HUTCHINSON, Kan. – An enthusiastic group gathered Wednesday morning in front of Ye Old Mill on the Kansas State Fairgrounds to celebrate the official kickstart of the Ye Old Mill Preservation and Renewal Campaign.
Bridgette Jobe, Director of the Kansas Tourism Division, presented a check to the Kansas State Fair in the amount of $99,000-an Attraction Development Grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce. The presentation of the check was a launching pad for the fundraising campaign to preserve one of the Kansas State Fair’s most iconic attractions.
Built in 1913 and opened in 1915, Ye Old Mill shares memories with many Kansans. Kansas State Fair Board Vice President Holly Lofton says people love this piece of history at the fair: “People will say, ‘Oh! I had my first kiss there,’ or they’ll say, ‘My grandparents took me there, that’s one of my first memories of the fair,’ I mean, just, all kinds of things.”
Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz shared some of the details of the project, “We know that the canal leeches water out, it’s a concrete canal. So we want to get that all re-epoxyed, so the water doesn’t leak out. We know the roof needs a little assistance, but the biggest piece is the boats and the launching systems.” He emphasizes “Everything is still safe and secure, we just want to make it, for the next 100 plus years, for somebody else to enjoy.” Schulz says the boats are likely the original boats from 1913, and he is excited to preserve the attraction for future generations.
The Kansas State Fair and the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation are now inviting individuals, families, and businesses to help preserve Ye Old Mill. The significant grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce helped to launch the Ye Old Mill Preservation and Renewal Campaign, and they are excited to keep the attraction running for many more years.
Schulz says they hope to have the project completed for the 2027 Kansas State Fair. Find more information on the Kansas State Fair’s Website. KansasStateFair.gov
