Esterhazy Flour Mill

Last updated

Esterhazy Flour Mill
Canada Saskatchewan location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Saskatchewan
Location Esterhazy, Saskatchewan [1]
ManagementFriends of the Flour Mill and the Town of Esterhazy [2]
Coordinates 50°39′11″N102°4′16″W / 50.65306°N 102.07111°W / 50.65306; -102.07111
Construction
Built1904 [3]
Completed1907
DecommissionedOperations at the mill ceased in the 1980s. [3]
Official nameEsterhazy Flour Mill National Historic Site
Designated2009

The Esterhazy Flour Mill is located at 517 Smith-Dorrien Street, Esterhazy, Saskatchewan. Construction of the mill was started in 1904 and was completed in 1907. The current owner is the Town of Esterhazy and is run by the Friends of the Flour Mill. The Esterhazy Flour Mill is the only remaining wood-frame construction flour mill in Saskatchewan. The Provincial Heritage Property designation was announced in 2005 and on July 8, 2009, the Esterhazy Flour Mill was designated as a National Historic Site. [4]

Contents

History

Esterhazy Flour Mill, December 2011 EsterhazyFlourMill.jpg
Esterhazy Flour Mill, December 2011

The Esterhazy Flour Mill was built by James Saunders during 1904 to 1907. [2] There were many hold-ups in the construction of the Esterhazy Flour Mill due to non-delivery of materials. Milling began on June 18, 1907. [5]

James Saunders, of Whitewood, Saskatchewan, was a small operator who serviced consumers in the area that surrounded his mills, by only selling surplus flour for export. [2] Saunders owned mills in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan, including the nearby Whitewood Milling Company in Whitewood, Saskatchewan. [5] The grain was purchased from local producers and produced a local commodity of flour. The mill also generated off-peak business for the area's railroad which ensured year-round rail service to the area. [2]

The first manager employed the facility by Saunders was Mr. Snider. Snider left in September 1907 and was replaced by J.A Macdonald for the winter of 1907. W.S. Ford of Whitewood took over as head miller and manager in 1908. The miller from Saunder's Whitewood mill, Frank Size, leased the Esterhazy Flour Mill from Saunders after the Whitewood mill was destroyed by fire in 1909. Frank Size purchased the Esterhazy Flour Mill from James Saunders in 1911 and continued on as head miller. [5]

Rudolph Junek purchased the mill in 1939 and operated the facility with assistance from his brother Stanley Junek and Charlie Lake. White flour was the main product produced, by Junek, through the war years, but brown flour was also produced during this time. Junek also advertised, at that time, that farmers could bring in wheat for milling without the quantity being entered in the permit book as long as it was for their own use. [5]

Junek converted the mill from steam power to diesel power in 1947. An UD18A International engine was installed, which was able to produce 125 horsepower.

The Mill changed ownership a number of times between 1949, with the passing of Rudolph Junek, up until 1979. [5] Joseph Junek, Rudolph's brother purchased it in 1949 after the passing of his brother and operated the mill with help from his brother Stanley Junek and Charlie Lake. In 1959 Junek sold the mill, due to his failing health, to partners John Jurick and Frank Pittner. Pittner's share was soon bought out later that year by John Kacsmar, who operated the mill with Jurick until the fall of 1962. Kacsmar then bought out Jurick's share in the mill. Otto Roseler took over the operations of the mill but Kacsmar helped when needed. The mill was then sold to Kurt Zwolinski of Virden, Manitoba in 1977. Ownership reverted to Roseler when Zwolinski was unable to overcome financial issues. Roseler continued to operate the mill until the spring of 1979 when it was sold to Martin Ritlop. Financial problems also plagued Ritlop and ownership of the mill once again reverted to Roseler. Roseler was the owner of the Esterhazy Flour Mill when he died in June 1979. Roseler willed the mill to the Grey Sisters, who operated the Esterhazy Hospital. The Grey Sisters did not take ownership of the mill and Ritlop was able to repurchase the mill. [5]

Martin Ritlop was the mill's last owner and operator, owning the mill from 1979 to 1994. Production ceased at the mill in 1980 and the mill sat idle until 1994 when ownership of the mill was transferred to the Town of Esterhazy through tax enforcement.

