Corn Mills and Types of Corn

Photo: Library of Congress

William Clark wrote in his October 29, 1804 journal entry, “a Iron or Steel Corn Mill which we gave to the Mandins, was verry thankfully receved.”

Expedition records show that Meriwether Lewis purchased three such corn mills, used for grinding whole corn into meal and grits. President Jefferson advised Lewis to give out corn mills to introduce the Indians to mechanized agriculture as part of his plan to “civilize and instruct” them.

It’s believed the Native peoples of the Upper Missouri grew as many as 20 different types of corn: sweet corn, flour corn, flint corn, and corn of many different colors, including yellow, white, red, blue, black, speckled, pink, and spotted.