for exterior improvements to 302 S. Main Street. The grant money was used towards a new tin roof  in an effort to repair the old one that had been leaking for years.

Still in need of funding, we began to search for alternative methods in order keep moving forward. At this point, we turned our attention to the Dahlstrom Ranch and to what my mother referred to as "Jack's jewels." These "jewels" turned out to be a graveyard of old construction equipment.  In the late 1980s, my father's construction company, Dahlstrom Corporation,  began to experience financial difficulties. Ultimately, by the mid-1990's, my parents were shutting down construction jobs and closing the business. However, my father, Jack Dahlstrom, refused to let go of some of the equipment that he had amassed over the years. Instead he brought it out to the ranch where for the next 20 years it proceeded to rust and fall apart.

Fortunately, steel prices were high in 2012. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months as we met different crews out at the ranch as they torched and cut up the old equipment  or tried to dig out the old the trailers or trucks to repair. Some locals purchased some of the more functional pieces such as the old bridge forms. It was a win win situation for us.  Ultimately, Saenger sold all the equipment that Dad had left on the ranch so we could keep moving along with the renovations and my mom was thrilled to have the pastures cleaned up after such a long time.

In 2013,  we were looking for assistance again. Conversations with the Ann Miller, the new Executive Director of the Buda EDC, were initiated about  economic development incentives for the Mill. The City of Buda and the Buda Economic Development Corporation had been working together and on July 1, 2014, unanimously approved Buda Mill & Grain  to receive sales and property tax rebates over a ten-year period. The Mill is required to maintain ten full-time positions, as well as generate sales tax revenue. (Press Release: buda approves economic development incentives for three projects, http://budaedc.com/news/press-release-buda-approves-economic-development-incentives-three-projects.) We are so appreciative not only for the City of Buda's and the EDC's support but also their belief in the renovation of the Mill as much as we do!  Now with funding and support from Business Bank of Texas, we are on our way! 

The Metal Shed

In Central Texas, one of the most iconic building styles  is the metal shed. And, at the Mill, we are fortunate to  have multiple versions of this simple shape.

When the city of Buda requested a master site plan back in 2011, we shifted gears from our original intention of making small renovations to one building at a time. Instead, we started to envision what ALL the metal buildings would ultimately look like.

First,  we began to take into account what was important to us. We understood the Mill's historic importance to the life of Buda's early settlers. Local Billie Grey, a previous mayor of Buda, had mentioned early on that the Mill was the first to get a telephone when service was offered in Buda. We knew we wanted to keep the original footprint of the buildings to preserve as much as we could.  We also wanted to enhance the Mill's intrinsic simplicity. 

We knew we wanted to maintain the basic barn shapes of each building except for the building my mother referred to as 'the shed'. In her memory of the Mill, it was always used to store equipment.  When we started looking at the bones of the building, we learned that it was built as a pole barn which are barns built from treated poles (in our case, telephone poles) that are anchored into the ground with cement and then sheet metal would be added for the walls. Traditionally these buildings were used to house animals, equipment and hay. It is one of two pole barns on the property.  The other is the long barn that the hay was originally stored in, that we naturally refer to as the 'hay barn'.

Old pole barn shed that was taken down

Driving and photographing old mill near LaMesa, Tx

When we  came across a multiple pitched roof buildings near LaMesa, TX that became the inspiration for the new building (302 S Main, Suite 103) that we feel bridges the old with the new, still keeping that basic Central Texas metal shed close to heart.

The new 'shed' shown here just days before the asphalt is to be poured.

Just finished installing the operable screen. Willow Gardens Hot Yoga moved in October, 2015.

The transformation of the 'old office'

Above is one of the best photos we've come across of the Mill. I guess we liked it so much because we didn't instantly recognize where the building was on the property. Then, we recognized the stone porch in the photo was the exact same stone porch on 302 S Main. Then we discovered the huge storage space beneath the porch that had originally been storage for the molasses to mix into the feed for the surrounding dairies.  You could still smell the molasses that was stored there and when we started construction for parking, we came across a pipe running to the building that was still filled with molasses after all those years. 

​Gay and Jack Dahlstrom, moved their office down to the Mill after my grandfather, Cecil Ruby, died in 1993. And Gay took all of her family treasures - the old Victorian furniture that belonged to the Ruby's back in the 20's, photos of her children, and of course, the standard Texas ornament of a deer head or two. They worked there until it was renovated in 2012. 

In 2010, we replaced the leaking roof. 

In November, 2013 Salon One 12 moved in and has been busy ever since.

Gay Ruby Dahlstrom 1930 - 2014

Gay Ruby Dahlstrom, wife, mother, entrepreneur and self-employed business woman, died Monday, December 8, of complications with pneumonia. She was born Eloise Gay Ruby ("Babe" to her family) in Lockhart, Texas at her grandparents' home on April 2, 1930. In 1937, she moved to Buda with her parents, James Cecil Ruby and Louise Walter Ruby, and older brother, James Cecil Ruby Jr. ("Bubba"). Her father was a local rancher and road contractor.

