Balmoral Grist Mill
the power that ran the mill
This illustration shows one type of
setup for a turbine driven gristmill.
Illustration from "the Red Mill Reborn".
Used with permission of
'Lou Robertella, Brodheadsville Pa."
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[2.] When Alexander Mckay built the mill ca. 1874,
it was powered by at least one turbine,
possibly two
We know this because of oral histories, physical
evidence, documents, and photographs.
[Illustration captions read]
Turbine powering a sawmill ca.1880
Photograph of Archie MacDonald, fourth miller
and last owner/operator. He and several others
provided oral histories in the mid 1970's.
[Photo] Taken ca. 1975
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[3.] There are a few older photos of the mill
before the restoration which don't show
any evidence of the turbine.
[Photo] Ca. 1962 - Folk singer Ed McCurdy
However this one [lower] photo reveals
a great deal.
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[4.] This expanded view of this corner of the mill
corresponds with the location of the turbine
controls
'Trash Grate' similar to the ones illustrated below.
These were used to keep debris from clogging the turbines.
The buggy below indicates the age of the image to be at least pre-war but it is likely even older.
Erected by Balmoral Grist Mill Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1874.
Location. 45° 38.697′ N, 63° 11.693′ W. Marker is in Balmoral Mills, Nova Scotia, in Colchester County. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 660 Matheson Brook Road, Balmoral Mills NS B0K 1V0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 16 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Sutherland Sawmill Turbine (within shouting distance of this marker); Turbines: From Direct to Indirect Power Production (within shouting distance of this marker); Local Granite Stone (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (approx. 2.2 kilometers away); War Memorial (approx. 10.8 kilometers away); Naval Encounter at Tatamagouche (approx. 10.9 kilometers away); Duncan MacLanders and Johanne Faulkner (approx. 11 kilometers away); Chalmers Bigney (approx. 15.9 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Balmoral Mills.
Also see . . . History of Balmoral Grist Mill. (Submitted on September 11, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 11, 2017. It was originally submitted on September 11, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 174 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 11, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.