Chapter 24 Milling Processes (Review) EIN 3390 Manufacturing Processes Summer A, 2012
Milling Around Summer 2016
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No. 23 Milling Around Motor Mill Historic Site Newsletter Clayton County Conservation Board 29862 Osborne Rd Elkader, IA 52043 Larry Stone Summer 2016 Motor Mill Foundation
Transcript of Milling Around Summer 2016
No.23
MillingAroundMotorMillHistoricSiteNewsletter
ClaytonCountyConservationBoard
29862OsborneRd
Elkader,IA52043
LarryStone
Summer2016MotorMillFoundation
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May14-15 May28-29
June11-12 June25-26
July9-10 July23-24
August6-7 August20-21
Sept.3-4 Sept.17-18
ThecompletionofthenewbridgeinDecemberof2012,thereplacementofallindoorflooring,andrepairsmadetotheroofandloftareaofMotorMillwerethefinishingtouchesonanimmenserestorationprojectthathasbeenunderwayformanyyears.
Therearestillplanstoreplacetheroofsoftheicehouseandcooperage,aswellasremovesiltthathasaccumulatedinthebasementofthemillafterthemostrecentfloodof2008.Theseprojectsareexpectedtobecompletedthissummer.
Thoughthetaskcontinuestofullyrestorethemill,alotofprogresshasbeenmadeandcanbeperfectlyexhibitedbylookingatthesite.Stopbyforavisitandtouronanyofourtourdateslistedhere.
Besuretocheckoutournewlyupdatedwebsiteatmotormill.orgformoreinformationregardingthemillsiteandthewonderfulhistorysurroundingit!
2016“StoriesinStone”TourSchedule
Tourswillbegivenonthesedaysbetweenthehoursof
Noon-5p.m.1
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LeshasmanywonderfulmemoriesfromhistimelivingneartheMotorMill.Likemostchildren,Lesenjoyedrunningaroundexploringandcausingalittlebitofmischiefnowandagain.Herecallsonemomentinparticular,whenhedecidedtobuildafloatthatwouldtakehimsailingdowntheTurkeyRiver.
Inordertobuildagoodfloat,Lesknewhewouldneedadecentsupplyofwood.Sincetheredidn’thappentobeapileofwoodjustlyingaround,heknewhewouldhavetogetcrafty.Lesdecidedtotearupsomeoftheoldflooringinsideofthemill.
Oncehehadhissupplies,Lesbeganconstruction.Heworkedtirelesslyatpullingupmoreandmorewoodforhisfloatandhaulingitbacktohishome.UnfortunatelyLessaysthatonedayhisfather,“FinallygotwisetowhatIwasdoing.”
ThisquicklyputanendtothefloatthatLeshadbeenbuilding.Herecallscominghomeonedayandrunningaroundtowherehehadstashedhiswork.Hewasshockedtofindthat,“Thewholethingwasgone.”Themysteryremainsastowhatexactlyhappenedtothefloat,andLesneverbuiltanotherone.
LesKlinkLesKlinkfrom
Communia,IAispersonallyconnectedtoMotorMill.LesKlink’sgrandparentsboughttheMotorMillin1903.TheirnameswereLouisL.KlinkandElizabeth(Wistrick)Klink.
TheKlinkfamilyusedthemillforfarming.Afterhisgrandfatherdied,LesandhisfatherfarmedallofthelandatMotorMillaswellasthefarmhelivesonnow.
HisfondestmemoriesoftheMillarefromhisyoungeryearswhenhehelpedwithfarmworkattheMillandthreshedoatswithhisfather.
LesisoneoftheoriginalmembersoftheMotorMillFoundationandcontinuestoserveontheirboardtoday.
LivingMemories
HaveanyofyourownmemoriesofMotorthatyouwanttoshare?Great!
PleasecontacttheMotorMillFoundationtoshareyourstory:
MotorMillFoundationofClaytonCounty,29862OsborneRd.,Elkader,Iowa52043
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TheTownofMotorWhyisitcalledMotorMill?
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partnerwhoonlyprovidedfinancialsupport.Crosbyhowever,putinalotofhisowntimeandefforttolaymuchofthefoundationforthetownofMotor.
