Grist Mill

The first Grist Mill I ever saw was in Eastham, MA. At the time the mill was grinding corn and my husband and I purchased the some of the freshly ground corn. Ever since then I've been intrigued with them. The stones, the sounds, the water, the waterwheel, etc. are all aspects of the various textures that make up a Grist Mill. Here's a pic of the Eastham, Grist Mill.

Below are tidbits about grist mills from 19th Century sources.

A grist mill is a public mill for public purposes and land may be condemned for its erection in accordance with the Act. 3

A GRIST-MILL FOR GRINDING VERY SMALL PARCELS.

Fig. 16, Plate VII., is a representation of a grist-mill, so constructed that the grist being put into the hopper, it will be ground and bolted and returned into the bags again.
The grain is emptied into the hopper at A, and as it is ground it runs into the elevator at B, and is elevated and let run into the bolting hopper down a broad spout at C, and, as bolted, it falls into the bags at d. The chest is made to come to a point like a funnel, and a division made to separate the fine and coarse, if wanted, and a bag put under each part; on the top of this division is set a regulating board on a joint, as x, by which the fine and coarse can be regulated at pleasure.

If the bran require to be ground over, (as it often does,) it is made to fall into a box over the hopper, aud bydrawing the little gate b, it may be let into the hopper as soon as the grain is all ground, and as it is bolted the second time, it is let run into the bag by shutting the gate b, and drawing the gate c.

If the grain be put into the hopper F, then as it is ground it falls into the drill, which draws it into the elevator at B, and it ascends as before.

'To keep the different grists separate;—when the miller sees the first grist fall into the elevator, he shuts the gate B or d, and gives time for it all to get into the bolting reel; he then stops the knocking of the shoe by pulling the shoe line, which hangs over the pulleys p p, from the shoe to near his hand, making it fast to a peg; he then draws the gate B or d, and lets the second grist into the elevator, to fall into the shoe or bolting hopper, giving time for the first grist to be all in the bags, and the bags of the second grist to be put in their places; he then unhitches the line from the peg, and lets the shoe knock again; and begins to bolt the second grist.

If he does not choose to let the meal run immediately into the bags, he may have a box made with feet, to stand in the place of the bags, for the meal to fall in, out of which it may be taken and put into the bags, as fast as it is bolted, and mixed as desired; and as soon as the first parcel is bolted, the little gates at the mouth of the bags may be shut, while the meal is filled out of the box, and the second grist may be bolting.

The advantages of this improvement on a grist-mill are,
1. It saves the labour of hoisting, spreading, and cooling the meal, and of carrying up the bran to be ground over, sweeping the chest, and filling up the bags.

2. It does all with great despatch, and little waste, without having to stop the stones or bolting-reel, to keep the grist separate, and the bolting is finished almost as soon as the grinding; therefore, the owner will be the less time detained.

The chests and spout should be made steep, to prevent the meal from lodging in them; so that the miller, by striking the bottom of the chest, will shake out all the meal.

The elevator, and drill should be so made as to clean out at one revolution. The drill might have a brush or two, instead of rakes, which would sweep the case clean at a revolution; and the shoe of the bolting hopper should be short and steep, so that it will clean out rapidly.

The same machinery may be used for merchant-work, by having a crane-spout at C, or a small gate, to turn the meal into the hopper-boy that tends the merchant bolt.

A mill, thus constructed, might grind grists in the daytime, and merchant-work at night.

A drill is preferable to a conveyer for grist-mills, because it may be cleaned out much sooner and better. The lower pulley of the elevator is twice as large in diameter as the pulleys of the drill; the lower pulley of the elevator, and one pulley of the drill; are on the same shaft, close together; the elevator moves the drill, and the pulley of the drill being smallest, gives room for the meal to fall into the buckets of the elevator.
Source: The Young Mill-Wright and Miller's Guide ©1848