GRIST MILLS

“Out There” again, cruising the back country roads with my camera looking for Historic buildings that are all over my area, I came across the old Dreibelbis Grist Mill that was built in 1854.  This Mill once supplied Corn Meal & Flour to the area’s near-by.  It stayed in operation until 1984 until it got to expensive to operate by today’s standards.  The original machinery is still inside.

Behind the 2 story Mill is where the water entered the building to drive the Water Wheel that powered the machinery to make flour & Corn Meal.  If you look at the bottom near the center you see a round opening.  This is where water entered from a Mill Pond.  Now, almost covered over it’s hard to see what it once was.

Located just behind the Mill here is what remains of the Mill Pond that stored water for the Wheel.  You can always tell just where the Pond was because it always leaves a sign in the shape of a round circle or square.  Mill Ponds like this were supplied with a steady water supply from a near-by creek or river.  In this case, the water entered the Pond in the rear.  The Stone in the foreground is where the water entered the Mill.

Hidden by growth of weeds, this is where water entered the Mill.  Known as a Mill Race.  It got it’s name from the water “racing” into the Mill.  Thus the name.  There is no water here anymore.

Back in the early day’s there was no fancy machinery to lift goods in and out of the Mill.  Everything had to be done by hand or use a 2-block hoist.  Located at the top is where a Hoist was installed to do the lifting.  The 2-block Hoist was made of wood & had hemp rope for the pulley’s.  This is the reason for the small roof at the top to keep it covered.

The Old Mill from a different view.  The electric that you see did not exist back then.  All of that was installed later on when a electric generator supplied power to the Mill, thus ending the Water Wheel.

Most all of the Mills around my area are just like this one.  Some are smaller.  Some are bigger.  All of them were powered in the same way with water!  There were quite a few of them.  Some are gone to History.  Other’s remain to this day.