She attended Buda School where she met her future husband, Jack Dahlstrom, who was in the third grade as she was entering second grade. Her junior year she was voted Most Popular Girl and she and Jack were elected King and Queen of the Prom. Her senior year, she was responsible, with support from Jack and her parents, for publishing the first Buda High school annual. Gay went on to attend the University of Texas until she and Jack married in Buda at the Christian Church on April 18, 1948. A year later they started their family. Cecilia, Jack and Cynthia were born in Buda and Dodi was born in Van Horn ten years later.

The family moved forty times in the first 10 years as a result of Jack's work in road construction in south and west Texas. After living in San Antonio for five years, the family moved to Dallas where they lived for almost 30 years. During those Dallas years, Gay devoted her energy to volunteer leadership at Preston Hollow Methodist Church. As a lover of learning, even though she was disappointed not to complete her degree at UT, Gay realized she had completed her undergraduate work in the Methodist Church where she learned about mental illness, old age, counseling and program development.

From 1982-1991, she entered her entrepreneurial years with partner Mary Kappel in their joint venture, Kapstrom Inc. They developed and marketed internationally their educational software, known as "Writing in Thinking". Gay saw these years as work towards a graduate degree in business.

As Jack's road business worsened, Jack and Gay moved to Buda in 1989, where she became more actively involved in the lawsuits surrounding the demise of the road construction business which she closed in 1997. Gay and Jack retired to ranching life on her beloved home place, the Dahlstrom Ranch, land inherited from her parents. Gay cared for Jack as his health failed.

Next, in an effort to preserve the ranch, she and son Jack Jr. spent five years moving the ranch into a conservation easement which happened in 2010. ** See Texas Monthly Article, "Lands That I Love" (January 2010) about the Dahlstrom Ranch

http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/lands-i-love/page/0/1

Continuing in her desire to preserve her father's legacy, in 2011 she moved into her next business endeavor with daughter, Dodi, and grandson, Saenger. Their goal was the re-development of the historic Buda Mill and Grain property on Main St. in Buda that her father had owned since 1963. Gay was proudly self employed there until her death, having completed her life long education.

She is survived by son Jack Jr., daughters Cecilia, Cynthia and Dodi, son-in-laws, Clay and Mel, seven grandchildren, two step grandchildren, four great grandchildren and two step great grandchildren.

Gay's parting wisdom to us: "As I grow older, I reflect, and learn some truths; almost everything in life is a decision. To be happy, I must decide to be happy. And therefore, I am."

All in the family - a team of three

In 2010, we came together as a multi-generational team made up of my mother, Gay Dahlstrom, myself, and my son Saenger Ellis. And, with that, we each brought our own unique perspectives and talents. My mom just  wanted to take care of and nurture the property she had loved for so long.  Saenger saw the potential of developing the property that is so close to Austin.  And, I wanted to work on the designs of the old barns. We are now heading into year four and have discovered that it's the unexpected collaboration between the three of us that means so much and that has been so much fun. 

Owner Gay Dahlstrom 

Dodi Dahlstrom Ellis & Saenger Ellis in front of the old silo's

In the midst of revival, former mill sets on to take on new life in downtown Buda

Great article on the Mill!

https://communityimpact.com/austin/city-county/2014/08/18/in-the-midst-of-revival-former-mill-set-to-take-on-new-life-in-downtown-buda-2/

Again,  the re-development of the mill would never have happened without my Mother's vision that the Mill has something great to offer the surrounding community. She fell in love with the Mill when she inherited it in the 90's and held onto it through good times and bad. And, she continues to be the one that guides Saenger and myself through the process.

The renovation of Cecil Ruby's old office

By 2010, it had been quite a while since Buda Mill & Grain had had much attention and many of the buildings were run down. First thing we needed was to replace the roof since we'd been living with a leak in the old office for a while. We had only intended to replace the roof.  But, after the roof, new siding was long due since most of the siding had deteriorated badly over the years. 

One day in the summer of 2011, Dolores Diaz knocked on our old office's door, looking for a space with a small commercial kitchen so she could bake cakes. We knew just the space for her. My grandfather, Cecil Ruby, had used the lower space of the building as his office since 1963 when he purchased the mill and now it was no longer being used. Renovations to his office soon began to make room for a small commercial kitchen.

Deteriorating siding around the old office

Replaced the old tile roof with a metal roof.

New windows that gave the space a feeling of openness offer a great view of Main Street.  The new overhead trellis added to the feeling that you were entering the Mill property when you walked three blocks from historic downtown. Renovation of the space was finally complete when we removed the old scale and created an outdoor seating area for the bakery.

 We thought Dolores would be a perfect tenant. Someone who could start capturing local attention to the mill. In January 2012, Dolores moved in and locals keep stopping by whether it's  for carrot cake or tres leche! 

