This house was built in the 1880s by one of James Newell's sons, Daniel, who (with his brother Douglas) started a sorghum mill on the property in 1890. Twenty-five workers lived in a bunkhouse built for them nearby, and Newell fed them in his home, with help from a hired girl. In 1896, Newell's sorghum was producing an average of 165 gallons to the acre. The mill, which shipped most of its sorghum to Waterloo, was closed in about 1905. The farm is still in use as a private residence.