The Mill

The following information is the history that accompanied the Shepherd's Heart wooden display mill commissioned from Green Cottage Crafters by Lake Erie Council.

"Mr. & Mrs. James Kirby bought the land which is now Camp Crowell-Hilaka from the Oviatts in 1919.  There was a stream running through the property, and Mr. Kirby built a solid slate dam to create the lower lake.  The following year, he began to build Kirby House, Garfield Lodge, and the Mill from timber that was cut on the site.  At one time there had been a grist mill on the stream, and at that location, Mr. Kirby built the Mill.  The millwheel was the first in the nation to be structured with ball bearings, so that a trickle of water would turn the wheel.  The turning of this wheel generated electricity for all the buildings on the property. /p>

"Mr. Kirby was an inventor.  He directed his inventions toward labor-saving devices for use in the home.  Perhaps his best-known invention is the vaccuum cleaner that still bears his name. 

"The Cleveland Girl Scout Council purchased the area that is now Camp Julia Crowell from the Kirby's in 1937.  By that time the property had been wired for electricity, the millwheel had become an object of beauty, and the millhouse had become a workshop for Mr. Kirby.  The Girl Scouts used the millhouse as an area for teaching crafts to campers, and the girls greatly enjoyed the swinging bridge above the dam, which had been built to explore the woods on the far side of the lake.

"In 1976, for the National Bicentennial, the millhouse was made into a museum of the history of Girl Scouting in Cleveland.  Former Girl Scouts and leaders from throughout the areadonated or lent uniforms, books, posters, craft items, and much memorabilia for display in the museum.  When the Museum was dedicated, the generator at the mill was reconditioned and lit the Museum.  In 1993, the millwheel was completely rebuilt using the original materials.  The Mill is on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. "

The following is from "Lake Erie Girl Scout Council.......the First 75 Years A Council History 1912 -1987", compiled by the History Committee.  Narrative by Geogianna Bonds

"1979 was also the year that the Mill was recognized as a Historic Landmark. The Mill has stood in the council as a symbol of Girl Scouting. The energy created by its movement has given light to the buildings around it. Its rustic beauty has made a landscape come alive with new interest. And its endurance has proved the value of sound foundations and constant purpose. Girl Scouting shares its honor as a landmark of positive influence in the lives of girls."

=====================

Stan Polo, caretaker of Crowell Hilaka, recalls seeing the millwheel when he first started to work for Girl Scouts.  "They brought in Amish craftsmen. They took the wheel completly apart and spread the pieces out on the hill."

The millwheel was so distinctive that it was used as the name of the Lake Erie Council newsletter for generations.  "The Millwheel" was often re-configured, re-invigorated, re-designed, and updated, but in whatever incarnation, it remained as an enduring symbol.

To get our mill working again, we need to get ourselves educated.  Here are some good websites for general information on various mills & how they work:

Society for the Preservation of Old Mills:  They have a very nice pdf on how to run an interpretive program for a mill - mostly gristmills, but applicable to us.  I like this paragraph:

http://www.canonhydro.com: Technical information on how hydroelectric power is generated.  They manufacture parts and provide consulting on current hydroelectric projects, so they have a vested interest, but they also have a vested interested in educating the public and making sure systems are operating efficiently and safely.

Invasion of the Kirby World Headquarters

Meanwhile - the search continues for the specifics of Kirby's ( and our) mill.

My daughter Courtney and I knocked on the door of the Kirby World Headquarters this past week.  The whole strength of their company is on the Kirby name.  They have a large display of historic vaccuum cleaners and a couple of show cases featuring Mr. Kirby - the historic, creative genius who never stopped inventing things.  They have a sample of the last invention he patented.  1968.  A tooth cleaning and massaging device.  He was 83 years old.

 The receptionist called down the executive secretary of one of the vice presidents.  She was polite.  Obviously they hadn't expected a couple of Girl Scouts to invade their lobby wanting to check their archives.  I was given the email address of somebody who might know somebody else who might help us.  We shall see.  I'm hoping that they will realise that helping the Girl Scouts would not only be a Good Thing, but will help promote that good old Kirby name.

James Kirby's patents

Rob and I went back to the patent section of the Akron library.  We checked the whole range of Kirby adulthood: 1900 - 1968.  There are no mill designs.  He obtained his first patent in 1908 at the age of 23 - a motion cure machine for a doctor's office.  Shortly after, he came up with the vaccuum, and for the next 40 years he's got patents for various improvements on vaccuums, irons, washing machines, a radiator, a few tools & clamps, the clear-water lake, and a fishing reel.

Lynn 

The Millwheel Newsletter

For many years, the wheel of Jim Kirby's mill was used as the name and the logo of the Cleveland Council's (later Lake Erie Council's) newsletter, "The Millwheel".  Here is the masthead of the newsletter as it changed over the years: