Water Gristmills of Appalachia How they made flour and how they work 

I remember reading a story about how in the Great Depression the flour companies would make the sacks with pretty flower patterns when they found out the the poor ladies were making dresses out of the flour sacks. 100% respect for those people who had to work hard and be self reliant!

3 grades of grinds were lowest grade was "run of the mill", midling, and the highest was "fair". So the phrases "fair to midling" and "run of the mill" came to be. If the stones got clogged they could catch fire so the miller had to "keep his nose to the grindstone" to smell for burning. The bearing that the stones rode on were called cockeye bearings.. so if they ran out of true they were "cockeyed"..

another fantastic historical vid Donnie,how things change over time,I,m70years old and the country I grew up in has become I hardly recognise now,people like yourself do a great job reminding the new world what it was like back when,

Great job Donnie. That's one thing this old man truly misses, pure butter. My mom always bought us Land of Lakes butter in the block form. It made pancakes and mashed tators so darn much better. We separated milk at home back then, had real cream, which most folks have no idea about anymore.

My dad operated a mill in Jackson County, Georgia when I was a kid. I don't remember him ever grinding a single bushel of yellow corn, but that's mostly what's in the stores today. Also, I was shocked at how bland butter tasted after I left the farm.

Our ancestors sure were tough Donnie. I enjoyed this video. Pap told me many stories about the mills in our area 😀

Thank you Mr. Donnie. I still bake my own bread, milk my own cow and make my own butter, sour cream and cheese.

Mr. Laws, you are a scholar and a gentleman. I'm glad to see this being done for posterity. Excellent video Sir.

I can imagine the flavor of that fresh-ground corn meal or flour...I know it had to be better than what is available today! Thanks for sharing this, Donnie!💖

Love your channel, 74 years old, raised in Troutdale Va. (Grayson co.) I know just what you are talking about. We canned or dried all of out fruit and vegetables. Our refrigeration was a spring race, using water to keep everything cool. Wood heating stove and cook stove. All fall was devoted to cutting fire wood for the winter and getting it into the wood shead.

We had a working gristmill not far from our former residence in northern Indiana. It’s been in operation since 1837 and I think it’s the oldest running gristmill in the US. You can buy all sorts of things from there. Very cool operation and park.

When I was a kid I swam at Pigeon Forge in 1973 and swang out on the tire swing, let go and splashed into the river. Them was fun times!

Brother, you bring back memories in my past that I hav'nt thought of in 60 years. Funny how your past never goes away. Thanks, I need this. You are actually helping me with my dementia. I was borned in the bedroom of my grannies house. I raised my kids the old ways that I was taught. I learned to drive on them dirt roads hauling shine.

Great video, these grist mills were the heartbeat of these small communities. All the news anyone needed to know about the worlds events could be shared or learned while you waited for your corn to be grinded. Excellent video my friend.

I know you helped to enlighten people on the mill. People just don't know much about that. Not to mention the flour sack clothes. Hey everyone, he ain't joking! So goes the phrase, " wearing a flour sack". The water wheel, even though it didn't work was very nice. Well as usual Mr. Donnie does not disappoint. Thank you for bringing the past back to life. You make RU-vid. You make my morning coffee taste so good. Thank you for all of your hard work on your posts. You are appreciated. Thank you.

Thanks Donnie, that brought back the bygone days of my grandparents , and the stories they told me, haven’t thought of these stories in years thank you my friend those old stories they told me meant a lot to me.

I like hearing you speak,it reminds me of my grand dad. He was fron Tennessee,born 1910 went to school in a one room shack. Didn't have shoes till he was a man at 10 years old and dropped out of school to work. He talked just like you. He was a ridge runner till he died, he didn't ware a suite except on his wedding day and his funeral. He told me once that when I see him in a monkey suit, he'll be going into the ground. He wore overalls every day till the end. Loved that old boy.

Weisenberger Mill in Scott County, KY has been operating since 1865. What a gem!

