2008 Steam Show

The First Cider Pressing of the Season as Bowens Mills

Celebrates 30 years of Preserving History

September 27 & 28 begins three weekends of rejoicing the harvest season. As a family welcomes back the public, to celebrate another year of cidering at Bowens Mills.

Hot apple dumplins', cider pressing on an antique press & cornmeal that is ground on the original equipment used in 1864, along with horse drawn rides, live music, an antique tractor display, a farm animal petting area and much more. As the celebration of the harvest season and a place in time, begins at Bowens Mills "Cider Time Festivals" with old time family fun.

30 years ago the late Neal Cook and his wife Marion with the help of their children, grand children, family and friends all joined together to resurrect a 19th- century water powered cider press located in an old mill near Middleville, Michigan. With great anticipation they watched as the first cider came oozing from the cider blankets and the huge press chugged along. There were big smiles and giggles of excitement as they sipped the first cider that day, and every fall from that year forward the fun continued. Today the second generation of millers, Owen & Carleen Sabin, take their turn offering, the sights and sips of cidering through the fall harvest festival time at the old mill.

The gigantic cider press, (which was not new at the time) was moved to the mill property in 1902. The old timers tell how it was in the old days, when horses and wagons loaded with their apples were lined all the way back into town, waiting their turn at the press. Today folks come from miles around to see the past live again as bushel and bushels of apples are made into gallons and gallons of cider on the old press.

A complex mixture of gears, pulleys, and belts rumble, clank and rattle overhead as a water-powered conveyor belt marches apples toward a giant, knife-filled hopper; the fruit is chopped into a huge apple salad. As every five bushels are processed, workers tuck them inside a cotton cloth to keep the skin and pulp inside. Up to seven layers consisting of five bushels each can be piled on top of each other for each pressing. After the layers are stacked up, the miller cranks a gear to place the apple pulp underneath a 50-ton press. Then it is a simple matter of waiting for the water pumps to build up enough pressure inside the cylindrical press to squeeze every last drop of sweet apple cider.

The 12-foot-tall press takes half an hour to press 100 gallons of cider from 35 bushels of apples. It is powered by the water from the mill pond, which originates at Barlow Lake, then passes through the mill and continues to Payne Creek and then to Payne Lake and eventually emptying into Gun Lake. The old press was moved into the mill used over 100 years ago and is still continues to press today for demonstration.

A tasty cider requires a mixture of apples. The best mixture would be some tart apples with some sweet apples and some acidy apples. Such a mixture could be Mackintosh, some Spy, and some Red Delicious. Some people even add pears to the press to give the cider a bit of a bite.

The process is the same as hundreds of years ago, but the names of the apples have changed from Russet, Pippin, and Maiden’s Blush to Jonathan, Macintosh, Rome and Spy.

The process for creating sweet apple cider remains virtually unchanged from the time that William Blaxton, a colonial settler, planted the first apple orchard on the slope of Boston’s Beacon Hill. The ingredients of real apple cider are simple: apples. No preservatives, no added colors, sugars or chemicals - just apples, apples and more apples. Since colonial times, when John Adams drank a tankard of cider every morning before breakfast, cider pressing has been a familiar sight at the harvest festival.

Autumn is a season of aromas, a time to taste what the summer has spent creating. Orchards full of ripe red apples dangling from gnarly, black branches seem to beacon an indulgence of the harvest.

Although orange juice is the number one fruit juice today, before 1930 apple juice was more popular. What’s the difference between apple juice and cider? Pure cider is unpasteurized and has no additives; pasteurized cider on the other hand is heated to kill bacteria and may contain additives. One six-ounce glass of cider contains only 87 calories along with calcium, potassium, iron and ascorbic acid. Drinking an eight ounce glass is like eating three large apples.

This special weekend will also have the added feature of Steam & Gasoline Engines along with many old time demonstrations. There will be a large display of antique tractors and a full schedule of events both days.

The engine event will be cosponsored by the Barry County Steam, Gas and Antique Machinery Association and is open to non club members also.

The ‘putt-putts’ of the old engines will be heard across the grounds. Numerous other steam and gasoline engines will also be displayed. Many will be working so that all can see how things were done in the old days.

