Geneva Belle Flour Mill (1913)

Odd Bits & Tangents librivox, nonfiction collection

Above: Beveled Gears from Water Turbine, Bennett Flour Mill

The water-powered Bennett Flour Mill, which once stood along the Fox River in Illinois, is long gone, but the gears and pulleys from the mill’s turbines have been made into a sculpture, which stands on the site of the old mill.

In 1913, the mill bought a “newfangled” delivery truck, which was the subject of a news article in the October 1913 issue of the American Miller and Processor:

There is probably no fairer region in Illinois than the country surrounding the city of Geneva, located on the Fox river a distance from Chicago of a couple of hours’ run on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. It is surely a land flowing with milk and honey, with fertile farms and flourishing industries, which taking no small part in the commercial life of Geneva is the Bennett Milling Company.

The company’s mill is a fine water power property and has a daily capacity of 250 barrels. Its principal brand in “Geneva Belle,” and to get this flour to patrons promptly, President Fred E. Bennett placed in commission a little over a year ago the 3-ton motor truck shown in our illustration. This truck delivers to Elgin, Aurora, Wheaton and Naperville, covering a radius in all of about 25 miles. Mr. Bennett is well pleased with the work of the truck and has computed it costs about the same to operate it as three 2-horse teams. Eight horses, he says, would never stand up under the work given the truck. Neither would they be on time, every time, as is the truck. Furthermore, from an advertising standpoint alone the truck is invaluable.

I read this snippet of local history for the 65th volume of the Nonfiction Collection. You can listen to my recording here. You can read the news article here. And you can view a one-minute u-tube video about the history of the Bennett Mill, prepared by the the Geneva Historical Museum here.

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