Stretched over Running Tiger Creek in DeKalb, MS is a vision of the past with a reality in the present. Since 1790, Sciple’s Mill has been grinding corn and producing corn meal and grits for customers. The process hasn’t changed since the beginning and customers love the results. If you’ve never eaten stone ground grits, then you have led a sheltered life indeed.

The Sciple family purchased the grist mill between 1850 and 1860. Seven generations of this family have used the power of water to make quality corn meal and grits the old fashion way.

The mill operates as it did more than 200 years ago and is powered by water from a dammed up creek. The water turns a Leffel turbine that was installed during renovation in 1880. Corn and wheat are ground between two round 42-inch-diameter stones and turned into grits, cornmeal and flour. The bottom stone is stationary and weighs 2,100 pounds. The upper stone rotates and weighs 1,600 pounds. The turbine produces about 50 horsepower and has plenty of power to grind the toughest wheat and corn.

Surprisingly, their business model is based upon the same model the original owners started using in 1790 when the mill started operation. If you bring grain to be milled, you won’t pay in money, you’ll be charged 1/8th of the corn or wheat being ground. So, if you bring 100 pounds of corn to be ground, the mill will take 12.5 pounds of the corn for their services and the remainder belongs to you. The Mill then bags and sells their portion to the public to earn money. For example, 10 pounds of cornmeal is about $6, two pounds of grits or three pounds of flour will run you about $3.

If you want to see the mill, you can come by any time and buy cornmeal, flour, grits and fish fry on the honor system. If you want to see the Mill in operation, that usually happens from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays.

Sciple’s also sells to restaurants, about 15-20 stores and they can take orders by phone and ships them.

Sciple’s Mill is located at 525 Sciples Mill Rd, De Kalb, MS 39328-6955, Telephone: (601) 743-2295.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger