| At one time, many grist mills were located in rural settled areas where they milled grains. This provided fresh grains in the form of flour, feed, and meal. Local farmers brought their grain harvest to the mill and paid for the milling by giving the miller a portion of his harvest. The grist mill miller turned around and sold his share to area folks and commercial establishments. |
The 1901 Garrard Mill in Lancaster, Kentucky, marked their grain bags with their logo (see above photo). They also packed their flour in cotton cloth bags of various colored patterns -- women used this cloth to sew clothes or make quilts. |
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to the customer .Just perhaps some of the strip quilts that we see today have pieces of flour sack material in them?
Garrard Grist Mill was built in 1901 and was sold at auction in the latter part of the twentieth century. It is now in private hands and no longer mills for the area.
The Garrard Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Resources:
Margaret Simson, Garrard Historical Society
Southern Folk Art and Antiques -- Photo -- Garrard Mill Bag
Boy,I sure wish we had a good old fashioned mill now a days, and I wish they still put flour in those pretty bags. I bake from scratch & use alot of flour. I could use that fabric!
ReplyDeleteAuntea -- My daughter went to an estate sale where there were a hundred plus old cotton flour sacks of all different designs. They were a dollar apiece. She walked out and didn't buy any. I sure wish she had as I would have bought them just to study the fabric. Thanks for stopping by and sorry they don't sell your flour in fabric anymore. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteDo you know what the current owners plan to do with the mill? Are they required to maintain it as a mill due to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places? Interesting post. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDarcy
These sacks also make the best dish towels. Both of my grandmothers used them for clothes, quilts, and dishtowels.
ReplyDeleteFarmchick -- Do you have any of the items that you mention your grandmother's had? It would be great to see them on one of your posts. Thanks for the nice comment -- barbara
ReplyDeleteDarcy -- I could answer your question 20 years ago but I am now far removed in years from the current rulings. To second guess I would say, no, the new owner does not have to carry on the former business at the mill. It is the building that carries the designation not the business. I do understand that the current owner still operates the milling equipment for his own grains.
ReplyDeleteJust recently I was given a picture of one of my aunts from way far back. It was her school picture and there were several girls all wearing the same pattern dress. I had heard about flour sack dresses but had never seen actual pictures.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
I had no idea some mills let women request the flour sacks they wanted for their sewing projects. And I'm also amazed by Antea's comment about the cache of old bags selling for $1 each. What a fascinating read this is! I remember that my mother made me a dress when I was small from flour sacks -- perhaps more than one but it's a yellow flowered one I remember. In those days one didn't waste nice fabric, especially when printed nicely.
ReplyDeleteWhat neat photos. I love old mills.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how much I'm enjoying your blog. The type of history you write about is what I'm interested in - the history of common people
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that flour sack distribution was so organized, complete with a ledger record. Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteFine post. It took my mind too burlap bags. Fond memories of struggling to help my grandmother get the horse feed poured into the wooden storage bin. We also used the burlap bags at our family reunion in a sack race. The smell and the feel of burlap remains with me. I can not remember the last time I saw a burlap sack. Thanks for triggering a memory if not exactly related.
ReplyDeleteGrampy -- yes, I do remember burlap sacks being used for domestic animal feed. A neighbor used the empty sacks to cover his plants for a late frost in the spring and/or an early frost in the fall. His huge garden would have all these beige sacks in various positions around his plot.
ReplyDeleteI think some burlap has disappeared as it was made with hemp. I guess the gov't thought we were going to smoke the sacks??
-- barbara
Sheri -- I cannot speak for all mills only the Garrard Mill. The Garrard Historical Society folks informed me about how the mill provided flour sacks to its customers. I suppose that all mills had different ways of handling flour sacks -- if they did indeed use the cotton flour sack type. Thanks for the nice comment. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteBirdie -- oh do publish your photo of your aunt and her friends in flour sack material dresses -- it would be so interesting. Thanks -- barbara
ReplyDeleteJune -- would love to see a photo of you in that yellow flowered dress. I remember my aunt sitting outside on her back porch taking flour sacks apart to wash and use for making some clothes. It seemed like such an interesting concept to me at the time -- sorta like the ultimate in recycling. Thanks -- barbara
ReplyDeleteMarcia -- Thank you for the very nice compliments. I enjoy reading all the comments as my knowledge of the world becomes wider with each one. Not enough material has been wrote about regarding the common folk. There is some good material out there, wrote and researched by scholars, but wish there was more. Thanks -- barbara
ReplyDeleteLisa -- Glad you liked the photos. Areas is our country often contain significant landmarks and traditions but fall between the seams sometimes. Thanks -- barbara
ReplyDeleteThose old mills were wonderful places. I used to go with my Dad to a mill to get the chicken scratch. Later I would got to the Purina mill to get food for my rabbit. The old sack cloths had many uses. Once again, thanks for the trip down memory lane. Dianne
ReplyDeleteDianne -- I know where there is a Purina mill in Michigan but I think its products are limited to animal feed. The small town mills that made their own brand of flour seems to have disappeared. Thanks for the comment -- barbara
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. Many quilts and pieces of clothing were made from feed and/or flour sacks. People were very resourceful and thrifty in the old days. Some of those sacks were very pretty.
ReplyDeleteJanet -- I wish I could find some of those old patterned feed sacks. Perhaps I'll run across a couple at a yard sale? Thanks -- barbara
ReplyDeleteI make my own bread & go to Weisenberger Mill in Midway in central Kentucky to buy all of my flour. It's a small family-owned mill in business since 1865 on South Elkhorn Creek & the flour is milled from locally-grown products. You can go to weisenberger.com for more info. Sorry, it's only packaged in brown paper bags, but it is worth the trip!
ReplyDeleteI do thank you for the information on the South Elkhorn Creek mill. I will be near Midway in July and am going to try to visit the mill. I appreciate it when folks tell me about historic spots that are tucked away in some some town. thanks -- barbara
Deleteoldstarinn -- Yikes I made a mistake on my reply to you. It is the Weisenberger Mill in Misway, Kentucky not the South Elkhorn. -- barbara
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