The History of Tom Walker’s Grist Mill
Tom Walker’s Grist Mill was deemed a historic site, by the State of Michigan in 1975, and is more commonly known as the Parshallville Cider Mill. Located in Livingston County, the small hamlet of Parshallville sits on the banks of the North Ore Creek.
Isaac Parshall scouted for a good mill site all along the Ore Creek and decided this was where they would begin their life and build Success Flour.Parshall established the first Post Office in 1837,and ran it out of his home and continued to be the Postmaster for the next 4 years and 8 months.
Parshallville was a thriving community in the Mid 1800’s, with the Flour Mill being the center of it all. The community grew rapidly with the addition of 3 churches, a school house, 2 general stores, a wagon shop and livery stable, 3 blacksmith shops, a medical office, a cheese factory, a cider mill, a hardware store and gas station, a small foundry, along with the flour mill , post office and cemetery.
A map showing a selection of these historic buildings can be found at the cider mill today.
Come visit our mill which is one of the few remaining water powered mills in Michigan. This 145 year old mill has a very rich history as a flour mill (Success Flour) and a grist mill (Tom Walker’s Grist Mill) which ground grain and sold it to area farmers for animal feed. These grains are still listed on the mill wall today.
Parshallville Cider Mill a Family Tradition
Since 1837 when Isaac and Seraphina Parshall began their life on the North Ore Creek, and built Success Flour, it was a destination that families looked forward to visiting to purchase flour for their baked goods. Today, the mill is still one of Michigan’s favorite autumn traditions where families gather to enjoy the splendors of fall.
Through the years the grist mill has had a succession of owners. On July 23, 1878 there is a warranty deed from Daniel Townley to Thomas A Walker and John A Browning. The Browning ½ interest was granted many more times. On June 28, 1913 Tom Walker purchased the additional ½ interest in his grist mill. It was then passed on to his son Judson. In 1935 the Mill became the property of Thomas “Tommy” Walker the grandson of Thomas A. Walker and the 3rd. generation of their family to own and operate the Mill.
Tommy ran the Mill along with his wife Marion until 1968 when Bill and Sue Richards of Milford purchased it and a new life began for the Mill. It no longer ground grain for the grist mill and the farmers that came, it began grinding Apples into flavorful Apple Cider. Following the Richards family, Jim and Sharon Miller from Brighton took over and operated the Cider Mill for 8 years prior to selling to the Detlefs family.
Third owners of the mill, Jack and Sandy Detlefs, along with their children and Grandchildren, welcomed visitors for 40 years to this one-of-a-kind landmark concluding in 2024. The Detlefs family has entrusted family traditions such as fresh pressed old-fashioned Apple Cider, warm spiced donuts, awesome caramel apples, and everyone’s favorite fresh baked apple pie to the Clark family who plans to both honor these traditions and create new ones for seasons to come.
The family serves to please adventurous travelers searching for an afternoon getaway and a place to start their own family tradition. Come join them along the peaceful mill stream from Labor Day weekend through mid-November and experience a memorable step back in time.
Today, the mill is still one of Michigan’s favorite autumn traditions where families gather to enjoy the splendors of fall. The Grist Mill today is 145 years old.