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.02/01/09 Great Lakes Chapter Visits Greenfield Mill By Esther Middlewood SPOOM members Dave and Mary Rinkel will host the Spring meeting of the Great Lakes Chapter of SPOOM on May 16, 2009 at Greenfield Mills located near Howe, Indiana. Dave is the third generation of Rinkels to operate the mill which claims distinction as Indiana’s only commercial water-powered mill. Local records indicate that construction of the mill began around 1834 by Peter Beisel, a Scotsman. Apparently Beisel ran out of money and sold the mill to Amos Davis who completed construction a few years later and began operation. The mill came into the hands of Henry Rinkel in the fall of 1904. When he took over the mill, it had not been in operation for six months. The dam had washed out, leaving no water to turn the wheel. Yet, neighbors appeared with picks and shovels to help rebuild the dam. As many SPOOMers who have restored old mills can understand, Henry took a multitude of part-time jobs while working on the mill in his spare time. It was not until 1908 that the mill actually began operation. At some point the waterwheel was replaced by two Leffel turbines. In 1921, Henry’s son George purchased a mill and installed hydroelectric generators. He eventually sold his power plant to Northern Indiana Public Service Company and worked for them for about two years. George and his family moved to Greenfield Mills and began working with Henry in 1925. During the years that followed Henry and George continued to add to and improve the mill. When Henry died in 1945, George continued to run the mill alone. George’s son, Howard Rinkel graduated from Kansas State College in 1948 with a milling education and he came into the business. They continued to improve and expand the business. Greenfield Mill served as one of the host mills for SPOOM’s 1995 Conference. Following Howard’s death, his son Dave has stepped into the gap and operates the mill along with other family members, including his daughter Amanda. For more information about the mill, visit their website. If you are interested in attending the Spring meeting, contact chapter secretary Kay Garber at (574)642-4516 for information. .
. ********************************************************************************************************************************* Report of the Fall 2008 SPOOM Great Lakes Chapter Meeting at Bellevue Mill by James Chapman
The SPOOM Great Lakes Chapter Fall Meeting took place at the Bellevue Gothic Mill, Bellevue, Eaton County, Michigan, October 11, 2008. (For specific information on the Bellevue Mill and its restoration, see OMN Fall 2008 issue.) Hosted by the Mill's restorers, Bill and Carole Jean Stockhausen and their family, the Meet started with Bill giving the Mill's history to date, with a slideshow narration/Q & A, followed by a mill tour, dinner, and Chapter Meeting. The excellent food was prepared by Carole Jean, and good thanks and praise is in order for her.
Chapter President Willie Ludwig (Ludwig Mill, Grand Rapids, OH) presided over the Meeting, with assistance from Kay Garber. Announcements included the results of the 2008 Chapter Officers Election, as follows : President, Willie Ludwig; Vice-president, Craig Wiley: Co-Secretary/Treasurers, Kay and Dale Garber; Directors, Celia Westphal, Steve Parker, and Steve Baldwin. VP Craig Wiley was the only new officer.
Members were saddened to learn of the death of 15 year Chapter member Bill Frazier of Richmond, Indiana. 'Get-well' and 'Thinking of you' cards were signed for presentation to Fred Beals and Celia Westphal (the Chapter deeply grieves the loss of Fred Beals).
The Spring 2009 Chapter Meeting is to be hosted by the Rinkle family on May 16, 2009 at their Greenfield Mill, Greenfield, Indiana; the Fall 2009 Chapter Meeting is to be hosted by Phil Robertson at Beck's Mill, Salem Indiana, and the Spring 2010 Chapter Meeting will be hosted by Steve Parker, Rock Mill, Ohio.
Chapter Meeting business was concluded with awarding of the door prize to the newest member, Ted Lyde, of Lanterman's Mill, Youngstown, Ohio, who actually joined that day.
The Chapter Meets are great places to make the contacts, hear the stories and act as a general clearing house for mill related projects and restoration. Bill Stockhausen related his many problems in getting things done with the FERC and other regulatory agencies, something one should consider in restoring an old mill. Interests within the Great Lakes Chapter are good, with some new faces appearing in the membership, which appears to be growing somewhat.
In conclusion, the Meeting went well, the business at hand dealt with, an excellent meal served, and the advancement of SPOOM goals in general moved forward, "steady as she goes ... "
About the author : James Chapman is researching the Huron River Mill History and its relation to Great Lakes shipping in the 19th century. He is also a freelance photojournalist and owns his own sawmill, specializing in barn beams and black walnut. Based in SE Michigan, he may be contacted by the information available at www.acesawmill.com . ********************************************************************************************************************************* . By Willie Ludwig, President Posted 12/02/08 It looked like a scene from "Tomb Raiders" as people descended on the old Atlas Mill in Clinton, Michigan. In reality it was a inspection of the mill to see if anything could be done to save it from the fate of so many old mills. The Clinton Historical Society and the realtor invited us (Great Lake SPOOMers Willie, Dave ,and James), plus members from Dundee Historical Society Old Mill Museum to advise them on the building. The mill was sold at auction several years ago and has stood empty since then. Vandals have trashed the inside but the feed mill equipment is still in place. We helped the Historical Society remove some items for their collection and, you know how SPOOMers are, we grabbed a few things for ourselves. The oldest parts of the mill are still straight and strong, under years of dust and animal poop, and it would be a shame to let it be destroyed. Unfortunately, a lot of money and effort would be needed to save it. The bank only asks $100'000. The equipment may be sold piecemeal--so if you know anyone interested, let them know. For more information, contact me at luncwill@aol.com. . . 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. ********************************************************************************************************************************* 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.
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