Fanning Mill Fans?

Some time back Rick Owens of Bennett, North Carolina, acquired a barn. Among the relics he found inside was some sort of wooden farm device, seen here:

Photo by Rick Owens

Attempting to identify the object he began an internet search, eventually ending up in the Crooked Lake Review blog at a Winter 2003 article by Dick Palmer entitled “Remember the Old Fanning Mill”.  In the article Palmer wrote, “At least a few years ago, it could be found sitting forlornly in back of the barn, long since forgotten by the present generation”. The article included a drawing of a fanning mill, used to separate grain.

Now Rick writes he would like to : “. . . identify the mill we have. I’ve looked at a whole lot of mills and simply cannot find a duplicate. If it’s really a find, I’d like to donate it to a museum. If it’s not, I’d like to sell it to someone who would appreciate it. It’s just going to sit in our barn and rot otherwise”.

Rick can be reached at:

680 Hicks Lane

Bennett, NC 27208

901-482-2275