This past weekend, the three of us took a little road trip to visit some local establishments. Not surprisingly, they were all food-related. We had a nice sunny day to work with, and left early enough that it didn’t interfere with nap time, so it was a rather enjoyable little jaunt.
We’re fortunate enough to live close to some neat little places, and being increasingly interested in all things local, decided to check some of them out. We’re also right around the corner from one of the larger Amish communities in the country, so I figured there’d be some interesting spots that they frequent. I’ll be taking a few days this week highlighting our stops, and doing a little free advertising 🙂 Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the camera, so if I use any pictures, it’ll just be stock photos. Bummer.
The last place we visited on Saturday was Fowler’s Mill, located about 15 minutes up the road in Chardon. Dating from the 1830s, Fowler’s Mill still grinds grain the old-fashioned way, using millstones. Stone grinding is slower and cooler, so the resulting flour keeps more of the nutrients. The grain is locally procured – next time we visit, I’d like to ask more about this, but by this point, C was getting pretty antsy, so we had to wrap things up pretty quickly and get him out.
The mill was closed in the mid-1960s, but was refurbished in the late-80s, and operates today much like it did 150 years ago. The quaint shop is a step back in time, and they sell a variety of flours, grains, baking mixes (in those ubiquitous cloth bags that anyone from the area would recognize), and other products, like local honey and maple syrup.
It’s a nice little piece of history, hearkening back to days long since passed, complete with the beautiful colonial home next door, built by Milo Fowler in 1840. Definitely makes one long just a little for those times when things seemed simpler. Also, I wasn’t aware, but the mill is the only surviving gristmill, out of at least seventeen, left in Geauga County. An interesting place to visit, and I’d recommend stopping by if you’re ever in the area.
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