Prairie School Day 8

Dillinger Grist Mill  Field Trip 

 Today was a fun day for us ! We stepped back in time and visited the only working Grist Mill of it's kind in the state of North Carolina !!! The mill is still family owned !!! and is now being ran by a 4th Generation Grandson .... Jack Dillinger was an amazing host !!! We visited the site with our home school group !!! and of course my phone dies so we don't have many pictures lol and the camera was MIA as well this morning .... 
We had an awesome time however  ....
So I would like to share the history of the site with you guys !!! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did !!! It makes my heart smile that some cares enough about history to keep something so awesome going ....

Dellinger Grist Mill on Cane Creek, located at Hawk, NC  ( 4020 Cane Creek Road ), just four ( 4 ) miles east of Bakersville on State Road   1211  ( Cane Creek Road ) was established by Reuben Dellinger in 1867. It has been in the Dellinger family for over 150 years...operated by Reuben, David, and Marvel Dellinger, my great grandfather, grandfather and father respectively, from 1867-1955. It was restored by Jack Dellinger ( myself ),  after 42 years of benign neglect,  in 1997-2000 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in November of 1998.
It has the distinction of being the last water powered/stone ground grist mill of its kind left in the state of North Carolina. I currently grind mountain grown corn into cornmeal, grits, and polenta using the same waterwheel, granite/quartz millstones, and associated pulleys, gears, and line shafts, using the same time honored techniques and methods my ancestors used and taught to me..... This information came from the website !!! You can check it out for yourself if you like !!! Here is the link  http://www.dellingermill.com
here is the only to pics I was able to get ...

 the water wheel is the original to to the site !!! It weighs 4,000 lbs !!! It was brought in with horse and sled 30 miles over the mnt in 8 500 lb pieces !!! I can't wait to return by some of his products !!! We are very blessed to have something so close by !!! 
God is good hope everyone has a blessed weekend !!!