Great Lakes Chapter - Summer

By Esther Middlewood, Vice President

Summer months become busy for some members of the Great Lakes Chapter. Mill owners host special events; members travel to attend them. Yet, the partnership only works when mill owners widely distribute announcements. In 2008, Toledo Metroparks (Isaac Ludwig Mill) and the Rinkle family (Greenfield Mill) asked the Chapter to participate in their events.

On July 12, Toledo Metropark celebrated their annual Millfest and the Great Lakes Chapter’s display featured prominently on the sidewalk next to the mill. The Isaac Ludwig Mill, located in Grand Rapids, Ohio, stands between a river and a canal—and offers scenic beauty and a canal boat ride. Willie Ludwig and Esther Middlewood hosted the display and handed out back issues of Old Mill News along with chapter brochures and SPOOM rack cards. Visitors who stopped at the table seemed to enjoy talking about old mills they had visited or remembered from history.

People began arriving early at Greenfield Mill, owned and operated by the Rinkel family. The smell of grilled pancakes drew them quickly to the festival area—the mill tour could wait, but not breakfast. Willie Ludwig quickly set up the Chapter display, and then headed for the pancakes and sausage. A little more than two hours later, Esther Middlewood arrived with extra chapter brochures and copies of the SPOOM mill rosters for Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Visitors asked about other mills to see in the area and shared information about Bonneyville Mill, Stockdale Mill, Isaac Ludwig Mill, and others. They found the display of mill bags especially interesting.

At the time of publication, the chapter had not held its Fall Meeting. Yet this issue contains an article written by the owner of the Bellevue Mill (MI-023-001), the host of the October meeting. An election of officers is expected to result in only one change—the new vice president will be Craig Wiley of Polk Mill ( Ohio). All officers are running without opposition.

Great Lakes Chapter - Fall

By Esther Middlewood, Vice President

The Fall Conference of the Midwest Open-Air Museum Coordinating Council has taken on the topic of “Early Milling in Indiana” with a visit to Spring Mill Park and the Hamer Grist and Saw Mill (IN-047-001). The mill has been restored as part of an historic Hoosier village with numerous log buildings. Power to operate the mills comes from a huge overshot waterwheel, with a long wooden flume.

The conference, set for November 13-15, 2008, offers a variety of workshops and session topics aimed at interpreting, collecting, and maintaining the past. The sessions on “Early Milling in Indiana”, “Grants and Fundraising,” and Creating a Great Guest Experience” would provide useful information to SPOOMers who own and operate mills that are open to the public.

For more information about the conference or about MOMCC, go to www.momcc.org. MOMCC serves as the Midwestern affiliate of the Association for Living History, Farms, and Agricultural Museums.

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Spring chapter meeting at Hadley Mill

Nearly 50 Great Lakes SPOOMers and guests attended the Spring chapter meeting at Hadley Mill (MI-044-003) on May 31, 2009. Built around 1873 by Peter Slimmer, the mill is an old landmark in Hadley, Michigan, having served the local community for almost 90 years before it ceased operation in 1964. The current mill is the third built on the site.

Ralph and Marie Hartwig, who became owners of the mill, donated the mill and acreage for a park to Hadley Township in 2002. The Hadley Township Historical Society formed to collect and preserve items of historical significance. After four years of hard work by a variety of community members and generous donations from others, the Hadley Mill Museum became a reality. The Museum not only contains milling equipment but also many other artifacts. The first floor is dedicated to the rich agricultural heritage of the area, while other floors contain items representing the balanced lifestyle of residents—church, home, school, and business.

While Hadley Township owns the property and maintains the park and mill building, the Historical Society preserves and protects the interior of the building and all of the historic artifacts.

Kent Copeland presented an interesting history of the mill and SPOOMers enjoyed a tour of all levels. Of special interest was the turbine that is currently being dug out. The Historical Society is looking for more information about the turbine, which they believe is a Leffel/Sampson.

Following lunch and a brief business meeting, SPOOMers moved on to the Ortonville Grist Mill (MI-063-016) which currently serves as the town museum. Built in 1858, the mill joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. A model of the mill demonstrated how the mill once operated.

The Fall Meeting will be held on October 11 at the Bellevue Mill (MI-023-001), an 1854 roller mill owned by Bill Stockhausen. The Stockhausens purchased the five-story, timber-framed mill a number of years ago and have restored it as a hydroelectric plant. Stockhausen indicated that he was inspired by Henry Ford’s cottage industries. The Bellevue Mill was listed on the National Register in 1975.

Announcements at the business meeting included an update on Beck’s Mill in Indiana which has now completed restoration of the waterwheel and turbine. As soon as the stones are sharpened, they will be ready to grind product. Phil Robertson has been working with Beck’s mill on the project.

Upcoming festivals in the Great Lakes region include a Pancake Breakfast and Festival at Greenfield Mill, located near Howe, Indiana. This is the last commercial operating water-powered mill in Indiana. On July 12, the Isaac Ludwig Mill at Grand Rapids, Ohio, will host their annual Mill Fest. Anyone interested in participating in these events should either bring (or send) mill brochures and contact the mills directly.