During the 18th and 19th centuries, milling and cider making was at its peak in rural areas in
Virginia. Milling, especially grist milling, was important in sustaining communities, while cideries produced an alternative to water and ale. Mills were so numerous that Thomas Jefferson said that every “neighborhood” in America had a gristmill. Mills were usually small enough to be operated by one or two people and each miller took part of the flower or cornmeal as payment. The remaining amount of the product was sold or returned to farmers who initially brought their grain to the millers for processing.
Mills had to be built near creeks and small rivers as water was the energy source for the operation. 
Water flowed over the mill wheel, which powered the gears that would move the burr stones. The burr stones moved in a circular pattern and applied enough pressure to grind kernels of wheat or corn. During the grinding process, the bran, or the outer husk, of each kernel was removed and the inner kernels were smashed into flour. Once this process was complete, the flour and meal were loaded into bags and sent to their final destinations. Mills today use advanced technology, but the design and general idea is very much the same.
The history of cider is unique and dates back centuries. Apple trees were growing along the banks of the Nile of Egypt by 1300 B.C., and the Greeks and Romans mastered the craft as far back as 55 B.C. Evidence of cider in England was recorded when the Romans entered Kent, southeast of present-day London, and noticed that the villagers were drinking it. Apples used to be too bitter to eat, so juice would be extracted to drink in alcoholic or non-alcoholic form. Benjamin Franklin was recorded claiming that “It’s indeed bad to eat apples, its [sic] better to turn them all into cider.” The English brought cider to North America in the 17th century and has been enjoyed ever since.
Cideries were similar to mills in that harvested material had to be ground and pressed to create a finished product; however, most cideries did not use water as an energy source. Instead, humans operated cider presses with their own force. Apples were ground and pressed by handles or wheels that turned blocks of wood or stones down onto the apples. Underneath the press was a barrel to catch the juice from the apples. One could drink the juice after adding sugar and spices or wait weeks for the juice to ferment from the
natural yeast on the apple skins for alcoholic cider.
Cider production waned in the 20th century due to the emergence of beer and its faster fermenting time, but cideries are again growing in popularity today. Be on the lookout for notice about a cider program from the Wytheville Department of Museums coming soon!