Productivity

Productivity of the mill varied depending on the year and the time of the year. The Esterhazy Flour Mill is an example of a mid-sized mill. It was able to process 15 bushels of wheat in one hour, which would create about 600 pounds of flour. [2] Operation at the mill depended on the quality and availability of wheat for milling. Repairs and maintenance were done throughout the summer months in the early years of operation of the mill, and production would resume in the fall with the availability of the new crop. The early years of operation of the mill were quite successful, with 40,000 bushels of wheat ground by the mill by April 1913. [5]

Operation of the mill was sporadic during the Depression. Grain was brought in for milling during this time when local grain was of low quality or was not available. [5]

Milling Process

The Esterhazy Flour Mill used a Hungarian-patented roller process for milling the hard spring wheat, which was produced on the prairies at the time. This milling process was state-of-the-art at the time of its installation in 1907. [2]

Today

The Esterhazy Flour Mill is the only remaining wood-frame construction flour mill in Saskatchewan. [6] The mill is a complete illustration of period flour milling technology as it still contains almost all of the original equipment. [7]

Restoration

After milling operations ceased no further maintenance was done to the property and the building began to deteriorate. The roof began to leak causing damage to the flooring inside the mill and once the windows had broken it became a nesting site for pigeons. After ownership of the mill was acquired by the Town of Esterhazy an unsuccessful attempt was made to find someone who would reactivate the mill. A feasibility study was proposed in 1995, to determine the costs of putting the mill back into operation. This was later rejected. Due to the poor physical appearance of the facility some citizens of Esterhazy pushed for the demolition of the mill. [5]

A demolition order was rescinded by the Town of Esterhazy in February 1996, due to the interest of two parties in the mill facility, Hubert Lacoste, a miller from Quebec, and the Saskatchewan Heritage Branch. A suggestion of producing organic flour was suggested but not realized. The Saskatchewan Heritage Branch pointed out that the Esterhazy Flour Mill was the only one of its kind in Saskatchewan with original equipment still intact and that there was funding available for exterior restoration of the building. [5]

A committee called Friends of the Esterhazy Flour Mill was established and a bylaw designated the Esterhazy Flour Mill as Municipal Heritage Property. The committee then set about establishing a list of priorities for the mill, which included: stabilization and repair of the equipment, cleaning the mill, collecting and archiving the documentation concerning the mill, and exterior renovations. A volunteer group set about the initial cleaning of the mill in the summer of 1996. Appropriate restoration knowledge was gathered from the provincial government while seeking heritage status. Restoration was done using appropriate materials and followed the national standards and guidelines of restorative work. [5]

Provincial Historic Site Designation

The Esterhazy Flour Mill's plaque was officially unveiled on July 30, 2005. [8] The Provincial Heritage Property designation was announced earlier in 2005 but the plaque unveiling was held during Esterhazy's centennial homecoming celebrations. [8]

National Historic Site Designation

On July 8, 2009, the Esterhazy Flour Mill was designated as a National Historic Site, [3] and is one of 44 National Historic Sites in Saskatchewan. The plaque commemorating the National Historic Site designation was unveiled on September 3, 2011. Mr. Garry Breiktreuz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville unveiled the plaque on behalf of the Honourable Peter Kent, Canada's Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grain elevator</span> Grain storage building

A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits it in a silo or other storage facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park</span> United States historic place

Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park is a California state park located in Napa County between St. Helena and Calistoga. The park is the site of a water-powered grist mill that was built in 1846 is one of only two water-driven mills remaining west of the Mississippi River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agricore United</span> Canadian farmer-directed agribusiness

Agricore United, Inc. was a farmer-directed agribusiness in Canada. It supplied crop nutrition and crop protection products, and offered grain handling and marketing services. It was created on November 1, 2001 by the merger of Agricore and United Grain Growers. It was headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its shares were publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol "AU" until June 15, 2007, when it was taken over by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. Agri-business giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) had a 28% stake in the company at the time of the takeover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Cook's Mills</span>

The Battle of Cook's Mills was the last engagement between U.S. and British armies in the Niagara, and the penultimate engagement on Canadian soil during the War of 1812. After a battle lasting less than an hour, American forces out-maneuvered the British column, and later destroyed all grain found in the mill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watson's Mill</span>

Watson's Mill is an historic flour and gristmill in Manotick, Ontario, Canada. It is the only working museum in the Ottawa area and one of the very few operating industrial grist mills in North America. Watson's Mill still sells stone-ground whole wheat flour which is made on site. The mill is also well known for its ghost Annabelle. The legend is that Ann Currier, wife of Joseph, haunts the mill, following her death in a tragic accident there in 1861. Watson's Mill is Manotick's most recognized landmark. Its image is used as a symbol for the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esterhazy, Saskatchewan</span> Town in Saskatchewan, Canada

Esterhazy is a town in the south-eastern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, 83 kilometres (52 mi) south-east of Yorkton along Highways 22 and 80. The town is in the Rural Municipality of Fertile Belt No. 183.

