By Jorge Batlle
Skaneateles Village Historian
The first grist mill in Skaneateles goes back to about 1798. It was a small operation located in the rear of a livery stable. This has been said to be the oldest industry in the village. The Skaneateles Columbian April 17, 1845 edition stated “we understand that a large stone flouring mill is to be built in this village …by Messrs Leitch, Hawley and Legg, on the site of the former mill, destroyed by fire in 1842.”
Mill fires were an ever-present danger, as several on this site have suffered. The first fire was in 1823 in the mill owned by James Tenure. The mill was rebuilt by Cotton and Lewis and it burned in 1824 and again, burned in 1842.
In the March 5, 1846 edition of the Skaneateles Columbian an announcement read “A new flouring mill, as will be seen by an advertisement in the paper, is completed and in operation. It is a spacious and substantial stone building, erected upon the site of the old mill on the outlet of the lake; and everything in and about it is arranged in first rate order for business. The location is one of the best in the country, and the company will doubtless be well rewarded for their enterprise.”
The owner-operators were Legg, Leitch and Hawley. The building was a substantial structure, built of stone, walls that are 38 inches thick, a slate roof, about 44 feet by 64 feet in size, of three stories besides the basement. It contains four ‘run of stone’ (milling/grinding apparatus) two exclusively for wheat, one for buckwheat and the other for mixed grain. There were six water wheels to produce milling power from the adjacent mill pond. In 1872 an auxiliary fuel-powered 65 horse power engine was put in for use in times of low water levels.
The business was called The Skaneateles Mill Company. Their display ad in the March 1846 Columbian stated that they did “gristing of every description and in a superior manner.
They had a new corn cracker machine that will “grind every description of coarse feed.” The final line in the ad says, “having expended considerable capital in rebuilding the Mill in the Village of Skaneateles, they hope and trust the same will provide advantageous to the community, and secure a liberal share of patronage.”
John Legg died in 1858. Joel Thayer & Company operated the mill. S.I. Irish was a manager. In 1874, he became a partner in the business, known as Thayer and Irish. During a year the mill handles 75,000 to 100,000 bushels of wheat, 15,000 to 20,000 bushels of corn, and about 10,000 bushels of oats. Thayer’s flour is widely celebrated, and enjoyed extensive sales both domestically and abroad. Their retail sales amount to thousands of barrels a year.
The next set of owners were Irish and Mollard who purchased the property in the previous July, for $7,500.
The building and contents were insured for $10,500.00. At one in the morning of Saturday, May 13, 1882 the mill was again on fire. The alarm was quickly sounded. The fire department consisted of two hand powered pumping engines. Owing to the height of the building and the rapid headway of the fire, nothing could be done to save it. All that was left were the massive stone walls.
Fortunately the books were secured and the safe locked before the fire reached it. The boiler and back-up steam engine were saved by the efforts of the firefighters. This dramatic fire scene has been captured in an oil painting by local artist John Barrow. It is on display at the Barrow Art Gallery behind the library.
William R. Willetts purchased the mill in October of 1882. He said that he was willing to rebuild the mill, “if he receives sufficient encouragement.” He repaired the mill, operating it as a flour mill and adding other lines to the business, a large storage division, selling feed cutters, hay, coal and farm equipment as well as grain.
Between 1883 and 1902 the mill was operated by Stephen Thornton and Frederick Shotwell. The mill was dormant until the beginning of World War One. It was rented by J. Morris Gregory to process red kidney beans which were sent to the Allied troops in Europe. They used this variety of bean as they were not prone to spoil in shipment.
In 1919 the building and property was purchased by George M. Tallcot, a prominent native of Skaneateles. He rehabilitated the flour mill installing then modern equipment run by electricity.
On Jan. 17, 1920 Village Electric power (called by some, Niagara power) began grinding Skaneateles grain. The mill was incorporated in August of 1924, under the name of Tallcot Milling Co., Inc. The name was painted across the front of the building. Some of it can still be seen today.
Tallcot Milling became one of the first franchised dealers of G. L. F. (Grange League Federation), a farm cooperative formed to manufacture animal feeds, fertilizer and seed for its members.
During the Depression years of 1929-32, The mill was converted from a flour mill and made bread flour for the government. 2,760 bushels of wheat sent to the mill from a Chicago distribution center was milled into 600 barrels of flour for local Relief distribution. This was known as Red Cross flour. The mill also manufactured pastry flour for Pillsbury, Quaker Oats Co., and General Mills. They were the exclusive supplier of flour for Syracuse’s Kallfelz Brothers Baking Company, remembered for their ‘Snow Flake Brand’ baked goods.
Upon the death of Mr. Tallcot, controlling interest passed on to his nephew William Tallcot Thorne. In 1932, Cornell graduate J. Waller Thorne joined the staff and became the corporate president upon the death of his father. He ran the grist mill until his retirement in 1969, then the business closed.
March of 1970, the Stone Mill was sold to Skanmill, Inc. owned by Mrs. Anne Easter. She converted it into a restaurant called The Run of Stone. It opened in August of 1970.
A Rathskeller, featuring live entertainment opened in May of 1971 in the lower level of the building. It was called Under The Stone.
The ‘Run of Stone restaurant closed in August of 1974. In 1981 Skanmill, Inc. was sold to Old Stone Mill Properties. Restaurant occupancy continued until about 1998.
With the construction of a large brick addition, the property took on a whole new life as offices and condos, which are there today.
