Mike Bubb demonstrates and explains in detail the grinding process to Tate and Carson Super at the Old Mill Grinding Day. The event was making its return after a 3-year break.
On Sunday, August 27, an annual event was reinstated as the Old Mill State Park held its ever-popular Grinding Day. The shriek of the steam engine welcomed guests to the event on a beautiful sunny day as the Historic Steam Mill was back in operation for the public to enjoy. The park began as an underwater mystery and became the place famously homesteaded by the Larson family in 1882. Later, it held Minnesota’s historic gristmill. Visitors on Sunday enjoyed picnic lunches as they roamed the grounds enjoying sites of the Stone Arch Bridge, Stone Water Tower, and the WPA Swinging Bridge over the Middle River. The pines in the park are travelers from Sweden, brought as seeds by Lars Larson on his journey to this location. The original log cabin of the family is also a favorite visiting spot for visitors as they marvel over its small size for a large family. Another favorite visiting spot is the swimming pond fed with fresh water from a nearby well.
Eli Johnson, the newest member of the Marshall County Historical Society, enjoyed his first grinding day as a member of the sponsoring group. Eli, a 9th grader at the Warren Alvarado Oslo school, is the youngest member of the Historical Society and says he feels “we need to preserve the past.” Eli also organized the tractor show and the Steiger Tractor presentation held at the Marshall County Historical Society museum during the County Fair.
