Spring 2009
Well, if you missed our Chapter Meeting at Yates Mill, you missed a beautiful day at a beautiful park with a beautiful mill. Staff members were seated below a sign, well more of a banner, welcoming our Carolinas’ Chapter members. Our gracious host, Rebeccah Cope then greeted and showed us the visitor’s center, which is full of photos and displays on the restoration of Yates Mill into a County Park. We all gathered in a classroom where banana-cornmeal muffins, prepared by Jeanne, the Miller’s wife awaited us.
Business of the Chapter
After introductions of attendees discussion began on our local efforts to preserve the mills of the Carolinas. The latest listing for the North Carolina Mills was passed out for review and much needed field confirmation. A main goal this year is to get this list up to date, and take inventory of what we have. Our Chapter also discussed local efforts with SPOOM goals such as “every member get a member”. With over 250 standing mills in our two states, we would like to let these mill owners know of our efforts and get them to join our collective. Also discussed was how to get local and regional historical organizations involved in our efforts. Ideas and success stories involving grade school children, University students and departments, county history groups and folks interested in early technology were discussed. We would like to support SPOOM’s efforts to create National Milling Day (possibly around Oliver Evan’s birthday). Many good ideas and experiences where exchanged, including the influence of the trade in our everyday language with sayings such as “nose to the grindstone” and “I feel like I have been run through a mill”. We are going to compile a list of these for a future newsletter, so please send us your “sayings”.
After a informative mill technology tour it was back to the beautiful visitors center for lunch prepared by staff members Coley Houser & Katrina Fletcher. After which we were shared tentative plans for the 2010 National SPOOM conference schedule tentatively for September 29 through October 2. Some of the tentative subjects for workshops include “A-Maszing Grains – the Origins and History of Corn & Wheat”; Archival Treatment Methods for Preserving Mill Artifacts”; “Raising Friends and Then Funds For Your Mill” and technical workshops. Again, these are tentative, but you can see the time and effort Yates Mill is putting in to make a great conference next year. Make plans now to attend and help make this a successful conference.
hen, after a wonderful day, we had one more treat in store – touring the North Carolina State University Feed Mill. Located just down the road from Yates Mill, this was a time warp into modern milling practices. When Dr. Charles Stark, Department of Poultry Science, was asked how many people it took to operate this 5 story facility, he said with an internet connect “he could turn it on from China”. The quarter of million dollar computer system, could mix dozens of vitamins, supplements, and antibiotics in precise qualities into feed for chickens, cattle & marine farming. Tons can be ground and mixed in just minutes. The corn was process by either a hammer mill or a roller mill before mixing with the various supplements. Hopefully this glimpsed into modern milling can be included for the national meeting.
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More Spring 2009 Events
Chapter Meeting at Yates Mill Our chapter met on a beautiful Saturday morning We discussed our main goal this year, that is to get this list up to date and take inventory of what we have. We just recently obtained the NC State Archives list for mills from their survey of counties and we hope to coordinate our efforts in identifying preservation needs. See Celia Mills article on the inside for more details.
On the Inside In this shortened newsletter we have an update on Winebarger’s Mill located near Boone NC, and a feature article on Faucette Mill located outside of Hillsborough, NC. Also on the inside we have mills in the news and other interesting tidbits that have been forwarded on to me by members and other interested parties. Hydropower in the news. Noticed a couple of articles about hydropower in recent weeks. It generates 6% to 8% of our national electrical needs which accounts for three-quarters of renewable energy according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Allen Haneline of Millersville, NC is owner, operator and chief mechanic of a 90 year station on Lower Little River. A recent law dictates a growing role for renewals in North Carolina. |
. Listing of Carolinas’ Mills in Old Mill News This is the end result of a project that I have had on my mind for many years. The index for the Carolinas’ mills mentioned in Old Mill News is included in the issue. I know the national organization has been discussing this idea for a while and, boy is their work cut out for them. I ended up copying all “mentions” of these mills, to be included in my county by county research, which came to over 230 pages! There are some interesting aspects that came out of this that have probably been lost, or just never noticed. For instance, the Old Mill of Guilford (Bailes Old Mill) has been noted to be the oldest continuing operating mill in the country in several early issues, and was not disproved in following issues. So, I guess it is actually the oldest continuing operating mill in the Unites States! It is also fascinating to follow the progress of on many successful restoration projects including Murray’s Mill, West Point of the Eno Mill, Gilliam Mill, Hagood Mill, Yates Mill and more recently Francis Mill. It is also sad to see the passing of so many mills including Perry’s Mill and Taylor’s Mill in the eastern part of North Carolina.
Carolinas Chapter – SPOOM President – Chuck Ketchie, Charlotte , NC Vice President – Alan Warner, Pickens , SC Secretary – Paul Beatty, Maiden, NC Treasurer – Tim Todd, Greenville , SC
Directors H Leroy Stewart, Six Mile, SC Sidney Halma, Newton , NC Rebeccah Cope, Raleigh , NC
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Winter 2009 By Chuck Ketchie, President The Carolinas Chapter is finishing up the Fall Newsletter. The Spring edition finished listing the
Information has already been pulled for our newest project – References to Carolina Mills from the pages of Old Mill News, all the way back to issue number 1. Well over 250 pages have been copied and it is astounding the amount of information that our quarterly Journal has produced in 35 years. Once organized, this will be provided in the center pull-out section of the next couple of newsletters and will provide a wealth of source material (and history) of the Carolina Mills. One mill in SC was even uncovered that is not on our mill list for the state and, mentioned several times, was that the Old Mill of Guilford is indeed the oldest continuing operating mill in the
The effort to bring back the “mill” at New Mill - our neighbors in
The Carolinas Chapter published their first newsletter in September. Along with information about the mills in the Carolinas the newsletter contains the first part of the Chapter’s first completed project - Country Road names with mills. If fact, there are over 1000 county road names with the word “mill” in them. This four page list is done by county and should help folks track down possible unknown mills in their area. The second half will be published in the next newsletter. |