Eagle Point, Ore — It took mere minutes but by the time firefighters arrived it was already too late, the historic Butte Creek Mill was completely engulfed in flames.
143 years old, the historic Butte Creek Mill saw it’s last Christmas as a fire tore through, destroying nearly everything inside.
“All gone… you know… but great memories,” said Bob Russell, owner of the Butte Creek Mill.
Surveying the damage, Russell gathers what he can from a lifetime of collecting.
“Some illustrations by a real famous Oregon artist for a book, back in 1905,” said Russell, pointing out scraps from a burned out book.
Russell owned the historic Butte Creek Mill, the last of it’s kind west of the Mississippi, that is until a fire early Christmas morning.
“I put my slippers on and my jackets, and stepped out the front door of my home and I could see the mill on fire when I opened the door,” said Russell.
Jackson County Fire District 3 arrived within minutes, but it was too late, the fire overtook the building which sits on the national registry of historic places.
“Devastating day, not just for our family, but for the whole community,” said Bob Russell’s daughter Kristen Russell.
Kristen Russell says the blaze took a piece of history away from her family and their town.
“A lot of people have said, we’re lucky no one was hurt, and no lives were lost but the mill had a life of it’s own, and it will be missed by everyone,” said Russell.
While firefighters investigate the cause, the Russell family hopes to piece together what they can from the ashes.
“The mill was so dear and true to everyone’s heart, this is my dad’s life dream, and he’s put his heart and soul into the mill, literally,” said Kristen Russell.
“Personally, a big part of my heart, for sure,” said Bob Russell.
Russell says he hopes to salvage what he can and rebuild, even if all he has left are memories.
A donation fund has been set up for the Russell family and the Butte Creek Mill, you can help at ButteCreekMill.com
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.