By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

County commissioners, on April 8, heard a progress report about two boardwalks that will enhance the experience of visiting Phelps Mill in central Otter Tail County. The location is north of the mill at wetlands near the Otter Tail River.

A boardwalk is an elevated walkway built with wooden planks which function as a low-water bridge that enables pedestrians to better cross wet, muddy or marshy lands.

 “The boardwalks should be usable at some point later this summer,” said Kevin Fellbaum, county parks and trails director. “We still need to finish some work on building access points up to the boardwalks and complete some other pathway and prairie restoration work as part of the project.”

The project engineer has determined that the contract with Otter Tail County and the prime contractor needs to be revised. 

“With the revision, we will have a better project that will fit in with the site conditions that are present on the Phelps property,” Fellbaum said.  

With that in mind, the five-person county board approved a work order change amounting to $26,925.

“The support piles that are being drilled into the wetlands, in order to hold up the boardwalks, need to be drilled to a deeper depth,” Fellbaum added, “in order to find more suitable material for anchoring.”

The additional funds approved by county commissioners cover the additional material costs needed to drill the piles down an additional 10 to 20 feet in some areas. No additional labor costs will be needed.

Fellbaum explained that the contractor was required to install deeper helix piles that include steel screw-in piling and ground anchoring systems used for building deep foundations. He added that the contractor is required to meet torque specifications related to achieving clamping force without damaging hardware or assembly.

Another project

near Phelps Mill

Repair plans for the Phelps Mill Store near the historic Phelps Mill are moving forward. The structure is owned by the residents of Otter Tail County. The store, used in previous years by visitors who purchased ice cream, pop, mill-related memorabilia and other items, is in dire need of repairs. 

“We have good plans in order to receive grants through the state of Minnesota, working in consultation with the state historical society,” said County Parks and Trails Director Kevin Fellbaum.

Once repairs are completed, county officials are confident that a renter will again operate the Phelps Mill Store and attract visitors. Repairs would not likely start until later this year.

The first step was to have architectural consultants verify existing conditions of the store, meet with the county building committee, provide information to the Minnesota State Historical Society and provide cost estimates for renovation. The county has contracted with Widseth, Smith and Nolting of Alexandria.

The mill itself, in recent years, underwent major repairs. Included was foundation restoration and repair work that retained as much of the building’s historic fabric as possible, stabilized the structure, and made significant repairs to preserve Phelps Mill well into the future.

Phelps Mill was in business from 1889 to 1939. It was designed to produce 60 to 75 barrels of flour per day. At the height of the wheat grinding season, 25 to 35 wagons loaded with stacks of wheat would line up outside the mill.