Hunter Grist Mill
Kings Co. | Nova Scotia | Canada
Watersource: Gaspereau River.
Hunter Grist Mill
From Main Street in the town of Wolfville, go south on Gaspereau Ave. to Old Mill Road on the right, (about 1-2 miles). Turn onto Old Mill Road. Where the road makes a sharp turn, the mill will be sitting, only a few hundred yards, on the southwest side of the road, about 100-200 feet off the road.
View Larger Map
It is believed this mill was built in the early to mid 1800's. In 1875 it was purchased by George Hunter.
The Hunter family operated the turbine-powered mill until 1927.
The frame mill is a sturdier structure than the outward appearances dictate. This fact can be seen in photo #5 elow.
Millstone used for a entrance block at the side entrace to the grist mill.
This section of the mill may have been log coverewd in siding or simply rough-cur boards covered with siding. Not having seen it personally, it is hard to tell. The unusual brace post holds up some very hefty beams.
The main operating gears of the mill, one shaft of which comes off the turbine, and meshes with the other gearing to distribute the power to other parts of the mill.
Stairs going up to the second floor from the ground floor.
This large wooden-toothed drum-shaped gear might be just that, a drumgear.
A millstone set, complete with its cover is buried under mill debris.
Here, a frame or shroud for a run of stones is tipped up amid other detritous that accumulates in an unused old building.
This pully in the attic near the peak, might be part of a pully system used to hoist grain and feed sacks to various levels of the mill. These could be for hoisting up the outside end of the mill or even internally, however arranged.
Unknown piece of machinery, perhaps a corncob grinder.
*Update: The machine pictured is a "smutter" or "smut machine". It removes smut, dirt, fungus, small seeds, straw, chaff, manure, and rodent droppings that might be mixed with the grain, prior to milling the grain. Ted Hazen 01/22/2012*
Poster in the mill states: George Hunter Will Card Wool at the reviewed price of Four Cents per lb. GRINDING will be done with care at shortest notice as usual. Thankful for past favours, respectfully ask a continuence of Patronage. Owing to delays and losse in collecting small debts, he feels obliged to adopt the CASH, or at least "Pay Some Upon" system in his future business transactions. ALSO Requires immediate payment of all outstanding debts. March 1883.
GPS: N 45.067550, W -64.35551