There's the White's Mill in Abingdon, VA and it is still working and producing flour and meal. Thanks for another great video!

I have been to a working grist mill in Sandwich (Cape Cod), Massachusetts and it truly is a wonder. One can even buy flour ground there.

There is nothing better than porch music!! It will NEVER go out of style!!

Listening here reminds me of the stories I'd sit and listen to from my pawpaw and mawmaw. How they'd grow their own, and grow stuff to sell. They canned every year and we'd eat the garden we tended all winter. And it made that hard summer work worth it. We had all kinds of animals, but never an abundance of any over any other, just enough of all of them. Another thing was trees and plants on the property was always a tree that could be used. Fruit trees, pecan, and hickory nut trees. Grape vines, and blueberry bushes. Oh, and the apple trees, nothing beats a fresh apple pie when the filling came out of your feild. I feel privileged to have grown up that way, hard work and all. Imiss those people, but thank you for the trip down memory lane, brother.

Hey Donnie! Thanks for another great video. Brought back wonderful memories from when I was a youngster. I grew up in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. I went with my grandpa to a grist mill there and got the fresh cornmeal and flour. I still remember the wonderful smell in our home when momma and grandma made the bread. I miss those wonderful women. Thanks for making this old man's day.

Speaking of tobacco: I worked on my cousin's farm one summer. He had a small spread in a valley in Sevier county TN. He grew tobacco. Funny thing is, he didn't smoke. We planted, weeded and in season harvested and bundled it. Took it to a local place and sold it. You are right, good money. BTW back then I DID smoke (quit 20 years back) and that local leaf tasted FAR better then the factory stuff.

I still raise white meal corn like that showed in the photo.. grind it myself but I use a modern electric mill.. My dad told me our family first got the seed corn from the Indians wayback when WV was first settled. Passed down generation to generation..

Well, that was a wonderful video and history lesion Donnie. Truth is, many of my family member still raise their own livestock and grow their own vegetables, grains herbs and spices. And to an extent still make their own medicines. And a few who shall remain nameless, still make their own Rum. You are what my grandfather was, a Storyteller who kept the history, culture and legends of our people alive. Donnie Law, you are a priceless resource my friend... this is the truth from my heart. Blessings and be safe Donnie.

My mother made many of her clothes from print flour sacks. Thank you for a heart warming memory.

Donnie, My grandpa Burton used to manage a grist mill in North Carolina. I have a picture of him in his mill he ran. We used to have a mill here in my town, but they tore it down. Thank you for the video.

Don, you really know how to make a grown man cry. I never got to see a gritsmill work, but man today's flour and cornmeal ain't nothing like it was back when I was growing up. Thank you for these wonderful videos and tales of the good old days. Back during the "greatest generation".

This is a very interesting video. I enjoyed seeing how the mountain people ground their corn and wheat. It is like a snapshot of a different era carefully preserved to be appreciated by modern audiences. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

I remember as a lil girl my daddy having a grist mill grinding cormeal for people and I remember shelling the corn with my lil hands it wld take me awhile to get it all off that cob but it kept me busy and momma knew where I was and what I was doing.... Oh yes such a Simple life.... I'm so thankful I was raised this way.... Now I'm teaching my Grandbabies what I was taught....

Don't forget those juicy tomatoes and diced sausage with the gravy and biscuits. Reminds me of Saturday mornings with my grandparents.

I remember going with my grandfather to a mill in Hall County, Georgia, as a child. Fascinating. Years ago, my wife and I drove to McCormick County, South Carolina, to Price’s mill and watched him grind corn. We bought a couple of pounds. Best cornbread ever. Price died a while back and the mill closed but it’s still there.

