Fink's Mill

Many years ago, grist mills played a pivotal role in most communities, serving as essential hubs where local farmers would bring their corn or grains to be ground, either for sale or personal use. However, with the advent of large commercial operations producing ready-to-eat mixes, the quaint local mills began a steep decline, leaving only a handful operational across the United States. These survivors, including Finks Mill located just past Gaskin on the border of Walton County, Florida, and Geneva/Covington, Alabama, continue to serve farmers who prefer their corn stone-ground, mostly for personal consumption. Established in 1932 and taken over by the Fink family in the early 1950s, Finks Mill is one of the last operational stone grist mills in the Southeastern United States. Although originally powered by water turbines from Natural Bridge Creek, it now runs on an old tractor engine after the turbines were damaged in a flood.