[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 162 (Monday, September 20, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            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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