Donnie when I was much younger I knew of several of the old mills that ran when I was a kid. There was one as a kid I use to play in over at Kyle's Ford. It can on water for a while and was changed over to electric. Your right we grew corn and tobacco and the corn we would keep enough to have corn meal for about 6-8 months and sell the rest to Rogersville Milling Company. That had been a while ago. The corn we raised was what was called sugar kane corn and it sure did make some good corn bread.

This video reminds me of my grandparents and great grandparents in TN. My great grandparents lived in a small house with a large room and kitchen on my grandparents farm. My grandparents lived in a 4 room house with wood burning stoves for heat. My great grandfather and grandfather wore overalls and plowed the fields with a mule. My great grandfather died with a heart attack plowing the fields when he was 94 years old. And my great grandmother lived to be in the 90’s past her husband. My great grandmother and grandmother made the best biscuits and cornbread and would leave the biscuits on the table to eat during the day. They raised pigs, cows and had a vegetable garden. And raised chickens. Also, they had goats and we would play with the goats and ride Kate, the mule. My grandmother made homemade butter and canned foods. My mother canned foods and I learned from her and canned foods. These pictures look like my heirs and the clothes they wore. I learned how to sew from my grandmother and mother. My family lived in Nashville, so visiting my grandparents on their farm and a simple life was fun growing up.

Donnie, I really enjoy listening to your stories. The combination of the "old traditional" stories told in an informative documentary style along with your wonderful narrations and soft southern accent bring back so many memories growing up in the south for me. I was thinking about how we all live today and how vulnerable we are to a major collapse of our society because people don't live anymore like the stories that you reflect upon of our ancestors who grew up in hard times but were self reliant, grew their own food, made what they needed, bartered when they didn't have the money, etc. These hard working Americans didn't rely upon government assistance and weren't use to buying what they needed from a store. I remember grandma going to the well pumping water, canning vegetables from her garden, fixing supper and we didn't get up from the table till we either finished all of what we got out or excused ourselves from the table. We ate allot of left-overs, nothing got thrown away if it was still good. Despite not having allot, those were good times. We didn't know that we were poor because we had each other and somehow always had a roof over out heads, food in stomach and most importantly, love. Grandma and Grandpa loved us dearly and sacrificed allot so that we'd have what we needed. I remember Grandma making me help her shell butter beans on the porch, Aunt LuLu would come over and they would talk. At the time I thought it was the most boring thing in the world but I always enjoyed eating those beans when she'd prepare them for supper. Now I would love to sit with her just once more and shell butter beans if I could. They've been gone for many years now. I just want to thank you for taking the time to reflect these old ways. Its part of history and good memories for some like myself. Thanks buddy.

I loved that video. It was interesting and it was beautiful. The photography of the old buildings as they are now, and the photos of the old buildings, as they were back then. The stream water moving along - that was beautiful ! I sometimes think a simple way of living is better than the way of things now, not the hardships but the pace of time, the peace, as opposed to the rapid pace of today. It makes things ( places and people ) easy to appreciate. It makes you think, it gives you more time to stop and smell the roses, as some people say. Sorry to rave on like this but all this stuff came to mind watching the video and I would like to thank you, once again, for bringing it home. Thank You, you truly are one of the great treasures of RU-vid.

Donnie, don't you reckon that some of these old grist mills will be coming back to life in the near future? I believe so. Canning food, growing more of our own food, preserving more of our consumption is got to be on our minds more these days cause a bag of groceries 3 years ago was 40 dollars and now it's out of sight. People in our rural mountain communities will start to co-opt more and more and pull together more like the generations of old if our store shelves keep getting bare nationwide. Our land of plenty no longer rings true. I see this getting worse and we're headed for a rude awakening of unpreparedness with many folks that don't know about the things you just talked about cause they've growed up in an instant world at their fingertips and don't know and don't care about how things are made as long as they're satisfied for the moment. Sorry to be long winded, but appreciate so much to see this vid you put together.

