The Cable Mill which was built by John Cable in 1867, is one of the most popular landmarks in Cades Cove. In the late 1800s, this mill provided homesteads with a place to turn corn or wheat into flour for making bread. In addition to converting grains into flour, the mill was used to mill lumber. In fact, the farmhouse a brief walk away was made out of lumber cut on this very mill.
The mechanics of the eleven-foot tall wheel were well designed but simple. The large water wheel that drives the grist mill is an overshot mill – this simply means that the fast-flowing mountain streams strikes the top of the wheel. As the wheel turns, it drives a runner stone that turns. There is a very small gap between the runner stone and the stationary stone below and the corn or grain is fed into this area from a gravity-fed hopper. The miller, which was quite skilled in his trade, could position the corn or grain at a certain spot on the stone to achieve the desired fineness of the cut. I happened to get a shot of the miller that day (excuse the noise) it was a dark rainy day and it was virtually pitch black with no light inside the mill and I was fumbling around with my settings to get a quick shot so I know the ISO was sky high.
Thanks for stopping!
