The millrace as seen from the edge of the dam is overgrown with vegitation today.		Next to the mill, the mill race is more visible. The water entered the building at the dark area seen at the center of this photo.
View of millrace downstream of the mill.		View of part of the mill power system under the sawmill.

Changes in the Stover-Myers Mill were primarily in the type of power used for the mill. For most of its years of operation the mill relied on water as the power source. How the water power transferrred its power inside the mill changed over the years. Gravity was an important force also which was used to move the grain downward in the mill.

WATER WHEEL

From 1800 to possibly 1834 a water wheel was used to power the mill. There is no evidence of what the wheel looked like. The energy passed from the wheel to the millstones through a series of gears. See the Regional Mills page to see a wooden waterwheel at the Kintnersville Mill.

Energy was transferred by two wheels with teeth that made up the gears. As one wheel turned the other wheel also turned. The movement of the gears produced friction that would produce sparks. Animal fat was smeared on moving parts to reduce friction.

Main gear at the Stover-Myers Mill		Wooden gears were also used to transfer power to other pieces of equipment in the mill.

TURBINES

After 1830 (perhaps 1834) the water wheel was replaced by gravity turbines. The two turbines in place are dated to approximately 1860. Each turbine is directly connected to the millstone above them.

Gravity turbine diagram.		Turbine resting on the ground outside of the mill. When the mill was working, this equipment was used under the water.

ROLLER MILL

After 1885 the mill was converted to a roller mill. A steam engine was added to the northeast side of the mill and connected to the main power train of the mill.

ROLLER MILL PROCESS

Grain to be ground flowed from upper floor storage by way of a chute to the "hopper," or top section of the roller mill. From the hopper, the grain flowed down between revolving steel cylinders that crushed the grain. The crushed grain then fell through an opening under the roller into a chute which directed the grain to an elevator. The elevator took the grain (now a rough flour or meal) to the top floor where it was then sent by another chute to the next roller. This process was repeated until the grain had passed through 4 sets of rollers. This made it possible to get much more flour from the grain than the old millstone method. After the final pass through the last roller stand, the flour was directed to the gyrators for multiple siftings.

TRACTOR POWER

In the 1950's a farm tractor was used to power the mill.