Highway 1 is the Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Highway mainland route. The total distance of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan is 654 kilometres (406 mi). The highway traverses Saskatchewan from the western border with Alberta, from Highway 1, to the Manitoba border where it continues as PTH 1. The Trans-Canada Highway Act was passed on December 10, 1949. The Saskatchewan segment was completed August 21, 1957, and completely twinned on November 6, 2008. The speed limit along the majority of the route is 110 kilometres per hour (70 mph) with urban area thoroughfares slowing to a speed of 80–100 kilometres per hour (50–62 mph). Portions of the highway—the section through Swift Current, an 8-kilometre (5 mi) section east of Moose Jaw, and a 44-kilometre (27 mi) section between the West Regina Bypass and Balgonie—are controlled-access. Highway 1 serves as a major east–west transport route for commercial traffic. It is the main link between southern Saskatchewan's largest cities, and also serves as the province's main link to the neighbouring provinces of Alberta and Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qu'Appelle Valley Hockey League</span>

The Qu’Appelle Valley Hockey League is a C-level senior ice hockey and junior ice hockey league in the greater Regina area of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is sanctioned by Hockey Saskatchewan and Hockey Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannington Manor Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Saskatchewan, Canada

Cannington Manor Provincial Park is an historic park in the RM of Moose Mountain in the south-east corner of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. An aristocratic English colony was established at the site in 1882 by Captain Edward Michell Pierce. It became a provincial park in 1986. Cannington Manor is located west and north of Highway 603. The Colony is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) south-east of Moose Mountain Provincial Park, and 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Moosomin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rural Municipality of Willowdale No. 153</span> Rural municipality in Saskatchewan, Canada

The Rural Municipality of Willowdale No. 153 is a rural municipality (RM) in the southeast portion of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 5 and SARM Division No. 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell Farm (Indian Head, Saskatchewan)</span> Building in Saskatchewan, Canada

Bell Farm is a heritage farm built in 1882 by William Robert Bell on ten miles (16 km) square or 60,000 acres (24,000 ha) at Indian Head in Saskatchewan. The Bell Farm Barn is amongst the ten top most endangered sites by the Heritage Canada Foundation. The round structure consisted of a silo which could be used also as a lookout tower. The silo had a capacity of 4,000 bushels of oats and 100 tons of hay. The surrounding area could house 36 horse and an office. Having the silo centrally located greatly reduced labour involved in livestock feeding and resulted in a stronger facility than the rectangular structures.

The Krause Milling Co grain elevator and flour mill site complex is composed of a 1929 grain elevator, drive shed, office/powerhouse, storage building and foundation of the 1929 flour mill, in the center of Radway, Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ritchie Mill</span> Flour mill in Strathcona, Alberta

The Ritchie Mill is the oldest surviving flour mill in the province of Alberta.

The Lake of the Woods Milling Company Limited was a milling company that operated a flour mill in Keewatin, Ontario for 79 years. At the height of its production, it was possibly the largest flour mill in the British Commonwealth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Albert Grain Elevator Park</span> Museum in Alberta, Canada

St. Albert Grain Elevator Park is an open-air museum which features two historic grain elevators and a reconstructed railway station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cargill Pool Elevator</span> Silo in New York, United States

The Cargill Pool Elevator is a grain storage facility in Buffalo harbor built in the 1920s and previously named the Saskatchewan Cooperative Elevator. The elevator is the only grain elevator in Buffalo that is located directly adjacent to Lake Erie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquis wheat</span> Wheat cultivar

The 'Marquis' bread wheat cultivar was developed by a team led by Dr. William Saunders, Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, between 1892 and 1909. It is a cross between Red Fife and Hard Red Calcutta. It was selected for superiority in milling quality for bread flour over other cultivars then prevalent in western Canada. 'Marquis' had the advantage of maturing 10 days earlier than its competitors – a factor of great importance in the Canadian wheatbelt such as Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, extending as far south as southern Nebraska.<

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hodgson-Aid Mill</span> United States historic place

Hodgson-Aid Mill, also known as Hodgson Water Mill and Aid-Hodgson Mill, is a historic grist mill located on Bryant Creek near Sycamore, Ozark County, Missouri. It was constructed around 1897, and is a 3+12-story, timber frame mill building covered with red-painted weatherboards. Associated with the mill are the man-made mill pond and the limestone barrel vault constructed at the base of the cliff where Hodgson Spring discharges. The mill has not been in operation since 1976. It is privately owned.

References

  1. "Esterhazy Flour Mill". Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. "Commemoration of Esterhazy flour mill national historic site of Canada", Parks Canada, September 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Reynish, Dan (July 8, 2009). "Esterhazy Flour Mill declared a historic site". CBCnews Canada. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  4. Esterhazy Flour Mill . Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Roos, Arnold E. "Submission report - place: Esterhazy flour mill, Esterhazy, Saskatchewan", Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, November 2007.
  6. Ambrosi, Raymond. "Milling". The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. University of Regina and Canadian Plains Research Center. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  7. 1 2 Norek, Audra. "Harper Government Commemorates Esterhazy Flour Mill". Canada News Centre. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Esterhazy Flour Mill Provincial Heritage Property Plaque Unveiling". Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 7 December 2011.