Bear's Mill, Greenville Ohio

Date added: August 20, 2023 Categories: Ohio Mill

Bear's Mill is a rare example of a water-powered gristmill truly operated in the pre-industrial manner. It is the oldest manufacturing facility in Darke County and until the retirement of the miller, Charles Andrews, was operating at its full stone ground capacity of thirty-five tons of flours, cereals, and meals per year. The mill has exceptional value as a museum of the development of milling techniques.

William, Moses and Manning Hart were constructing the present mill when Gabriel Bear, a Pennsylvania miller, bought out the Harts, installed machinery, and commenced milling in 1849. Local millstones proved deficient so the progressive Bear traveled to France where he purchased three French buhr stones, world-renowned for their abrasive qualities. These stones, installed in 1850, are grinding out flour today. After twelve years Bear sold out his interest and the mill was operated by a succession of partnerships. Marcellus Cromer bought out John Stoltz becoming his father's partner in 1884. When the elder Cromer died Marcellus became sole proprietor and remained so until 1946.

The younger Cromer set his mill on a new burst of progress. Roller mill machinery was first patented in England in 1881 and was quickly adopted in America. Cromer purchased five of the new mills from a Dayton firm in 1886 and renovated his mill's machinery. Three of these mills are standing ready for use today on the second floor.

Charles Andrews, a Navy veteran of World Wars I and II, purchased the mill in 1946. Andrews chose to maintain the historic character of the mill and specialized in stone ground flour for its vitamin qualities. He shipped stone ground cornmeal, wheat flour, whole rye flour, buckwheat, oatmeal, and wheat bran by mail, interstate and to such distant places as Tahiti, Alaska, and Oslo, Norway. The increase in mail rates during the 1950s made business difficult and he switched to grinding corn for a Chicago firm making corn snacks.

Building Description

Bear's, Mill is a three and one-half story frame industrial building of the Jacksonian era which faces east. The foundation is in part original stone and part concrete installed in recent years to replace stone crumbling from erosion. The three-bay structure has a mortise and tenon frame of hand-hewn timbers some of which are 12"x16" beams up to 50' long. The black walnut weatherboard is the first sheathing from 1849. The central bay has grain handling doors on all four levels serviced by a water-powered winch with cable fall from the peak. Windows throughout are 6/6 double hung sash with few exceptions. The south side upstream has a gate for the mill race. Windows on both sides are placed for function without symmetry. The sheet metal gable roof verges are plain. Four vent pipes project through the south side of the roof. The front peak projects in a hood over the winch cable pulley.

The interior of the mill is functional industrial. The machinery is driven by two water turbines beneath the rear of the mill, 44" and 30.5" respectively, that provide 65 horsepower. The date 1862 is cast into the crown plate of the 30.5" turbine. The first floor has a small sales store, a line shaft to transfer power, a generator for lights, and materials handling and maintenance space. Milling, sacking, and barrelling were done on the second floor. The three imported French buhr millstones have served since 1850. Three of the five roller mills installed in 1887 are in place. The third floor has storage bins, transfer machinery, flour purifier, and sifting machines. The top line shaft, corn screener, scourers, aspirator and winch are under the roof.

Water power on Greenville Creek provides a nine-foot head of water at the forebay. Two dams are connected by a levee. creates a half-mile-long lake. The dams are a flood control dam of 65' and a 160' main dam, both of concrete that replaced wood in 1922.