The Miller's Mill Three Generations of Exceptional Quality and Flavor Written by: Chris Wheeler
Photos by: Linnea Wheeler Visitors to the family-operated Miller's Mill on County Road 8 will find a warm welcome from the Miller's and a cool, tangy cup of just-pressed apple cider waiting for them. This Middlebury institution carries with it a long history of faith, family, and hard work – a history that has borne more fruit than just cider.
The Millers' grandfather, Ezra, bought the mill in 1925; it was likely built in 1849 and originally used to grind flour and feed. Ezra used it to make cider and apple butter. The Middlebury Independent published the following notice regarding the latter treat, on October 4, 1928: "We acknowledge receipt of a very acceptable gift from Ezra J. Miller, when he brought to this office a jar of applebutter of exceptional quality and flavor. Mr. Miller is planning to manufacture this product this fall on a large scale, and it deserves a wide market."
Ezra continued to make products of exceptional quality and flavor, using a new mill building built in 1937. In 1954 he sold the old equipment. In 1977 his youngest son Vernon, who had grown up around the mill, decided to purchase new equipment and reopen the mill for business.
Vernon had trained as a nurse and worked in carpentry, then for Middlebury Plumbing and Heating (located where the First State Bank is now). But he always wanted
to be at home working with his family, and the cider mill offered him that opportunity. As Kathy Miller aptly put it, "He taught us that his business is not making cider, but serving the Lord and raising his family. Sometimes it's hard to keep that all in perspective; it's helpful to make a living, but there are more important things."
Vernon was a tinkerer who loved writing down Middlebury history and collecting historical memorabilia. Among the many fascinating artifacts in the mill's back room is a model train which the Millers gladly fire up for visitors. Vernon applied his mechanical knowledge and experience working in his father's cider mill when he reopened the mill. He poured floors that would drain properly after each cleaning of the press, and built the racks that hold the frames which go between each layer of apples. He also customized the 80-ton press (which exerts 80 pounds per square inch on the apples) with eight immense hardwood blocks to make it more efficient to use. The Millers’ cider was an immediate hit. Back then,
inMiddlebury Magazine  | NOVEMBER 2020 15
