Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to an abundance of historical structures that played an important role in the communities that once existed in the area, including several grist mills! These mills not only served a functional purpose of grinding grain into meal or flour, but were central gathering places where residents would socialize and barter for goods and services. While visiting the park today, you can explore these mills and may even get to see a milling demonstration! Keep reading to learn more about 4 historic grist mills and where to find them:
1. Mingus Mill
The largest grist mill in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Mingus Mill, which is conveniently situated a half mile from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in North Carolina. It was built in 1886 and still stands at its original site, and the mill is unique in that it uses a water-powered turbine rather than a water wheel to power the machinery in the building.
During the summer and early fall, park rangers present a variety of programs involving the history and process of milling at this site. While the mill interior is temporarily closed for preservation and rehabilitation work, you can still walk around the outside of this impressive historical structure!
2. Cable Mill
Another one of the historic grist mills in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Cable Mill, which is located along the popular Cades Cove Loop Road and adjacent to the Cades Cove Visitor Center. John P. Cable built his water-powered gristmill and sawmill around 1870, and it was one of several in Cades Cove that served about 670 residents.
A dam on Mill Creek directs water through a canal to the wooden flume that channels water onto the top of the mill wheel, activating the mechanism for grinding corn with a millstone. While many families had small “tub” mills that could grind enough for a family, mills like this one belonging to the Cables were larger and faster.
3. Ogle Mill
The Ogle Mill is part of the Noah "Bud" Ogle Place, a historic homestead along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail that also includes a cabin and a barn. This smaller “tub” mill was built in the 1880s and features a simpler design than its larger counterparts, where hollowed-out logs divert water to a turbine that grinds the grain.
The mill was restored to its operational condition in the 1960s, and the entire Ogle homestead was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
4. Reagan Mill
The Reagan Mill is also situated along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, making it an easy stop for anyone enjoying this scenic drive! This was another historic “tub” mill built by Alfred Reagan in 1895, and it is a great example of the tub mills that once dotted streamsides all over the Appalachians.
These were ideally suited to mountainous terrain because they captured energy from low-volume, high-velocity streams, and a tub mill like Reagan Mill could produce about a bushel of cornmeal a day.
If you enjoy the history of these grist mills and want to take an even deeper glimpse into the fascinating past of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, consider exploring these lesser-known historical sites!
