By Ken Drenten

Bear’s Mill in Greenville is one of the few Ohio mills that still operate with water power to grind grain and meal. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

Art, history and culture intertwine at Bear’s Mill in Greenville, built in 1849 by Moses and Manning Hart and Gabriel Baer. The mill site and water rights were granted to Major George Adams by President James Monroe in 1824, and Adams built a sawmill in 1832.

The present mill was started by the Harts and completed by Baer, and the Baer name stuck. The spelling of the mill’s name changed early on, as did the names of many people who came to America in the 19th century.

The mill, one of the few remaining water-powered mills that still exist in Ohio, and property were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Terry and Julie Clark began operating the mill in 1979. In 2021, Bear’s Mill became one of Darke County Park District’s newest parks.

Inside the four-story mill are massive 12×16-inch beams that run 50 feet long without a single splice, hand-hewn timber framework, American Black Walnut siding, antique mill machinery and French buhr grindstones that date back to 1850. Two turbines, dating to 1862 and located under the first floor, provide power for milling operations.

The mill store inside Bear’s Mill holds a cornucopia of food and kitchen-related products, including stone-ground flour and meal. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

The mill includes a mill store and gallery for local and regional artists. The store features Bear’s Mill stone-ground flours, meals and private-label products, along with other food- and kitchen-related products, many of them made in Ohio.

Friends of Bear’s Mill, Inc., a non-profit organization, assist and support the park district in preserving the historic structure and natural setting of the mill.

The mill, located at 6560 Arcanum-Bear’s Mill Road, Greenville, is open year-round for tours and visiting the store and gallery. Hours are limited in January and February.

Subscribe to Dusty Tires and receive a weekly email with the latest blog article. It’s free and ad-free!

Ken Drenten is creator and manager of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

All rights reserved, copyright Dusty Tires (dusty-tires.com), 2023.