Old Pickwick Mill (Original B&W Photography)

Howdy!

Earlier this summer, I visited the Wapsipinicon Mill in Independence, Iowa, which was a beautiful, historic grain mill. Hearing about another historic grain mill from the same era, here in Minnesota, I set off to see what there was to see.

^{Limited Parking}
The Pickwick Mill, located in a village of the same name, is about ten miles from Winona, MN. I will be focusing on the photography, but information about the mill's history can be found at the link at the end.

^{Im "press" ive!}
Unlike the Wapsipinicon Mill, Pickwick has been fully restored and is functional. While it wasn't running on my visit, they do, occasionally, link up the machinery to the waterwheel, powering the myriad of gears, belts, and chains that once processed local grains.

^{Looking Up}
Most, if not all of the original machines are still present. The gears, chains, and wooden structures make a fascinating subject for photography. It is a little dim inside, and I found myself wishing I'd brought a tripod in. There were various items to brace against for longer exposures, though.

^{What Goes Where?}
I would love to have seen this bit of the mill in motion. This feat of mechanical engineering was designed and constructed with paper and pencils. Calculating gear ratios and angular velocities, torque, and power output by hand on this scale would have been a daunting task!

^{King of the Gears}
This was the largest gear in the mill by far. it had to have been over eight feet across!

^{Bird Target Practice?}
In its era, this mill would have most likely been lit by natural light coming through the many large windows. During the restoration, electrical cable was run and some overhead lighting installed, but the windows till provide the bulk of the light.

^{Big Tank}
The upper levels of the mill house some odds and ends from milling history in the area, like this huge metal funnel. It was likely where the unprocessed grain entered the mill at some point in its history.

^Dam!
I don't do much with video, mostly due to my photography equipment's limitations and a lack of editing software, but wanted to share these two.

This is where the shaft from the waterwheel comes into the mill. Nothing was hooked up today, but it still turned a couple wheels.

The waterwheel is rather fascinating. I hadn't seen one with gear teeth like this one, before.

After about an hour at the mill, it was time for lunch and a little fun at nearby Trempealeau Wildlife Area...

For more information about the mill and its history, head to their website.

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