Lake County Parks & Recreation celebrates 150th anniversary of Woods Historic Grist Mill

On Sunday, August 30, Lake County Parks & Recreation celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Woods Historic Grist Mill’s construction, as well as the 50th anniversary of Lake County Parks’ restoration of the building.

Lake County Parks pulled out all the stops for their celebration, looking to transport guests back in time to the Grist Mill’s founding. Two different barbershop quartets performed for attendees throughout the day, belting out classics for guests of all ages. Everyone was able to enjoy ice cream throughout the event, with Lake County Parks representatives serving old fashioned sundaes and sarsaparilla floats to attendees.

Lake County Parks’ 150 Years at the Mill celebration was for more than just the mill. It was a celebration of their restoration efforts all across Hobart’s historic Deep River County Park.

Jim Basala, chief executive officer at Lake County Parks, values Deep River heavily. The land is used for all sorts of Lake County Parks events, with its historic setting serving as a unique and incredible venue within the county.

“There was an event 50 years ago when the mill was dedicated as part of the bicentennial,” Basala said. “Over that time, we’ve done lots and lots of different programs at Deep River – whether it’s our maple syrup program, Grinders baseball, or weddings. The park itself has events happening, all of the time, and it’s been going on since 1976 for this part of Deep River.”

The Deep River Park itself has become something of a local legend within the Hobart community. It’s a piece of restored history, with the Wood’s Historic Grist Mill still using old fashioned millstones to grind out cornmeal in the present day. Sites like this are something that a town or county can bond over. Deep River is a shared piece of the community’s legacy among its residents.

“It’s a neat way to bring the community together,” Basala said. “I used to see pictures of Deep River in every food booth and restaurant that I went to. There’s a silhouette of it on the side of BJ’s – it’s really become iconic, and it’s neat that we can do all these different events here. We do a lot of things that are historically oriented. They’re all aimed at getting the community out into the parks and enjoying them, because that’s what they’re there for.”

Lake County Parks’ 150 Years at the Mill was not just a celebration of the Wood’s Historic Grist Mill, but also Lake County Parks’ efforts to restore and maintain Deep River County Park throughout its tenure. Generations of families have enjoyed events hosted at Deep River. Parents brought their young children to take in the park’s historic sights while enjoying classical music and ice cream. Deep River is foundational to the Lake County community, and the celebration of the Wood’s Historic Mill’s 150th anniversary represents the significance of this local landmark.

“Parks are economic engines,” Basala said. “We make communities healthier and wealthier, and Deep River is a prime example. People have been coming here for ages. That kind of tradition and longevity exists in all of our parks, and you certainly see it at Deep River. My grandmother brought me here, where kids came in school groups. Now, they’re grown kids, and some of them work for us, so there is that intergenerational community aspect to Deep River.”

For more information on Lake County Parks, you can visit LakecountyparksLake County Parks and Rec, IN | Official Website.