The Lidke Mill (1857, 1917) is located 1 mile north of downtown on Willard Street. The stone mill building and its dam were constructed in 1857 on the Upper Iowa River. The mill was initially planned as a sawmill; late in 1860 it was converted to process flour. The mill burned in 1894, and it was rebuilt to produce cattle feed. The dam was also rebuilt. An electric dynamo was added in 1915; this and the other machinery are still in place. As it exists today the building is a two-story brick structure with a gable roof. There are many small round windows on the second floor and the gable ends. Later modifications and additions included several metal-roofed canopies and entrances.
Another ode to technology in Lime Springs is the A and K Elevator No. 3 (c. 1970), located on the south end of town, off Iowa 157. It is pure high-tech, composed of Butler cylindrical storage units above which appears a fascinating composition of metal tubes, stairs, catwalks, and supports.
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