Crosbywasaself-employedattorneywhomademanygreatstridesforthetownincludingestablishingaschool,doingtheengineeringforthemill,unsuccessfullyapplyingfortheconstructionofapostoffice,andsurveyingforthetown.ThephotoaboveistheofficialplatofthetownthatCrosbyhimselfcreated.
Crosbykeptdetailedinformationaboutthetownanditsconstructionaltimeline.SeveralpagesofthisinformationstillexistincopiesofCrosby’spersonaldiary.Heregardedthemillhighlyandspokeofitkindlybysaying,“Beautifulinitsproportions,solidastherockfromwhichitwasmade,theoldmillstandsinwhitereliefagainsttheforestedhills,adelighttotheeyeinitsperfectionanditspicturesquesetting.”
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Plattedin1875,Motorwasonceathrivingtown.TherewereatotalofthreeinvestorswhofinanciallysupportedMotorandbuiltituptoitsmostprosperousstate.
Themaininvestor,JohnThompsonownedhalfofthetownandwasthecentralvisionaryoftheproject.Mr.ThompsonalsohadahandinestablishingthetownofElkader,whichincludedbuildingaflourmilltherebeforetheoneinMotor.
AnarticlethatwaspublisheduponthedeathofMr.ThompsontellstheshockingtruetaleofhowThompsonwaskidnappedbyawildgangofrailroadworkers.
TheworkershadstartedtobuildfortheMcGregor,St.Peter’sandMissouriRailroadCompanywhentheireffortsbecameacompletefailureduetolackoffunds.Desperatefortheirpaychecks,theyabductedThompsonduringoneofhisroutinetripstothetownofMcGregorbecauseThompsonhadbeenchosenasthecompany’spresident.Theythenheldhimhostageuntilheeventuallyagreedtopaytheirwages.
ThearticlegoesontotellthatThompsonwasaverykindandgenerousmanwhowasverysuccessfulinhismanyventuresinbuildingmillsaswellasprovisionstoresaroundtheNortheastIowaregion.
TheothertwoinvestorswereJ.P.DickinsonandJamesO.Crosbywhoeachheld¼ofthetotalinvestmentinthetownofMotor.Dickinsonwasmostlyasilent
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BeforethecompletionofthemillThompsonandCrosbyattemptedtobuildawoolenmillaswell.Unfortunatelytheywereneverabletofindaninvestor,andthusawoolenmillwasneverbuilt.Thesehopesforawoolenmillarethelikelyreasonfortheoneflatwalloftheflourmillsinceitwouldhavelikelybeenbuiltrightagainstthatflatwall.
Oncetheflourmillwasfinishedintheyearof1869itbecameahugesuccess.Priortoitsexistence,thenearestflourmillthatheldasimilarcapacitytothatoftheMotorMillwaslocatedinDubuque.Itwasafive-daytriptotaltomakeittoDubuque,waityourturninline,andreturnhome.MotorMillalsoboasteditsproductionratesof1,500bushelsofwheatperweekat5ocentsperbushel.
AsthemillingbusinesscontinuedtoboominMotor,otherstructureswerebuilt.Manyofthesebuildingsstillstandatthesitetodayincludingtheicehouse,cooperage,aninn,andalivery.Theicehousestoredicefromeachwintersothatitcouldbeusedduringthespringandsummermonthsasawaytorefrigeratefood.Thecooperagewaswherewoodenbarrelsweremade,whichstoredflourthatwasmadeatthemill.Theinnwasusedtohousebothtravelersandworkers,andtheliverywasusedtohousehorses.
ThereisstillthequestionofthedeepermeaningbehindthenameofMotor.Outofalltheendlessoptionsfornames,whywasthisspecificnamechosenforthetown?Nodocumentationexiststoexplainthischoice,butaneducatedassumptioncanbemade.
TheIowacountrysidewasquitenewduringthemid-1800’s.Thompson,Crosby,andDickinsonwereearlypioneersoftheareawhosawgreatpotentialintheReadtownshipsite,whereMotorwasestablished.ThenameMotormostlikelycamefromthemeaningofthewordatthetimewhenthetownwasnamed.
Motormeantsomethingnew,exciting,powerful,andmoving.Thisperfectlydescribedthedreamthatthefounderssharedforthetown.Theywantedtoestablishsomethingthatwouldwithstandthetestoftimeandstillremainaremarkablesighttoseecenturieslater.ThenameMotoralsoexpressedthethrivingenergythatthetownoncehadinitsbeginning.
Sadlythisvisionwasneverfullyrealized.Themillclosedafter14shortyearsofoperationafteraterriblechainofeventsthateventuallyledtotheendofwheatfarminginIowaasawhole.
MeetOurNewSummerIntern
JessicaWegmannisanupcomingjuniorattheUniversityofNorthernIowa.SheismajoringinBusinessMarketingwithaminorinVocalMusicPerformance.
BornandraisedinElkader,JessicaisveryexcitedtoworkwithClaytonCountyConservationandtheMotorMillFoundationinthefollowingmonthstomakeapositivedifferenceinherowncommunity.
ThissummerJessicawillbefocusedonanumberofprojectsforthemillincludingupdatingtheMotorMillwebsite,creatinginteractivewaysforchildrentolearnaboutthemillingprocess,andwritingthisverynewsletter!
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Inthisphotoyoucanseemembersofthevolunteerworkcrew,JohnNikolai
andSteveBeaumont,whowereworkingtoreplacethefloorboardsonthetopfloorofthemilljustthispast
May
DonateDonationsofanyamounthelptomaintain
andenrichthenaturalbeautyoftheMotorMillsite.Yourdonationsallowfornecessaryrenovationsandcontinuousmaintenanceonthesite.Recentlycompletedrenovationsincludenew
flooringontheupperfloorsofthemill,andnewwindowsforthemilland
cooperage.Anydonationisappreciatedandnodonationistoosmall.
DonationstotheMotorMillFoundationortheClaytonCountyConservationBoardare100%taxdeductibleduetotheir501c3
status.
Donationsmaybesentto:
MotorMillFoundation
or
ClaytonCountyConservationBoard
Address:29862OsborneRd
Elkader,IA52043
Phone:(563)245-1516
VolunteerTherearetwodifferentwaystovolunteerwithMotorMill.Volunteersaregreatlyneededandappreciatedsincetheyare
nothinglessthantheheartandsouloftheMotorMillsite.
Onewaytovolunteeristobecomeatourguide.Toursaregivenonweekendstwiceamonthduringthetourseason.Beforeyoubecomeaguideyourself,youwill
shadowanotherguideforatleastonefulldayoftoursinorderforyoutoget
comfortablewiththesite.
Anotherwaytovolunteeristohelpwithrenovationsbyservingonthevolunteer
workcrew.Itisimpossibletokeepprogressmovingforwardwiththemill’s
restorationandinterpretationwithoutthecrew’shelp.Currentprojectsinclude
removingthesiltfromthebasementaswellasreplacingtheroofsontheicehouse
andcooperage.Experiencewithconstructionorasimilarareaispreferred.
FormoreinformationortobecomeavolunteerpleasecontacttheClayton
CountyConservationBoard.
HowYouCanHelptheMotorMill
LarryStone6
SilosandSmokestacksNationalHeritageArea
Silos&SmokestacksNationalHeritageAreapreservesandtellsthestoryofAmericanagricultureanditsglobalsignificancethroughpartnershipsandactivitiesthatcelebratetheland,people,andcommunitiesofthearea.
TheGreatRiverRoad
TheGreatRiverRoadNationalScenicBywayfollowsthecourseoftheMississippiRiverfor3,000milesfromnorthernMinnesotatotheGulfofMexico.Thescenicroutepassesthrough10statesandhundredsofrivertowns.TheGreatRiverRoadisarguablythelongestandmostimportantscenicbywayinAmerica.
OurPartnerOrganizations
MotorMillFoundation
Themissionofthefoundationistoprotectandpreservethearchitecturalintegrity,history,naturalbeautyandserenityoftheMotorMillsiteanditssurroundingsandtodevelopappropriate usesandinterpretationasaregionaltreasureforthebenefitoffuturegenerations.
ClaytonCountyConservationBoard
ThemissionoftheClaytonCountyConservationBoardistopromotethehealthandgeneralwelfareofthepeople;andtoencouragepreservation,conservation,educationandrecreationthroughresponsibleuseandappreciationofournaturalresourcesandculturalheritage.
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