Valentine Mill
Jefferson Co. | Tennessee | USA
Watersource: unknown
Valentine Mill
From I-40 east of Knoxville, take exit 407 and go south on Sr 66 about 1 mile to a junction with Sr 139/Douglas Dam Road. Go east on Sr 139 for about 5 miles to Deep Springs Road, turn left and go about 1 mile to the mill on the left at 1541 Deep Springs Road.
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This is a relatively new mill built c. 2004. Much of the equipment inside the mill came from the Livesay Mill in Kyles Ford, Tn. in Hancock Co.
The Livesay Mill was built c.1879 and much of the equipment used in the Valentine Mill that came from the Livesay Mill is from about 1894. Look up this link for a photo of the original mill the equipment came from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluebird218/3315626832/
The mill was doing water-powered, stone ground, fresh corn meal,grits, and feeds. Also featured custom grinding, which meant that your raw wheat or corn was the same that would return to you in the finished product, perhaps for a fee or for a portion of the finished product in payment.
The run of stones used to grind corn meal, the shaft to turn the upper stone is fastened to a large gear, powered by water.
Looking into the top of the rectangular funnel that feeds the corn into the center of the millstone set.
The gear below the corn meal set that turns the shaft. The large gear is turned by an offset gear that consequently is turned by water power.
A piece of milling machinery, which perhaps is used to clean the wheat or corn, prior to grinding.
A corn sheller. Whole ears of corn are fed into the top of the machine. The corn kernels are spat out into the large wash pan, and the cobs dispensed elswhere.
A flour sifter manufactured by Savage & Tyler, Knoxville, Tn.
The upper portion of the flour sifter showing the lineshaft and the various pulleys connected to belts, which int turn drive various pieces of machinery. The sifter sifts out the larger particles of flour, these will then be ryn through the grinding system again nin attempts to create a finer flour. The larger particles that are too large, are sifted out as middlings, which can be added to livestock feed.
The top of the elevator system, also made by Savage & Tyler, in the attic.
The apparatus might be a station for bagging flour and corn meal.
Another view of the same area, with the corn meal grinding set in the background.
The wooden water wheel, approximately 3' wide X 12' diameter. Might be waiting to be installed to operate the mill, or it may be just there for aesthetic effect.
The mill with the owners Mr. & Mrs. Clive Valentine going about some mill work in their daily activities.GPS: 35' 59.32'N, 83' 30.98'W 1,142'/348 meters Douglas Dam Quadrangle