Wow the hand mill stone! So that’s what it is! I have one of those round stones I found at an old house my husband tore down 40 years ago. It’s got holes around the edge hole in the middle and worn down groves on one side looks like its got folds in it. I never knew what it was for until now but I kept it all these years! Learn something new everyday lol! I found an old crock moonshine jug to under the house.

When I was young we would visit Spring Mills State Park in Indiana. We lived in Kentucky, near the boarder with Indiana. This grist mill has been there since the early 1800’s and it still grinds corn to this day. I tell you, the smell is heavenly when the mill is working and that meal makes the best cornbread I’ve ever had. Maybe it’s because it was freshly milled, or maybe it’s because we went all the way up there to get it, I don’t know, but it was delicious. And the mill makes a tremendous sound too! I loved going there as a child🐝❤️🤗

I have no money, friends are few, and I stay by myself. For some reason, even though I’m 41 years old, I was winding down tonight…..having a couple beers. I soon found myself daydreaming, and one of your videos was on.video on,… It’s kind of like having somebody to sing you a lullaby to sleep. I do not mean that in a weird way, I mean that in the most respectful way. Thank you sir. I am thinking about going buying a metal detector because watching some of your and other peoples videos. I’ve been a hermit for two years and I need to get out… Thank you very much for being an honest man.

It always amazes me how the people figured out how to make a complex machine to do that work, and what type of wood to use at different areas of operations.Thanks again for your time to make the video.I hope they get the mill at Cade Cove gets the care end repair it needs. It would be a great loss

It's always a good day when Mr. Donnie Laws uploads a vid, so I can learn more about this beautiful region. I imagine the mountains make it hard to farm.

@DONNIE LAWS Yes, it's me again. I'm sorry if I'm sounding like a fangirl or brown-noser, but I truly can't thank you enough for your content. I'm 53. Grew up in a middle-class home in Northern CA of parents who came from Pennsylvania coal miners and a paternal grandfather who moved to Centralia PA from Roanoke VA. I like to imagine the hard lives you describe, of those we owe so much gratitude, aren't that different than those old TN mountains. Pop grew up on a farm, near as I can tell (he died when I was 5 1/2), and his family also had a livery company. He was one of 15 children. Anyway, I appreciate so much the reverence and gratitude in your voice when speaking of our ancestors and what they sacrificed to give us all more convenient lives. God bless. Lois, your 1/2 Yankee friend you're helping to discover my roots. Edit: grammar

The world was more "sensible" back then....thank you Donnie

Thank you Mr. Laws. We always went to Cades Cove--Spring & Fall. They sell 'real' meal and flour in the Visitors Center, milled in Gatlinburg. Nothing like it on the market! Maybe soon we'll be able to go back.

Love this video. Was hoping you could show a mill that still works. They are getting hard to find. There is one locally that still works and they run it once a year as a demonstration of how it was done years ago. I've seen it a couple of times but not lately. Hope it still works. Well thanks for the video and take care.

boy that takes me back There was a park me and family went to that had a mill they would grind up corn you buy a bag for a dollar it was that best to make some corn bread thank you sir for sharing your video good memories

Awesome story Donnie people think I'm crazy but if I wasn't 64 I would love to go back to living like that I know it's a hard way of life but I think it was a much better life than it is today I remember when mom and dad and all of my grandparents had a garden and raised their own hogs cows and chickens for their own food it was much better than anything you can buy in a store now days I remember in the early 80's I got a good tax check and even though I was in my late 20's I wasn't married yet and still lived with mom and dad and helped them out anyway I thought about getting a new hotrod because I loved racing but then I thought no instead I went and bought a big freezer when and bought a side of beef and along with that they added 12 chickens and 30 pounds of bacon and the same amount of sausage to go with it as thanks for buying it they were old time butchers I bought 2 hogs and had them butchered and we put out a huge garden that produced really good for over a year we didn't have to go to the store except for coffee sugar and the kind of stuff we couldn't do on our own boy that was so wonderful best time of my life as an adult

Mr. Donnie. You know, I love knowing the old ways. I am 60 years young. My mother is 87 year. She use to tell me these things of her grandma and parents. I listen now. I did not listen when I was younger.

