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1901 Cider Press with 50 TONS of Pressure. Yates Mill was built in 1863. Historically, the Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal anticipated water to power many grist mills in the area. Unfortunately, due to financial and labor problems only a dozen or so miles of the anticipated 216-mile canal were ever completed. About four miles of the Canal have been restored and can be seen along the Yates Trail and the attached Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal Trail south-southeast of the Mill. Another mile of the Canal can be found along Bloomer Park Trail north-northwest of the Mill. Paralleling the Canal is the continued Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal Trail.  The Yates Grist Mill and dam were built in 1863 and the wooden waterwheel was powered by the waters of the Clinton River. The Yates Dam is located due north of the Mill on the Clinton River. In 1876, Yates purchased a large cider press and apple cider has been pressed every fall since. Originally, local farmers would bring their apples in to be pressed and would create their own ciders with their various types of apples. Today, Yates Cider Mill continues to power a 1901 cider press with a 26" turbine. The turbine power system was originally initiated into the power source in 1894. Recently, the turbine had to be restored after so many years of use. Now restored the turbine is functioning just as it did over 120 years ago. The water flows through a headrace from the dam to East Avon Road. Under the road there is a 58" pipe that ultimately takes the water into and through the horizontal turbine. The press requires 50 tons of pressure to squeeze the apple juice. The turbine is attached to a main shaft. The main shaft then transmits power to a line shaft that incorporates belts, pulleys and gears that allow the press to be lowered slowly and squeezes the blankets full of apple pulp to drip into drainage trays. Today's apples are elevated up into the second floor of the Mill. Here the apples are cleaned and 20 bushels of apples, about 1,000 pounds is inspected and then dropped into a hopper. Then the apples are funneled into a grinder where the apples are chopped, cut and ground. The ground apples are then dropped onto special nylon blankets. Once the blanket is blocked and folded full of the ground apples, the series is completed again for a total of 12 blankets. They are set on a table that turns 180 degrees onto the press. The top of the 12 blankets are covered with a plastic cover and the pressure starts to slowly push the juice out of the blankets into trays. The cider is then transferred to a UV light treatment and then held in a refrigeration unit. This process produces about 300 gallons of fresh cider per hour. (www.yatescidermill.com; en.wikipedia.org;) 1990 E Avon Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48307 (248) 651-8300