John F. Stratton decided to build his 2.5 story stone mill with stone basement along the proposed rail line when he heard that a railroad was planned to go through Flushing. GPS: 81' 03.52W, 40' 08.45N

This mill would be a steam mill, so from the Buckeye Engine Company of Salem, Ohio, he bought a boiler and steam engine. He also made a round and a hexagonal bolters, a corn sheller, and wooden pulleys.

In 1877, he built part of the mill from rock that was blasted from a hill so the railroad could tunnel through; unfortunately, he died the next year, after contacting typhoid fever.

The 30'X 40' mill, with a 30'X 20' stone steam engine room, was completed in 1878 by brother George and brother-in-law Joseph Branson. The mill operated on steam until 1906, running two runs of buhrs, with John's son, George W. Stratton, joining his uncles at age 14.

George took over the operation completely in 1896 when he was only 19 years old. Steam operation ceased in 1906, when George installed a 50 Hp, St. Mary's Gas Engine. This seems like a volitile combination, but many mills successfully used them. Further changes came about in 1930, when a 50 Hp, Ball bearing, Fairbanks electric motor replaced the gas engine.

Seven years later, George replaced the costly electric motor with a 50 Hp diesel engine in 1937. George Stratton continued to produce very good-excellent quality flour up through 1959.

William,one of George's five sons, continued the milling tradition started by visionary John Stratton in 1877, although he never saw the fruits of his labor. William closed the mill in the early 1960's and died in 1988, the last Stratton Mill miller.

The mill produced, through the years, many types of flours, among them: Flushing Flour; Cookie Flour; Flushing Fancy Pastry Flour; and starting in the 1920's, George became known as the "Pancake Man" after introducing Stratton's Self-Rising Whole Wheat Pancake Flour. The Stratton Stone Mill was established in 1989 in an endeavor to help topreserve the old mill. The Stratton Mill Foundation: % Lewis Stratton Phone: (740) 947-6096 Address: 610 7th St. Waverly, Ohio 45690