| Show THE MOUNT PLEASANT ROLLER MILL Vernon Larsen 3981 Fruitvale Avenue Oakland CA 94602 First Senior Citizen Division Honorable Mention Personal Recollection It stood so stalwart and strong at the east end of Main Street It was once know as The Planet Mill Whenwasteenager in 1920 it was called Mount Pleasant Roller Mill and served our town and surrounding area with food for animal and human conswption How easy it was forfarmer to takesupply of grain and exchange 1t forvariety of flour for beking needs Germade rolled oats rolled wheat cracked wheat and other cereals enhanced manybreakfast tatle The plant also milled grain products for animal use such as rolled wheat bran and oats There was no exchange of money the milled products was handled The fee for furnishing from set left in exchange for the milling service amount of grain The mill was built alongside of that famous stream called Pleasant Creek --only sometimes during flood season it was not so pleasant Water cascading down the eastern hill splashed tons of water overhuge wheel thus providing abundant energy to operate the complicated mill machinery And there were no electricity bills To me trips to the mill were fun Daddy made suwch visits twice year One day sacks of last year late wheat in the summer together with he some loaded oats twenty into our Studebaker Wagon to take to the mill All this was to be processed into flour and cereal for home use or into bran chopped wheat or chopped oats for the animals was happy that it was my turn to go with him was indeed excited From our home on Fourth East it was abouthalf mile trip The mill was located at Fourth East and Main Street Just east of the two bridges that spanned Fleasant Creek The twenty-footlong bridge that we crossed seemed likehalf nile to me It was frightening to hear the roar down below and to look into that deep gully of swirling water boiling whitely at the bottom -131 |
