The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE BALE GRIST MILL STATE HISTORIC PARK
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HON. MIKE THOMPSON-
of california
in the house of representatives
Monday, September 20, 2021
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Bale Grist Mill as it celebrates its 175th Anniversary.
The Bale Grist Mill was founded in 1846 by Dr. Edward Turner Bale. It was given to Dr. Bale with a land grant from the Mexican government and remained in operation until the early 1900s. The mill's longevity was not only a credit to Dr. Bale, but also his wife, Maria Soberanes. Under Maria's management, the Bale Grist Mill became extremely prosperous, and she became one of the wealthiest women in Napa Valley.
Powered by a 36-foot-tall waterwheel, the Bale Grist Mill converted grains and corn into more usable meals and flours for breads and other food. For the pioneers, the Mill was a technological wonder, and it significantly simplified the grain conversion process. The Bale Grist Mill was especially known for producing the best meals and flours for cornbread, yellow bread, shortening bread, and spoon bread. This technological innovation also served as an important social center for farmers and settlers who gathered to convert their crops for consumption in Napa Valley.
With funding from the Napa Valley State Parks Association, and the help and support of local vintners Dario Sattui and the late Holbrook Mitchell, as well as the advocacy of the late Ranger Sandy Jones, Millwright Rob Grassi restored the mill's water wheel in 2019 and 2020. This endeavor earned Mr. Grassi the Preservationist of the Year Award from Napa County Landmarks. Now, the Bale Grist Mill is a protected State Historic Landmark operated by the Napa Valley State Parks Association in partnership with Napa Open Space.
The Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park maintains one of the few remaining functioning mills in the United States, and houses the first church founded in Napa Valley and the Pioneer cemetery. The park is open to visitors and offers educational activities, tours, special events, and milling demonstrations for the public.
Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that the Bale Grist Mill was a pioneering technological advancement for Napa Valley. It is therefore, fitting and proper that we honor it here today.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 162
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