There will be a full schedule of events both days.
12:00 Gates open for touring "The Show" & Historical Park
1:00 Cider Pressing & Water Power Cornmeal Grinding Demonstrations
1:30 Tractor Parade down by the Old Mill
2:00 Tractor Pull at the pulling track near Bowens Mills Gathering Place
3:00 Cider Pressing & Water Power Cornmeal Grinding Demonstrations
3:45 Threshing Demonstration followed by Hammermill Demonstration
4:30 Cider Pressing & Water Power Cornmeal Grinding Demonstrations

Historic Bowens Mills is a family owned and operated historical park. The goal of the second generation owners of the Mill is the same as their parent’s before them, to continue not only to preserve the history of the area of Yankee Springs, but to portray an image in the minds and eyes of all those who visit there; to give each one who visits a glimpse of the past, with the sights, sounds, and smells of the history that lies behind us, so that this generation can see and feel what those before us experienced, once upon a time.

Bowens Mills is a place beside the still waters of an old mill pond, away from the hustle and bustle of the busy world around us today. A place to take a step back in time, to that of the days of the 1800’s and specific times there after.

All of the historical buildings in the park will be open with costumed craftsmen demonstrating and selling their wares.
The 19 acre historical park consists of:
• 1864 four story water powered working Grist Mill
• 1800’s water powered working Cider Mill
• 1840’s two-story Plank House, the oldest house in Bowens Mills
• 1850’s one-room School House, the oldest in Barry County
• 1860’s 11 room Victorian House built by the Bowens
• A Post & Beam Barn and Pioneer Farm area, home to Belgian Draft Horses, Miniature Horses, Chickens, Sheep, a Goat and a Llama
• A Quaint Covered Bridge that crosses the Old Mill Stream
• 17 foot Water Wheel, completed in 1999
• "Ye Ole Craft Shoppe" an artisans woodworking & cooper shop.
• "The Fork River Trading Post" Log Cabin
• "The Bowens Mills Gathering Place" an Arts & Entertainment Center
• "The Saw Millers Cabin" down by the Old Mill Stream
• One-Room Restored "Line Camp Cabin" located near the "Trappers Trading Post"
• "The Miller’s Wife Store" with many items reminiscent of bygone days including; Bowens Mills Fresh Ground Corn Meal and Amish prepared Apple Butter and Peach Butter, antiques, books, jewelry and gift items.
• "Granny’s Kitchen" Restaurant prepares Hot Apple Dumplings with Ice Cream, warm Donuts, Chili, Hot Dogs, Cider by the glass and soft drinks.

Folks are encouraged bring their cameras and take a color tour through beautiful Yankee Springs Township and say "Yes to Yesterday" when you visit Historic Bowens Mills "It’s Cider Time Festivals".

October 4th & 5th Historic Bowens Mills Mountain Men Encampment & Colonial Fiber Weekend: Co-sponsored by the Fork River Free Trappers with a authentic Mountain Men & Trapper living history encampment. Colonial costumed craftsmen demonstrating and selling their works, Old fashion barnyard pull Saturday at 2:00pm, Horse drawn wagon rides, fleece spinning demonstrations both days.

October 11th & 12th Historic Bowens Mills Civil War Days: Featuring a large Living History Encampment. There will be a battle at 3:00 pm with a full schedule of special events, including artillery demonstrations both days. Special Displays will include a variety of Civil War Exhibits and Live Dulcimer Music.

ALL CIDER TIME FESTIVALS INCLUDE: Free Horse Drawn Wagon Ride with admission, Cider pressing demonstrations on the 100+ year old water-powered cider press, stone ground corn grinding demonstrations on the huge mill stones, Live Oldtime Music, Pioneer Farm with animals, along with many other history related activities. The "It’s Cider Time Festivals" are Saturdays & Sundays from noon to 5pm, gate fee for adults is $5.00, Children 12 years and under $3.00.

The Old Mill is located in the heart of beautiful Yankee Springs Township, Barry County, MI just 2 miles north of Yankee Springs (Gun Lake) State Park. Watch for the Huge Millstone Marker at 55 Briggs Road, Middleville, MI 49333. Visit www.BowensMills.com or call 269-795-7530 for more information..