OUR HISTORYJacob J. Schmucker started the cider press around 1874. While Jacob Schmucker operated the cider business he used a scissors press, rye straw, and a steam engine. Around 1886 he purchased a large knuckle joint press and a four screw press from the Boomer & Boschert Company. The screw press used fourteen by fourteen inch wooden beams instead of steel beams that are used on the knuckle press. The rye straw was used to separate the different levels of ground apples. The levels were called a "cheese". The steam engine ran a line shaft that powered the presses from 1910 to 1925.
After Jacob died in 1910 the cider business was bought from his widow Catherine Schmucker by their son Elmer Schmucker and son-in-law John D. Miller. When they bought the business it consisted of a house on the South West corner of the intersection of Paris Avenue and Louisville Street. There was a house and farm on the North West corner of the intersection, and the cider press was on the North East corner.
In 1925 a one cylinder Fairbanks main diesel engine was installed to power the line shaft. The diesel engine was replaced by an electric motor in 1946.
In 1942 the partnership split between John and Elmer. Elmer took over the farm and farm buildings, while John took over the cider mill and greenhouses. The greenhouses are where they grew lettuce and tomatos to sell at the market.
Eldon Schmucker son of Elmer leased the farm and cider mill which he operated until 1946.
In 1946 the state bought the old cider mill and it was burned to the ground. It was re-built into the present cider mill and operated by John D. Miller's son Virgil Miller. He ran the business until 1976. He replaced the knuckle joint press and the screw press with two wine presses.
In 1976 Glen Motts purchased the cider mill and greenhouses from Virgil Miller. When Glen bought the business in 1976 he didn't have an easy time starting off because of the winter that followed in 1977. During that winter much of the crops that were in the greenhouses were lost due to the roof coming off during the tremendously high winds.
In 1986 Motts Greenhouse expanded by adding ten new small greenhouses. The new houses were built to meet the high demand of our growing customer base.
In 1997 destruction came again to Motts Greenhouse in the form of a "Micro-burst", which is a very strong force of wind. The wind storm destroyed the main greenhouse, and several smaller houses. October of 1997 we began the construction of the new retractable roof greenhouse. We had to work fast in order to keep on schedule for the spring season, so we worked through the winter months and completed construction in March of 1998. The retractable roof greenhouse allows us to control the growth of the plants more efficiently. When it is cold out we can open the roof enough to let the plants get hardened off, which means they can withstand slightly colder temperatures when they are sold. When it is hot out the roof will be opened to prevent the plants from getting stretched out and becoming too tall early in the spring season. The retractable roof greenhouse is one of the more advanced greenhouses available today.
During the summer of 2001 we gave the old Cider Mill building a face lift by putting on new siding. The job was a much needed improvement that was long over-due.
Through the winter of 2002 we built a new check out store to replace the one that was rapidly becoming too small. The larger store allows us to carry more products that will be beneficial to all of our customers.
The most recent additon to the business is the new Bulk Food Store, which was named Motts Old Mill Bulk Foods. The Store was opened on November 9th of 2004, it will take the place of the old cider pressing business. There were several improvements that needed to be made to the old cider mill so that this store could be opened, like wider doorways, new sections of floor, and a new ceiling. We really wanted to capture the attention of our customers when they walked in for the first time; we needed somthing unique to look at and something that would give a warm feeling. To do this we came up with the idea to use a combination of different pieces of rough cut lumber that could be bought at a local saw mill. Cherry, sassafrass, white pine, and spotted maple wood were chosen. The combination of the wood allowed us to creat an atmosphere that is inviting and pleasant for our customers to shop in. The people at Motts hope that this new addition will bring enjoyment and satisfaction to everyone that stops in to see us.
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