...Neat Video Donnie....it be nice if some of the young bloods with the ways and means could get in and get some of these old mills back up...one of my cousins who is retired now ...kept some old mills going....as he was a Millwright ... Thank you for the video Brother....

My Dad joined the Navy, I can remember being the baby of 5 boys riding in the back of the family station wagon from Norfolk, Va. to Eastern Kentucky. This stuff is like being in the back of that wagon all over again.

Howdy to one and all wish you a fine day 😊

Wow, the corn really surprised me, growing on that steep hill. There's an older couple that have fantastic white corn here in south Jersey, in the western part. Where I live now, the only thing that grows well here in Atlantic county is blueberries. I always enjoy your videos. I may plant some blueberry bushes here this year

I'll tell you a lil story. I was mostly raised by my Granny. Her and that side of my Family was from Maury county Tennessee. My Granny could cook! I was the one of her Grandkids that lived there with her. I grew up eating all kinds of wonderful things; Pig ears, pig feet, fried chicken, beans, etc. Because I was always there, I grew up eating cornbread and buttermilk. Still love it today. Anyhow after I was grown and had my Son, my Mom asked me to come live with her. The first thing she done was take us to eat at a favorite place of hers. when I got my food, I bit into the cornbread and immediately spit it out... It had sugar in it lol. Yuk!!

Thanks Donnie, love to see those old grist mills. I’ve seen the one at Cades Cove in operation before.

Thanks Donnie. My father in law tells stories of getting cornmeal from a mill in Dryden Virginia. Thanks for sharing this. All the best.

Mr. Donnie, I and my generations are from this here west cost to the Sonora desert. These mountain folk are my kind of people! I truly enjoy the content you produce, keep 'em coming. Thank you sir.

Always enjoy hearing you tell your true stories, taking a trip down memory lane, thank you Donnie.

I’ve set and churned a lot of cow butter now but it was so good on a homemade cat head biscuit mmmmmmmmm. I’ve been there and done a lot of that stuff. I miss them days so bad anymore sir. I’m so thankful I got to grow up in that lifestyle to. If more people would have to live that life sure enough the young generation today stuff would be appreciated a lot more.

I'm old enough to remember getting the occasional grit in your meal. One of my favorite things growing up was cornbread and cornmeal gravy. That'll hold you all day. Thanks for helping keep history alive.

I love most of your videos Donnie, but the historical videos are by far my favourite.

I am only 66, but i remember a grist mill in my dads home town in Ala. Dads side was Scotch Irish. Mostly farmers. I remember seeing it working. Finest corm meal at the time.

My dad had a gist mill that was run with an old hit/miss gasoline engine and long leather belt. Engine was 1 cylinder crank start. Magneto fired spark plug. Had 2 ballance wheels on the crankshaft.

Thanks, Mr. Donnie. Loved this. Miss Tipper cooked with cornmeal from the Old Mill in Pidgeon Forge. Said it was good. Thanks again. Folks are going to have to get back to the land.

Thank you Donnie always enjoy your videos when we hunt we always look for the old Homestead and some of them are remarkable what you can find

I have to confess I hit the like button before even watching this one.

My Nanny (great grandmother) raised 8 children during the depression. She always made biscuits by hand, never measured and stirred with her hands. She said it put love into them. They were so good, she’d fuss at me for eating an “ol’ dry biscuit. I told her they were perfect the way they were.

