Turning back the clock: A history of the Brammer Mill

By Edna Brammer
Sun contributor
Mr. Fisher built the millpond in the 1800s. He dammed up the Crystal River north of Glen Arbor. The millpond was made by damming the water up but also letting the remaining water continue on to Glen Arbor and then come back to the bridge. The river ran under the bridge and the floom and around Mr. Brammer’s house, past the mill where it continued to flow down to Lake Michigan. He also built a sawmill on the millpond across from the mill in 1859.

To get water to the gristmill, he built a floom where gates opened to let water into the floom. I don’t remember exact measurements — but I think about six feet high and 10 feet wide. It was made of wood planks. The floom started at the millpond, ran under the bridge, over the river, over land to under the mill and back into the Crystal River. The water flowed through the floom to turn the big water wheels to grind the wheat. When the water wheels under the mill were turned on inside the mill, the grain was ground by the force of the water going through the water wheels. This also ran the conveyor belt and sieve. Mr. Frank Brammer bought the mill in Chicago and a man came to show him how to put the roller mill together.
In 1896 he and his family moved onto the mill property. It was a gristmill. The grain was ground by rubbing two big stones together. In 1904 Mr. Brammer decided to put in a roller mill that ground flour. The elevators had little cups on a conveyor belt in an eight-inch box. This conveyor belt either took the grain up or brought the flour back down. The building had to be higher for the elevators to carry grain to the sieve where it was sifted. It took the ground grain from the first floor to the second floor to be put through the sieve. The sieve was around five feet wide and six feet tall and round in shape. The grain was put into the sifter and shook and shook until the grain came out flour at the bottom. The sieve was full of pie shaped wooden objects with different size pieces of silk cloth on each one. The cloth came from Japan. The flour went downstairs where it was bagged.
The little barn on Herman Brammer’s property was used to keep horses in for the people who had to wait until their grain was ground.
Grandma had a pot of coffee on the stove at all times. People waiting were invited in for cinnamon cake, muffins or homemade bread and butter.
Frank Brammer ran the mill until 1923 when he died.
August Brammer, Frank’s son, ran the mill parttime until about 1945. At that time the big mills came out with snow-white flour, which the ladies liked better than the cream-colored flour. The flour was bleached and the wheat germ taken out. Today we buy the wheat germ and put it on cereal.
August & Martin, Frank’s sons, inherited the mill and then sold it to Dr. Longyear in 1964. He raised the wall and also did other improvements. Dr. Longyear sold the mill to Mr. Fred Ball in 1970. Mr. Ball finished the basement, installed a music studio, and added on the back of the Mill to remake furniture. In 1985 he sold the mill to a man from the Homestead by the name of Kuras.
Ice & Fruit Stand
In 1928, Herman Brammer started the delivery of ice to Glen Arbor, Glen Haven and around Big and Little Glen Lake. He had a real long day and a short day. The icehouse, which was next to my home, had the ice stored in it. The ice was made the winter before selling.
The ice was cut most of the time from Glen Lake at foot of Lake Street. If the ice was too thick on Glen Lake, they would cut it on Big Fisher. If that didn’t work, they would go to Lake Michigan. The ice was cut into blocks, I think, 12 by 24 inches. The ice wasn’t cut through. 4 inches was left on the bottom. A channel was cut open to push the ice through to trucks. Then the ice was spaded off as needed. The ice was pushed through the channel to a conveyor belt where it was loaded onto the truck. Then it was hauled to the icehouse. At first, it was pulled on the trucks at the lake and also into the icehouse by hand. Later it was done by conveyor belt. The blocks of ice were laid side-by-side one-way, the next layer was put in the opposite direction one foot from all walls. When it was filled, a food of sawdust was put down on all sides and 12 inches on top of the ice. When the ice water came out the last of July or first of August, it was just like it was put into the icehouse during the winter.
Purchased ice will not keep in sawdust. It’s too porous.
It took 10 to 12 men one week to fill the icehouse and two trucks.
Edna cooked two meals a day for them.
In 1930 Herman made shelves in his truck so he could carry vegetables and fruits on top and ice below. The vegetables and fruits were bought from truckers, farmers and Edna went to Traverse City twice a week to get them. Around 1948, Herman couldn’t take care of all the business. So, a young man was hired. It didn’t work out satisfactory. Then Edna went with him three times a week and took care of the vegetables and fruits. By 1949, the business increased again. More and more people coming for the summer. So, Herman was going to quit selling the fruits and vegetables. His customers suggested we start a fruit stand at home. The first time we opened, we had sawdust and vegetables and fruit were set on the ground in bushels, boxes and baskets. We were open three days a week. Herman went on with the ice business. That next winter he cemented the floor, and put in shelves for the fruits and vegetables. He made iceboxes to put the produce in. We were open five and a half days. Our daughter was able to help. Larry took care of the sale of ice at home. The ice business began to dwindle due to electric iceboxes. Charlene went to college and Herman took her place.
We also carried cherry drink, Cherry Hut jams and jellies and Mr. Trumbull’s maple syrup. We retired in 1965.