PDF (20 MB) - Virtual Library of the Public Library of Cincinnati

142 HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
Four years after another mill of brick and stone with six runs of stone
Avas erected on the same site. The capacity of the tAvo mills was sufficient
to make 75,000 barrels of flour during the season of navigation. The
old mill at Venice, with Cold Creek and 500 acres of land, had been
purchased by Russell II. Ileywood, of Buffalo, NeAV York, in 1831, the
year before the cold Avinter. At that time, 1833, 1,000 barrels of flour
Avere made before harvest. The first hundred barrels of flour in the
merchant Avork Avas packed in neAV barrels painted Avith China Vermillion,
taken on a new scow to a new ship, carried to Buffalo and sent by a
neAV canal boat to NeAV York, Avhere it arrived as clean as Avhen it left
the mill. It was considered a great curiosity, and croAvds of people
visited the dock to see the first shipment of flour from Ohio, and some
Avere so enthusiastic as to predict that Ohio might sometime furnish
several thousand barrels a year. This flour Avas bought by 100 persons
at prices quite in advance of the best Genesee flour. That year Avas a
memorable one, because of the early harvest and the drought that extended
over the HCAV country, forcing people to carry their grist a hundred
miles. An instance is related of two men from Hancock County AVIIO
left home Monday morning and reached Venice the folloAving Sunday,
just in time to attend religious service in the mill. Air. HeyAvood noticed
the dusty travelers who took part in the services, and after they were over
entered into conversation with the strangers and discovered that they
were in urgent need of flour. They had left behind them sick families,
utterly destitute, and had journeyed all the week to find a mill that could
grind. They had fifteen bushels of Avheat each. Mr. Ileywood turned
to the minister and said, "What shall I do?" He replied, "Grind it for
them as soon as possible." For three weeks, so great was the demand
upon him that he could not shut down his mills on Sundays, which AA'as
always his custom.
Much of the flour made in Ohio before 1840 Avas sent Avest for market.
In 1836 Oliver Newbury purchased 500 barrels of flour at $8 per barrel
and took it to Chicago and sold it for $20 per barrel; and the citizens
held a public meeting and thanked him for not charging $50. It \vas all
the flour they had for the winter.
Until the completion of the Alad River & Lake Erie Railroad to
Tiffin the wheat Avas brought in large AA'agons, and over such Avretched
roads and at such great distances as to bring but little profit to the
OAvners. In one case a man came 150 miles with a four-horse team and
tAvelve bushels of AA'heat. AVhen he sold his Avheat he took his $9 and
Avent to the store, talking to himself thus: ''My wheat Avas worth nothing
at home. If I had lived decently eoming here I should have spent it;
if I live decently going home I shall spend it; but I must have money
to pay my taxes and buy a barrel of salt." Then turning to the boy
at the store, he asked, "What is the price of this sheeting?" The boy
replied "Sixpence." He then continued, "Yes, my Avheat was Avorth
something. I could^have got a yard of cloth like that for a bushel at
home."
Russell Heywood operated these mills forty-eight years. In 1848-49