Mills of Savonranta
In the early 19th century, grain in Savonranta was ground by hand using millstones. This was hard, time-consuming work, carried out mainly by women. The introduction of mills relieved them of much of this demanding labour.
Mills of Savonranta
In the 1860s, Savonranta had two tax-paying watermills: Vuokala Mill and Säimenen Mill. Both were powered by water.
Transport connections were extremely poor at the time. Building roads could take decades; for example, construction of the road between Kerimäki and Savonranta took 17 years.
These difficult transport conditions contributed to a rapid increase in the number of mills. At its peak, Savonranta had fourteen tax-paying mills, as well as smaller mills for private use.
The tax-paying mills were known as tullimyllyt. Anyone could bring grain to be ground there. A portion of the grain was collected as the milling fee, and the mills paid taxes to the Crown.
The Vuokala mill
The first Vuokala Mill was established in the 1860s and belonged to the Kansanen family, which had been active in Savonranta for decades. In 1894, Pekka Kansanen purchased the Vuokala sawmill. The purchase also included Monninsaari Manor and Vuokala Mill.
Originally powered by water, the mill was converted into a steam mill in 1898. It processed grain imported from Russia.
The mill operated commercially, selling flour both locally and in other parts of Savo. During the first decade of the 20th century, an electricity plant was established alongside the mill, supplying power to houses in Vuokala. A wheat-milling section was added in 1941.
Before the wheat became flour, it travelled approximately four kilometres through the mill’s elevator pipes. During the busiest periods, four millers worked day and night, grinding around 20,000 kilograms of rye and wheat each week.
The Vuokala milling and electricity company transported grain using its own vehicles. Customers also brought grain to be milled, sometimes travelling from as far away as Liperi and Rääkkylä.
Vuokala mill
The present mill and power plant were built in 1937. Vuokalan Mylly ja Sähkö U. P. Kansanen, registered by Ukko-Pekka Kansanen, ceased operations in 1995.
In 2001, the mill passed to the municipality of Savonranta, and renovation of both the mill and the power plant began. The power plant’s technology was renewed and its automation systems modernised.
Today, Vuokala Mill is an interesting historical landmark in the village. It houses exhibitions on milling and electricity production, a permanent exhibition about Savonranta’s history, art exhibitions by amateur artists, craft exhibitions and a shop run by Savonrannan Kädentaitajat ry, as well as an information point for Kolovesi National Park.
The Säimenen mill
Säimenen Mill was built sometime in the 1880s on the banks of the Säimenen River in the village of Lapinlahti. It belonged to Juhana O. Käyhkö.
The mill also had a shingle-making machine, which produced wooden roofing shingles for the village. In 1920, the mill underwent extensive renovation: its waterwheel was replaced by a modern turbine, and a generator was installed to produce electricity.
The Säimenen Mill
The mill’s owner, Juho Heikki Käyhkö, is said to have died of diabetes in 1931. His heirs subsequently sold the mill to the municipality of Savonranta in 1938.
The mill underwent a complete renovation immediately afterwards, acquiring the appearance it retains today. Milling operations ended in 1960. In 1978, the Savonranta-Seura association leased the mill and its grounds from the municipality to establish a local heritage museum.
Volunteers restored the mill, and its reopening was celebrated in 1994. Today, the museum grounds contain several old buildings, including Airaantupa, a blacksmith’s workshop, a milk platform and a traditional smoke sauna.
The miller’s cottage opposite the mill is used as a summer residence by people from the Oulu region.
Among the mill’s surviving documents is an agreement dating from 1928. In it, the owner, Juho Heikki Käyhkö, employed the blacksmith Eino Gustafsson as miller at Säimenen Mill. The document served as both an employment contract and a tenancy agreement.
As payment, Eino Gustafsson received one-quarter of the milling fees, whether paid in money or grain. He was also allowed to grind his own grain without paying a fee.
Under the tenancy agreement, the miller paid an annual rent of 400 Finnish marks. He was responsible for maintaining the buildings, keeping the area in front of the mill clean and assisting with clay-mixing work.
