Gays Mills, Crawford County WI

Gays Mills, Wisconsin, was founded by James B. Gay, a civil engineer who established a sawmill and dam on the Kickapoo River in 1847. The town's name honors James and his brothers, who later helped develop the area with a flour mill and the First Congregational Church. The town is now known for its apple orchards, which became prominent after early farmers showcased their apples at the State Fair and a national apple show.

Gays Mills Apple Orchards


Gays Mills Apple Orchards


Historical Marker: Gays Mills Apple Orchards ~ Farmers in this area learned early that the land on both sides of the Kickapoo River offered excellent conditions for apple-growing.  In 1905 John Hays and Ben Twining collected apples from eight or ten farms around Gays Mills for exhibit at the State Fair.  The exhibit won first prize, then went on to capture first honors in a national apple-show in New York. This experience prompted the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society to urge a project of "trial orchards" around the state to interest growers in commercial production. The Society examined  site on High Ridge and planted five acres with five recommended varieties. By 1911 the orchard had grown so vigorously that an organization was formed in Gays Mills to promote the selling of orchards. Today more than a thousand acres here produce apples nationally known for their color and flavor.


 Gays Mills Mill


Methodist Church in Gays Mills WI


Haggerty Store in Gays Mills WI



Birdseye view of Gays Mills WI

About 1948