Working on the  future patio

Testing the strength of the overhead trellis.

         Wonderful cakes and cupcakes at Sweet Cakes 4 U

Sweet Cakes 4 U open for business!

Nate's Building

There’s something magical about the simplicity of a barn. But sometimes the beauty found in simplicity only begins to reveal itself once a lot of hard work goes into the editing. Once we'd finished working on the buildings at 302 S Main that now house Salon One 12 and Sweet Cakes 4 U, we moved into renovating what we all refer to as 'Nate’s, one of three metal barns on the property. Nate had been the last tenant in that building and even stayed on to work with us on the renovation of several of the other buildings

Before we started in 2012, you could still see remnants of the barn's old working life storing grain for the feed mill in the 40's and 50's. Steel augers ran through the concrete floor as well as overhead weighing upon the truss work. The augers were used to move the grain through the buildings. Stains of tools and gears past left their rusty prints in the concrete while the overhead trusses carried the patina of the decades in use (along with a lot of dust.)  

We'd come to love the old interior wood walls and decided to replicate them elsewhere in the ceilings.  We simplified the trusses to add a more open feel.  By adding the cupola and the two walls of windows/doors, soft natural light now fills the space, illuminating the spare bones of the the old barn.

Nate's Truck and equipment before moving everything out

Original truss work

Installing banks of windows

Now, we just need a parking lot! - 2014

And here with the new parking! Nate's opens this April, 2016!

Where do we start?

When people ask us what's been taking us so long, I look back at these pictures we took in 2010.  And, I try to remember that we wanted to recycle and reuse as much as possible. Just a few words that describe hours of work. Starting back in 2010, owner Gay Dahlstrom, her daughter, Dodi (me), and her grandson, Saenger agreed to start renovating the mill. We started walking around the old mill to decide what should stay and what should go as we considered re-developing the site that the owner's father bought in 1962.

First thing we decided was to remove the four of the smaller steel silos. Saenger found a company that would demo out the silos in return for the steel. So, the silos were cut up, lifted out and crushed so they could be recycled. The brick building, that had housed the cotton gin since 1914, could be seen again. The old scale house was disassembled and the materials were re-used on someone else's ranch. The old scale, located to the north of the current bakery, was removed and scrapped.  Piles added up as steel posts, old galvanized tin, pieces of cars, bits of machinery, hundreds of tires were separated for recycling. Brush piles grew as the site was cleared down to the bare bones so we could only see the original footprint of the Mill.

100 year old pine boards that lined the interior walls of some of the metal barns were saved. Unusable trusses were re-made into barn doors. Cedar fencing found new life in the ceilings. In just three years, after dragging, burning, scrapping, piling, selling and saving what we could, the fun can finally begin as we start renovating the old barns.

Cutting into the silo before removal

We used a crane to lift the old silos out and later crush them so they could be recycled.

The original 1914 brick cotton gin that sat for years behind the 4 smaller silos.

One of the two scales on the property. This one was located next to the current bakery.

The scale that was pulled out.

We had to demo out many of the pieces of auger that had originally moved the grain through the buildings, some were buried in the concrete floors or laying across the overhead trusses.

Old abandoned trucks where hauled off and sold.

The history of Buda Mill & Grain Co.

During the 1880's, local Sam Johnson, organized the Farmers Alliance in Buda . In 1890, a committee of these Alliance members (RC Barton, DC Burleson, WE Nelson, WW Andrews, Joe Biles, and MS Ward) founded  the first cotton gin (which later burnt down) to provide Buda with a mill and mercantile store. In 1911, the business was sold to Henry Barton and Will Barber for $7,000. One story tells, that In 1911, they built the Buda Go-op Gin at the extreme south end of Buda. They also built the first brick gin, constructed in 1914, on the Buda Mill & Grain Co.'s property and called it the Buda Gin Company, according to another source. It lasted into the late 1930's until the fall of cotton prices. 

With the demise of the local cotton crop, Mr. Barton sold the property to his brother-in-law, Mr. B Watson in 1929 and changed the name to the Buda Milling Company. He began to ground dairy feed for himself and his neighbors as well.  As business increased, additional equipment and grain elevators were added. The Watson family continued operations until selling the Mill to today's current owner's father, Cecil Ruby in 1963.  Ruby used the mill, in the early years of ownership, to store grain for the US government.  Once Gay Dahlstrom and her brother Jim Ruby inherited the Mill property in the 1990's, the buildings were leased out individually to local hobbyist until the start of the renovation in 2011. 

We've found photographs of the Mill from the 1980's, but would love it if anyone has pictures of it from before. It seems that everyone we talk with in Buda has some memory of either working at the Mill, cleaning out one of the silos in the summer or buying feed from the feed store and we would love to hear more about those memories. 

North Entrance into the Brick building which we plan to lease for a restaurant in the future.