The equipment for the Grist Mill came from Roanoke in Randolph County, Alabama. James Canary Green opened his grist mill early in the 20th century, and his family operated it until the1950s. Corn was a major food source for farmers and their livestock, and many farm families ate corn in some form at every meal. Farmers also found that corn husks could be used to stuff mattresses and to make items such as brooms, baskets, and dolls. Even the cob was put to use as a fire starter. Dried corn would be brought to the Grist Mill where it would be ground into meal or grits by being crushed between two huge round, flat stones called millstones. Powered by man, water, animal, steam, kerosene, gasoline, diesel or electricity, the grinding of grain has been an essential componenet in human existence. This mill was modern for its time and used an eight horsepower Mogul kerosene engine to turn the millstones.
In 1995, the Green family gave the corn grinding equipment to Landmarks Foundation for Old Alabama Town. The board and batten building was carefully replicated using heart pine timbers salvaged from the Alabama River.
