Balmoral Grist Mill Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1874 |
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| Location | Balmoral Mills, Nova Scotia. |
| Type | history museum |
The Balmoral Grist Mill Museum is a historic building in Balmoral Mills, Nova Scotia. It's a special kind of mill called a grist mill. This mill was built in 1874 and uses the power of water to grind grains.
At the museum, you can see how people used to make flour and meal from grains like wheat, oats, and buckwheat. There's also a 1-kilometer (about 0.6 miles) walking trail. This trail follows the beautiful ravine of Balmoral Brook. The mill is an important part of the Nova Scotia Museum system.
The Mill's Story
Building the Mill
The Balmoral Grist Mill was built in 1874. A man named Alexander McKay built it. His parents were immigrants from Scotland. Alexander bought the land for the mill for just $12. That was a lot of money back then!
He used a new invention for his time: a water turbine. This special machine uses the force of flowing water to spin things. The turbine powered four large grindstones inside the mill. These stones crushed the grains into flour.
Changing Owners
When Alexander McKay passed away in 1886, his son, Hugh, took over the mill. Hugh owned the mill for 20 years.
Later, in 1906, Hugh sold the mill to Alexander McLean MacDonald. Alexander then passed the mill down to his own son, Archie, in 1940.
Mill Closes and Reopens
In the 1950s, the Balmoral Grist Mill faced tough times. Bigger, more modern mills started to appear. These new mills could produce flour much faster. Because of this competition, the Balmoral Mill eventually had to close down.
However, the story didn't end there! In 1964, a group called the Sunrise Trail Museum in Tatamagouche decided to restore the mill. They even hired Archie MacDonald, the former owner, to help run it again.
But restoring a mill costs a lot of money. So, in 1966, the mill was sold to the Nova Scotia government. The government completed the restoration. They even added an electric motor to help power the grindstones. This motor replaced the old water turbine.
