“Days Past” was taken on the Vermillion River in Hastings Minnesota. This wagon wheel and axle is located at the base of the Ramsey Mill ruins. The Ramsey Mill was built by Alexander Ramsey and Dr. Thomas Foster in 1856–1857. The Ramsey Mill was a 4 story grist mill with a maximum out put of 125 barrels of flour per day. They made their own barrels on site. On December 22, 1894, the building burned, possibly due to arson. The stone ruins still stand today.

A gristmill grinds cereal grain into flour and middling’s. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain