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February 25, 2018

26/02/2018: The Isaac Harter Company Fostoria, Ohio

by Mildred Cookson, Mill Archive, UK

We are particularly proud of our collection of ‘The Weekly Northwestern Miller’


 
Mildred Cookson
An American journal first published in 1873. You may have noticed the attractive covers the magazine used during the 1920s, so enticingly displayed in the series of advertisements in Milling and Grain. Not only does the publication give us valuable insight into the development of milling in the USA, it features many accounts from around the world. This month I have chosen to précis an article from December 30, 1898 on the Isaac Harter Company Fostoria, Ohio.

The company had just commissioned a new mill with a capacity of 2,000 barrels, making it one of the largest winter wheat mills in the country. Once the decision had been taken, the contract was given to the Edward P Allis Company of Milwaukee to be built on the Universal Bolter system. They drew up all the plans, furnished all material and machinery, installed it and started up the mill. The contract was signed on March 10, 1898 and on the following 20 September, the mill was put into operation. ‘The Weekly Northwestern Miller’ suggested that anyone interested in modern milling would find that it was well worth a trip to examine the construction and see the results obtained by this elegant plant.
 


The mill was built as two mills, each of about 900 barrels capacity each. Each mill was entirely independent of the other. The engine was a Reynolds-Corliss vertical compound condensing, with cylinders 22x44x48 inches. The engine itself was located between the two main line shafts, extending from the mill through into the engine room. The 18 foot diameter fly wheel of the engine also acted as the driving pulley for both mills and took two 30 inch belts; one to drive each mill. Each mill could be stopped by throwing out a friction clutch.

Each of the two mills contained the same amount of machinery, so the arrangement in one was reflected in the other. The basements had low ceilings and were used for storage. On the first floor there was a line of flour and feed packers on each side of the mill close to the wall, so it left the whole floor in front of the packers for work and storage. The second floor had the line shafting to drive the roller mills and the boots of the elevators and the third floor had on each side 24 double 9x30 Gray roller mills, which did all the grinding. Gray, who was the Chief Milling Engineer to Allis probably justifies an article by himself.


Read the full article, HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


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