History of Grist Mills in America

Grist means To “grist” means to grind, during this businesses hey day these mills ground every conceivable medium – tobacco, gunpowder, limestone and various fa

Until the grist mill method was introduced into North America all grinding was accomplished via the pestle and mortar or the “quern,” the method employed by primitive folks, rubbing stone against stone with the grain in between.rm products. ground diverse grains, but most often corn and wheat, into flour.

Grist mills ground diverse grains, but most often corn and wheat, into flour.

The early mills had horizontal paddle wheels, an arrangement which later became known as the “Norse wheel“, as many were found in Scandinavia.^[2] The paddle wheel was attached to a shaft which was, in turn, attached to the center of the millstone called the “runner stone”. The turning force produced by the water on the paddles was transferred directly to the runner stone, causing it to grind against a stationary “be