Edison Community College...
Bears Mill... great for learning and exploring
By Sarah Hemer
October 26, 2011

Humanities 121, Edison Community College 

About this article… see editor’s note below 

Bears Mill is where my group decided to do one of our projects. Gabriel Bear built Bears Mill in 1849. That is where Bears Mill got its name. It is an historic place that continues to be a “working mill”. The mill has an antique artistry and idyllic setting, which many times give artists inspiration. The Mill is a gravity fed mill. This means that the entire milling process starts in the fourth floor of the building and works its way down to the first floor. 

Bears Mill contains loads of artwork, photography, and machinery used many years ago. 

Art objects made of silverware are featured. My favorite silverware statues were the wiener dog, the sea horse, the owl, and the baby bear on the tree. There were also several paintings that were hung on the wall done by different artists that show their personal talents and interests. 

Photography was another type of art that they had at the Mill. Some people would not consider photography art. But I am one of those people that do. The different structures and values of the photos stood out. Two of my favorite photos were “The Dark Pearl”, and “Zombie Girl”. 

Bears Mill is a mill that is filled with antique machinery. They have sets of hand printed grain sacks. Big bins sit around which were used to store corn, wheat and buckwheat. It has two powered turbines. There are shafts that are connected to the turbines, which ran the lights throughout the Mill in the early 1900’s. 

The machinery that most interested me was the Roller Mills. These were introduced in 1876. The graining or crushing in these mills is done between a series of metal cylinders revolving toward each other so that the grain is drawn in. The action from the metal rollers generates heat, which then destroys the natural nutrients in the grains. The grinding method produces refined, fine flour. 

They also have a store in the Mill that is called The Mill Store. The store contains many kitchen products, the mill’s stoneground flours, and meals. 

Bears Mill relates to humanities in a few different ways. The different art relates to humanities, your personal likes and dislikes, and your different emotions about a piece of artwork. 

Everyone considers the definition of “art” something different. What one person considers art may not be what I consider art. The different photos and statues of what I saw at Bears Mill are what I would consider art. Art is something that I believe takes time and a lot of effort to complete and understand. Nothing at the mill looked thrown together or sloppy. Art takes a lot of practice and talent. 

Since humanities helps us learn about the past, the study you get from Bears Mill helps you learn about our area’s history. My personal likes and dislike from the things I saw at the mill could be different from someone else’s who also went to the mill. I personally liked the photography and the machinery that was once used before my time. I saw nothing that I disliked. I tend to like antiques and older things rather than anything of the present. 

Your emotions are another feeling you get when dealing with art. Everyone’s emotions can be different. I was amazed by the talent and effort in the artwork, but also confused at times with the different looks of the photos. 

My group members thought of Bears Mill in some of the same perspectives that I did. It had a lot of art everywhere in the Mill, from the inside to the outside. We all thought of antiques to be an older type of art. The different machines and pictures showed many different art-like styles, which we all had our own opinions too, and the trails and monuments outside the mill we thought to be more of a natural expression of art. 

Bears Mill is great for learning and exploring. You will experience many types of art at the Mill and see how things have changed over the years. If you are interested in seeing antiques, photography, different types of art projects, or exploring nature, Bears Mill is a great place to go to get your experience! 

Editor’s note: Last fall I taught “Art in the Humanities,” an introductory level course at the Edison Darke County Campus. Among the many projects the students addressed were different forms of art, from painting and television, to visits to DCCA events, Bears Mill, Garst Museum and Shawnee Prairie. The purpose was to discuss their evaluation of how the assignments related to “art” and/or the “humanities.” Some of the best reports will be presented, with the student’s permission, on County News Online. The opinions expressed in these reports have not been altered in any manner.