CANE HILL (KFSM)-- The Cane Hill Mill wheel was removed Monday (March 27) afternoon to kick off the wheel's restoration project.
A crew with a crane were on site along with various locals curious to see the historic wheel moved from its home of over 100 years.
Ed Marshall, the president of the Cane Hill Mill Wheel Restoration Association, said up to the moment the wheel was removed, he was worried something would have happened to it.
"Another good rain and that rock pillar would have come down as you saw," Marshall said. "It's coming apart. When we had the storm's last night, I thought please don't let us have five inches of rain."
Despite having a big crane on site, the wheel would not budge until a little work was done.
Some of the locals had to pry rocks away from the buckets of the wheel and even use a welding torch to cut some of the spokes.
Marshall explained there was a lot of dirt and rocks piled on the bottom of the wheel.
He said he was happy to finally see the wheel out of danger.
“I kept thinking, it’s been a long time since that wheel has seen that side of the ground," Marshall said. "I think we are going to be able to save as many spokes as we thought we would.”
After the wheel was removed, it was set on it's side for some of the locals to dismantle it.
Next is phase two of the five phase project.
“Rebuilding the buckets and it’s pieces is two," Marshall said. "Putting the slab is three. Four is rebuilding it on the slab so everybody can see it. It may be displayed there for a couple of years until they get the building finished. And five is seeing it picked up and put back in it’s place.”
Students with the agri program at Lincoln High School will assist in restoring various parts of the wheel.
Marshall said he hopes to have that phase done by October.