Zedler Mill

In 1874, three young men from Tennessee started working on the mill dam on the San Marcos River near the small community of Luling, Texas. These three men, Leonidas Hardiman, James Merriweather and his brother John Merriweather built the original mill. The San Marcos River was a great source of power but the destruction it caused during the flash floods caused the mill dam to be rebuilt several times. A grist mill was built to provide the residents with fresh cornmeal, as well as a cotton gin. The area of Luling yielded many cotton crops back in the day. Hardiman and the two Merriweather brothers had the Orchard and Company install a water wheel at the mill in 1883. This gave Luling enough water to supply homes and businesses. A few years later, the property was purchased from the Merriweather brothers and Hardiman by four men. These men were Bob Innes, Joh Orchard, J.K. Walker, and Fritz Zedler. Fritz Zedler ran the mill. Zedler had about 12 years experience working in mills, so he added several new installations, one of which was a sawmill. Fritz Zedler later bought out his partners in 1888. He continued to add to the mill and made his oldest son Berthold a partner in the fall of 1888. On October 15, 1888 the three story gin burned to the ground. The Zedlers had no fire protection or insurance. But all was not lost, as the people of Luling rose to help their good friend. According to a local, the city was going to tear down this old mill until someone bought it. They have since restored it, added a new roof, painted it, and now it's a tourist attraction.