IN OAK BROOK IS THE ONLY OPERATING WATER WHEEL GRIST MILL IN THE STATE, PLUS IT IS
ONLY ONE OF THREE AUTHENTICATED
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD STATIONS IN
ILLINOIS.
MR. AND MRS. GROWL I PRIOR TO
CIVIL WAR WERE HARBORING RUN
AWAY SLAVES.
THEY WOULD BE HIDDEN HERE FOR A
DAY OR TWO AND TAKEN INTO
CHICAGO.
>> MR. GROWLY ONE OF THE EARLY
SETTLERS BUILT THIS BETWEEN 1847
AND 18526789 IT WAS A GRIST
MILL, GRIST BEING THE WORD FOR
GRAIN.
THE FIRST FLOOR WAS THE MILLING
FLOOR THAT'S WHERE THE ACTUAL
GRINDING TOOK PLACE.
THE SECOND FLOOR HELD HUGE
GARNERS, CONTAINERS THAT WOULD
STORE GRAIN.
TOP FLOOR HAD MACHINERY FOR
CLEANING THE GRAIN BEFORE IT WAS
GROUND.
AND THERE WERE BOLTING MACHINE
UP THERE.
BOLTING MACHINE SEPARATED THE
BRAN FROM THE WHITE FLOUR.
ALL THAT MACHINERY ON ALL THE
FLOORS IS OPERATED BY THE GREAT
WATER WHEEL YOU SEE BEHIND ME
HERE OR ONE SIMILAR TO IT.
WHEN HE OPENED UP IN 1852 THERE
WAS ALREADY A DAM HERE.
TWO MEN HAD OPERATED A SAWMILL
SINCE 1837.
HE DUG THIS, IT IS CALLED THE
MILL RAID.
TODAY WE GRIND WITH ELECTRICITY,
BUT WATER IS ACTUALLY -- THE
WHEEL IS NOT DOING ANY WORK, BUT
WATER IS TURNING THE WHEEL.
THAT IS THEN IS TRUTH SINCE 1939
WHEN THE CCP, AND WTA HAD TAKEN
THIS MILL, IT WAS ABANDONED IN
1924 AND TURNED INTO WHAT YOU
SEE TODAY.
>> THEY BROUGHT IN ENGINEERS,
ARCHEOLOGICAL ENGINEERS TO
DETERMINE WHAT MR. GROWLY HAD,
AND THEY DUPLICATED IT.
>>
BEHIND ME IS ONE OF MR. GROWLY'S TWO MILL MACHINES. IN THE WOODEN HOUSING ARE TWO
ENORMOUS STONE DISKS FOUR FEET
ACROSS THE TOP ONE WEIGHS
2,400 POUNDS.
BOTTOM STONE IS STATIONARY.
THE TOP ONE TURNS OVER IT.
GRAIN IS FED INTO THE STONES
THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE TOP
STONE CALLED THE EYE OF THE
STONE.
THEN THE STONES HAVE GROOVES CUT
IN THEM, AND THOSE GROOVES HAVE
TOP AND BOTTOM, THOSE GROOMS
BECOME SHEERS, GRINDING THE
GRAIN, IN FACT, SHEERING THE
GRAIN.
>>
THE BARREL LIKE PART OF THE MILL CAPTURES THE GRAIN, IT FLOWS AROUND AND FALLS OUT OF AN
OPENING.
EVERY FARMER IN THE AREA WOULD
BE IN HERE AT SOME POINT WITH
THEIR GRAIN.
THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR GRAIN
GROUND, AND THEY WOULD TAKE THE
FLOUR HOME.
THEY DIDN'T TAKE ALL THE FLOUR
HOME BECAUSE MR. GROWLY WAS PAID
IN GRAIN, IN MONEY.
>> ONCE UPSTAIRS WAS DITCH THAN
IT WAS NOW. THEY MADE IT A
MUSEUM, THEY CHOSE TO USE THE
SECOND FLOOR TO EXHIBIT OBJECTS,
TOOLS, THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE
BEEN FOUND AROUND LIKE IN A
BARN.
THERE IS ALSO A LOOM, AND OLD
LOOM UP THERE.
WE USUALLY HAVE SOMEONE UP THERE
DEMONSTRATING, WEAVING, AND
TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS.
THE TOP FLOOR WHERE ONCE
MR. GROWLY HAD MACHINERY, THEY
ARE NOW SMALL PERIOD ROOMS.
A CHILD'S ROOM, VICTORIAN
PARLOR, AND WE HAVE SOME
SPINNING WHEELS, AND WE HAVE
DELIGHTFUL CRAFTERS UP THERE.
THE MUSEUM IS OPERATED BY THE DUPAGE GROWLY MILL CORPORATION, A NONPROFIT CORPORATION THAT WAS
CREATED SPECIFICALLY TO OPERATE
THE GROWLY MILL.
DEMONSTRATE GRINDING, AND OF COURSE, WE SELL ALL THE CORN WE GRIND.
FABULOUS, FRESHLY GROUND, STONE
GROUND CORNMEAL.
YOU HAVE GOT A LITTLE TASTE OF
WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE IN THE PAST.
YOU GET LITTLE BIT OF A VIEW OF
FARM LIFE.
>> THE MILAN MUSEUM ALSO HOST A
POPULAR WEEKEND PROGRAM CALLED
"ARTISANS OF THE MONTH" WHICH
DEMONSTRATES EARLY CRAFTS AND
ACTIVITIES.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE GROWL MILAN MUSEUM CALL (630)655-2090 OR LOG ON TO THEIR
WEB SITE AT WWW.GROWLMILL.ORG.