In early February 1858, Colonel William A. Phillips, Alexander M. Campbell, and James Muir explored the banks of the Smoky Hill River while seeking a location for a townsite and drove the stakes to found Salina in this immediate area. The milling industry played a significant role in Salina's growth, and this millstone is believed to be the original stone from Phillips Mill, the first steam-powered grist mill in Salina, which opened in May 1861.