Students from Wisdom Ridge Academy were able to take a step back into history as they visited the iconic Cedar Creek Grist Mill during a field trip.
The mill, which has been nestled in a thick, green forest next to a rushing creek, was constructed in 1876. John Clapp, the president of the Friends of the Cedar Creek Grist Mill, said at that time the community was too small to make enough money for the owner of the mill. The owner relocated to Chehalis to build a new mill and left the Cedar Creek Mill to his friend, which turned it into a machine shop. The various machines were powered by the swift water which turned a turbine. Once the machine shop closed, the building stood empty, stated a news release.
“The building was a central part of the community for a time, serving as a gathering place for meetings, dinners and parties. Over the years, though, the building fell into disrepair,” stated a news release from the Ridgefield School District. “It was used less and less often, until it finally became a vacant, vandalized shell of its former self. A few farmers removed what was left of the mill equipment and stored it in their barns for safekeeping.”
In 1979, Clapp said the community decided to rebuild the mill. The group slowly gathered donations, and volunteered their time and labor to refurbish the historic building.
“Whenever we need something, it just appeared,” Clapp said.
With the help of machinist Fred Schultz, volunteers learned how to bring the mill back to life so it was operational again. When it opened, they ground flour and cornmeal with milling stones that were hand cut from French granite for the first time in over 100 years, stated the release.
During the outing, Clapp showed the students of Wisdom Ridge Academy how the mill worked. A volunteer turned a metal wheel as the students gathered around the milling equipment to bring it to life.
“The students stood with mouths agape as the strength of the water started an entire system of belts and gears in motion, powering the mill to grind thick wheat kernels into flour in mere seconds,” stated the release.
The students later were able to handle some of the samples of corn and cornmeal, wheat and flour. They also wandered down a path to view the mill from afar to get a better idea of how it worked.
“They could watch water diverting from the rushing creek into the flume, flowing into the huge turbine and creating power,” stated the release. “It was a remarkable field trip for the students who typically do most of their learning online, a lesson that brought them back in time, but also taught them the importance of community.”
The Cedar Creek Grist Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the only grain-grinding mill in the state of Washington that has retained its structural integrity, grinds with stones and is water powered.
The Friends of the Cedar Creek Grist Mill is made up entirely of volunteers and is donation-driven. To learn more about how to support their mission, go online to cedarcreekgristmill.org.
