What is a gristmill used for?

A gristmill grinds grain into flour. The name refers to the grinding equipment as well as the building. Gristmills, powered by water wheels, have been around for many centuries, some as early as 19 BC. In the United States, they were common by the 1840s.

What is the definition for gristmill?

: a mill for grinding grain.

What was the name of the device that produces corn meal on the Plymouth Plantation?

At our reconstruction of the Plymouth Colonists’ original 1636 mill on Town Brook, take a fascinating look at the mill’s history and workings, from the 200-year-old millstones grinding corn to the ecology of the brook that has powered mills throughout the centuries.

When was the grain mill invented?

The mill was invented in 1787 by Oliver Evans (1755-1819) of Delaware. Evans was an inventor of a machine for making card teeth for carding wool, a high-pressure steam engine and a refrigeration machine.

What does a water mill do?

A water mill is a water wheel or turbine that is connected to a device that drives a mechanical process. Water mills can be used for such purposes as grinding flour or agricultural produce, cutting up materials such as pulp or timber, or metal shaping.

Why do we need a flour mill?

Commercial flour mills are an essential part of the agricultural industry in the US and around the world. Because it can do the work that would take laborers much more time to complete, grain is available to the general public at a very reasonable price.

What is meant by reconstruction?

Reconstruction, in U.S. history, the period (1865–77) that followed the American Civil War and during which attempts were made to redress the inequities of slavery and its political, social, and economic legacy and to solve the problems arising from the readmission to the Union of the 11 states that had seceded at or …

How did the Pilgrims prepare their food?

The Pilgrims tried to extend the life of their foods through preservation. Salting, the most common method of preservation, worked well for pork (meat from pigs) and fish. This method was sometimes combined with smoking for meats. Vinegar pickles and sugar were also occasionally used to preserve foods.

Who built the first flour mill?

About Invention The First Automated Flour Mill (Circa 1785) about 1785 American inventor Oliver Evans Offsite Link built the first automated flour mill on Red-Clay CreekOffsite Link near Newport, Delaware.

When did we start using white flour?

The practice of making white flour by the process of roller milling was introduced about 1870.