Welcome to www.morleygristmill.com

Grist is grain and grist mills ground it into flour. In present times we may not even think about how many things we eat that contain flour. Our ancestors would grow their own grain, take their grain to the mill and come back for it when it was ground. Flour provided these people with a versatile, nutritious food source that was easily stored though our harsh winter. 
          
The ingenuity that went into the building of the mill is fascinating. Most of the early grist mills were powered by water wheels. In the case of the Harison Morley Grist Mill, part of the river ran through the basement of the building spinning iron turbines as it did. The power was brought to the grinding stones through a series of leather belts and pulleys.
         
 According to the 1860 Gazetteer of New York, there were 39 grist mills in St. Lawrence County at that time and 1,476 throughout the state. Nearly every town had its own mill. Now nearly all have disappeared.
          
The Heritage Grist Mill Association hopes that you will join them in their efforts to preserve the legacy of grist mills in Northern New York.