The Miller

Photo of Mabry Mill by Ken Christison

Grist milling was a highly specialized craft, and every community did their best to lure one to their area. The ideal miller had a combination of skills, such as carpenter, joiner, cooper, mason, and a little of the blacksmith. Some millers also opened up small stores as part of their operation.

With the exception of shipbuilding, no other colonial business required as large an initial capital investment as that of a grist mill. The heavy stones to grind the grain were first imported from Europe, and then they had to be transported from the docks to the mill location. Even later on, the stones had to be moved to the mill. There they had to be assembled and dressed by someone who knew what he was doing.

Bost Grist Mill

By looking and feeling, the miller needed to be able to judge the quality, age, and moisture content of the grain and factor in the temperature and humidity to determine the proper speed to rotate the stones for that particular batch. Although some people seemed to resent his monopoly, he needed to be highly skilled.

A grist mill of some sort was almost a necessity. It could make the difference in a meager, hand-to-mouth existence and the road to a more prosperous life. Without one, all grain would have to be ground by hand, which was slow, tedious, and time consuming. If a grist mill came to an area, a town often grew up around it or the town that was there became larger. Early grist mills contributed to the growth of America.

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