Millstone

Millstones were used to grind the grain in grist or four mills. This stone, called a runner stone, rotated above a stationary stone while grain was fed through openings in the center. The pattern of grooves, called a dress pattern, sheared and crushed the grain. Millstones were generally made from one massive piece of stone, but as quarries became depleted, chunks of smaller stone were cemented together. and banded with an iron band. This grindstone is from the very first mill in Greenville. Built in 1851 by Nathanial Slaght and Abel French, it was located on the northeast side of the Franklin Street dam., E. Middleton and Sons purchased this mill in the late 1850s and, in the succeeding decades, became one of the most extensive manufacturing enterprises in the county. In 1872, a five-story mill was built along Lafayette Street, and another smaller one followed later. The grain used came exclusively from Montcalm and surrounding counties, and the flour produced was considered among the best in the country. Large amounts were exported to England, Scotland and Ireland.