Tks Mr. Laws For me were fortunate enough to have a Mill that still grinds fresh grits.corn...in middle tenn.But what I rem most Is there was always 🐟 to be caught At the mill&the debris.And its getting time After this rain is settled A bucket of fresh spring craws&Some stonerollers...Fried fish will be eat..The only time of the year I do...And thankful for the lessons My grandfather taught me.on the rivers edge...Tks Again Donnie for what you do...💘 The CH

I have plenty of feed sack quilts that's was first for sugar or flour or corn for the live stock then dresses for my mom and her 8 sisters and when they out grew them they made quilts all hand stitched and hand quilted!! My oldest aunt was born in 1932 and my mom was the youngest of 13 she was born in the 1963, and they still made her dresses from feed sacks even in the 60s which is crazy to think about my parents not having stores to buy thing they even have plumbing in their home as children... I've actually got a few quilts from my great grandma and theat have home grown cotton in them, I try to keep my really ones put up and only use them on special occasions like when I brought my children home from the hospital but I never had a store bought blanket until just a few years ago!!! I think i prefer my home made ones the best!!!

When I was a kid my dad had one of those stone hand grinders, we never really used it but he did show me how to use it. People pay money to go to a gym to workout back in those days life was a workout.

Thanks Mr Donnie for the blue print looks like we may need to go back to grinding our meal, I have some fresh ground grits in my freezer now and talk about delicious with some bacon and a hot biscuit, that's some good eatin.👍💯 Be Blessed.

Thanks Donnie. Brings back a lot of memories when I visited my grandfather and grandmother in Jackson County, Georgia.

Thanks for sharing Donnie. The picture of the 2 men priming tobacco with the mule drawn slide reminds me of here back when Daddy was growing up.

Great looking skillet of corn bread, my friend. Now, I need to make some tomorrow. I still make it in a cast iron skillet too. It's an old one too. It was passed down to me by my Grandmother, who got it from her Grandmother. Nothing better than a nice warm wedge of corn bread with butter and sorghum.

I enjoy so much watching this videos, even dough I was born an grew up in Guatemala the hardships are the same. We had to be selfduficient to. Thanks for this great videos. Love Apalachia..

Had a mill before I was born right here in the head of this holler I live in now in McDowell county WV. I'm 63 and that spot is still called the Mill Pond. We used to swim in it when we were kids. Congratulations on your success Donnie. You'll have 100,000 subscribers before you know it!

I love these stories. Please never stop telling stories, you're a great storyteller.

Great video thanks for sharing this with us. They were very smart people to figure that out and may it work. I remember my father talked about taking the corn to the mill. I really enjoy your videos thanks for the memories. God bless you and your family. I think that I want some cornbread and milk 😋

My father had a water powered flour mill just outside Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Our flour mill was a little more modern than is shown here. We had a Midget Marvel short system mill. Worked well. We put flour up in 2-5-and 10 pound bags. We also used the printed feed bags shown, but not for flour, but for most other livestock feeds we manufactured. They were called “ dress print bags “ I guess because many farm ladies made dresses out of them or aprons. I saw a lot of curtains too. They were kind of a pain because if a lady was a bag short of a dress, she’d come in and want another bag just like the one she had and invariably it would be at the bottom of the pile. Our water where was a steel wheel, not very high, maybe 9 feet, but very wide compared to most wheels I’ve seen. The mill is long gone, as is my father.

Absolutely love the old stories. Brings back memories. Thxs for sharing

Sir the last time we were in Cades Cove The Cable Mill was in operation we bought some corn meal there. Over in Arkansas they have WarEagle Mill, excellent flour & meal. Plus Ole Mill in The Forge. Yes sir times were tough but they were true & pure,where a hand shake & your word was the contract.....JMO

Great video I think that there are two mills still running in KY one in London it was running until covid hit don't know if it is now the other is a little west of Lexington and it is a pretty big operation considering it is family run thanks again for your videos really enjoyable

Gravy and biscuits mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm great video sir. Be safe and GOD BLESS y’all Amen 🙏

Mr. Laws,I love when you remind me of how good just little things was so much better,back in our days,rather than these modern times. People will never know, or care about. sharing a garden, tastes of fresh food, etc. You are full of knowledge. Thanks for the reminder of more simpler times. Harder, but easier, if anyone can relate

I live on my property adjoining the ol grain mill here where I live and about a mile and a half down the way was where the ol sawmill was. Neither function today,but the creek on my piece runs my generator. A smaller water wheel the powers my battery bank. Had to use a couple times the past few days due to all the winds we've had and cant seem to get away from. Thanks again Donnie for another great video. God Bless and keep it up. Take care.

