These photographs were provided by the Richmondville Historical Society.
Transcription
Vern: The mill, which at first was built in 1863 during the Civil War. And it was built to utilize water from up on the lake, up in Summit, Bear Gulch Lake. It would come down off the lake, down through Bear Gulch and down along High Street, and it would feed the pond here, which then fed the mill. In 1881 that structure burned by fire. Fire was one of the big problems with all types of buildings in those days, because so many of them were wood. Bricks were very expensive. So in 1883, the structure was finally rebuilt and it became the Bunn Mill. Mr. Arthur Butt ran it. He would also have a stop up on the railroad up on the side of the hill, or he would pick up coal and bring down coal and sell it here at the mill.
Now the early mill, the very first ones started with implements, implements on the farms, forks, hoes, barley forks, you know, those types of things making wood. And afterwards it became a place where they manufactured carriages. The carriages were put together pretty much on the first floor, raised up to the second floor, finished off and then rolled out the door on to High Street and then up to market. Well, after Mr. Bunn bought the mill, he converted it over to a feed store. Remember that coal that I told you about? Coal was often sold for stores because they’re often located along the railroad tracks, although this feed store isn’t. The mill itself, the mill wheel itself is 24 foot in diameter, and at the time it was the largest mill wheel in Schoharie County. It rotates at seven rpm and through a series of belts and wheels that’s raised up with the final place to 2500 rpm, which is used to grind grain down into smaller bits because it was a feed store. It specialized in animal feed. It has still the molasses mixing machine, and then it was put up to a big shoot up on the second floor, and it came down to where it was put in. The bags weighed, the bags, sewed and then stacked on the first floor and in the later annex for customers.
It operated until at least I think it was about 1987, at which time it was no longer a feed store. Mr. Tillapaugh, Maynard Tillapaugh, He had run it, and he was to the point where his health no longer allowed him to do so. And, he sold, the mill, and it was used as a place for storage for secondhand material. And, we had heard that he was going to sell the mill and tear it down and take it down to Long Island and sell the lumber down there. There’s a good market for old lumber. Our purchase of it kept that from happening. It kept the mill here. And since then, oh, we, we have gotten a bunch of stuff. Stuff from police officers uniforms to sleighs to the old card catalog from Radies, library pianos, organs, hops equipment, foundry equipment, stoves and stuff. And it’s a great place to visit. So, we currently book groups to come. And, whatever type of group you have, get a hold of our President, and we’ll set you up with a tour guide. Thank you.