Grist Mill, Norris Dam State Park, Tennessee. I took this last week, it almost looks like a fall photo, and it almost felt like fall as temperatures have been in the high 70’s here all week.

18th Century Rice Grist Mill, Originally constructed in 1798 along Lost Creek, this mill was operated by four generations of the Rice family. The mill has had many changes throughout its history. At times, the mill was also rigged to power a sawmill, a cotton gin, a trip hammer, and even to operate a dynamo that supplied electrical lights for the Rice home in 1899. TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) purchased the land the mill stood on which was to be flooded by the building of Norris Dam. The mill was carefully disassembled and reassembled much of the structure at its present site.

TVA, was a vision brought forth by President Franklin Roosevelt and Congress, to help lift the nation during the time of the Great Depression. TVA operates the dams, locks, and reservoirs of the Tennessee River and its tributaries as one integrated system in order to provide multiple benefits for the region. These benefits include year-round navigation, flood damage reduction, affordable electricity, improved water quality and water supply, recreation, and economic growth.

The Old Water Wheel