Thanks Brings back fond memories. I am not the miller I am the miller's son. I have ground many bushels of corn at my grandmother's old mill. Today its gone.

Thanks again for another video Donnie all ways a blessing. It's good to let the people know how we got or maid bread back in the day in these appalachia mountains. It was amazing how our great grandma and grandpa lived.we are forgetting the old ways .think you for keeping these old ways a live. In our hearts and mind. Hope you and the family are well. Thanks for sharing.

Back in the mid 50's all my female cousins wore dresses their Mothers made from flour sacks with pretty patterns on them to wear to school. Most farm families used a lot of flour because they had a lot of children for working the farms that they had to feed. My Uncle bought flour in 50 lb bags and My Aunt made biscuits for all three meals every day for nine people, seven of them kids. A 50 lb bag of flour did not last very long back in my day. I love these video's Mr. Laws and thank you so much for sharing them with us. A lot of lowland people back many decades ago lived there lives very similar to the mountain families, life was hard for us folks as well and you made do with what you had in order to survive. I have no idea of you have made any video's about finding Indian artifacts in Appalachia but that would be fun to watch. May God bless you and yours sir, always.

You’re the man now, Donnie! 🙏🏻

My Mother wore Flour sack dresses. I lived on a property for awhile that had an old mill on it. Beautiful woodwork and machinery like no other. Thank you Mr. Donnie again and again for reminding us us on how it used to be. God bless you ❤

That was a very important phase to make the flour and other grains needed to make the pasta, breads and other main stay staples used today. We owe it to the Grist mills of yesterday. thanks for this well done presentation, Donnie, your friend , Louise

Donnie you have such a lovely soothing voice. I live in the UK but I love learning about any sort of history of how people used to live, its incredible.

Well my wife and I been off grid for bout 25 yrs an we use wood for heat and an old wood fired cook stove we have a well raise a garden and cut our own wood for lumber and fire wood ash is the best for cook stove got a little blacksmiths shop and enjoy it kinda getting old now and my wife has passed but I still live the same way and do love it I still like the old ways thanks for the pictures

Hi Donnie, Ever heard the little tune "come butter come, come butter come...little Johnny's at the gate, waitin for a butter cake, come butter come?" sort of an old churning jingle. Real nice video Donnie. thank you. George.

I love old water gristmills love them we have some gristmills up here in Norris Tennessee you can actually tour the gristmills and go inside it it's awesome love me some good old cornbread this is awesome I'm sure things were hard back then in the old days but it was simpler times and better times love these old clips of the people raising their chickens making their butter their milk raising chickens made their clothes the good old days you had to work hard back then grow your own food make your own stuff crops tobacco love old Appalachian bluegrass music love how they made their own stuff and how they used gristmills love the old water creeks as well water flowing in the gristmills love the gristmills up in cades cove that's where I was named after good old country food and eating very interesting going back in time in the old days thanks Donnie for this buddy

There's a Mabrys Mill here in Va. on the Blue Ridge Parkway. That pan of cornbread you showed got my mouth watering.

Hi Donnie I love old timey grits lots of butter, thanks for another relaxing video God bless you and your family 🙏,Al

My great grandfather owned and ran a grist mill and saw mill in Kentucky in the early 1900's. Thanks for the video. God bless.

I wanted to mention that we are in the Smokies this week. We’ve seen 8 different black bears. Two had two cubs , one med size and one giant today. We also went to Dollywood and Dolly herself was there and surprised everyone with a short parade. What a blessing. I love where my roots are. Bless you my friend