More Images of Historical Millers, from old historical photos.
Interior of a Grist Mill in New Portland, Maine. The photograph was made by Chansonetta Emmons in the nineteen-teens, but it could have been taken fifty years earlier. The granite-faced farmers still brought their wheat and corn to the mill to be ground for their own use into flour and "Injun meal," and often paid the miller with a portion of produce rather than with cash or part of the meal. The farmer in the photograph has a turn of corn thrown over his shoulder, and is walking up the steps to the miller on the platform next to the millstones. The mill is full of all the interesting artifacts found in an actual operating grist and flour mill.
The Grist Mill of Samuel Burgess, Samuel W. Burgess maintained a grist mill and wagon works on Timber Creek from 1906 to 1917, the interior view of which is shown above. Howard County, Maryland State Archives, MSA SC 1477-6136.
First built by Orrin Thwing and destroyed by freshet in 1869. Rebuilt and run by his son Charles Thwing 1888-1946 using 15,000 bushels of grain per year. Thwing's Grist Mill on Water Street in Putney was built in 1870 by Orrin S. Thwing on the site of a former mill built by him which was swept away by the great freshet of 1869. The mill stones, scotch granite were made in Utica, NY. Were brought to this country as ballast in sailing ships. His son Charles L. Thwing purchased the mill from his father in 1888 and operated it until his death in 1946. A flood swept away his dam the day before his death.
Orrin S. Thwing built a grist mill, on the site of the present Thwing mill, at the lower end of Sackett's brook in the village, but it was swept off in the great freshet of 1869. He rebuilt the mill soon after and it is still standing at the present time. He had two runs of stones and ground about 15,000 bushels of grain per year. The mill stones he used were made in Utica, NY; out of Scoth granite. Charles L. Thwing, his son, purchased the mill from his father in 1888, and operated it until his death in 1946. He erected an elevator and storage rooms. HIs mill was a model of convenience and he did an excellent business. On an average, he sold more than three carloads a month, handled grains of all kinds, also special stock foods including cotton seed and gluten. A flood swept away his dam a day before his death. Photos taken in the nineteen-teens.
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