The Great Mill Explosion

American Adventure #26

by JoAnn A. Grote

History comes alive for eight-to-twelve year olds in this close-up, fun-to-read, multi-generational story of a fictional family spanning three centuries of actual historical events. God's hand is seen at work in people's lives and in the events that shaped our nation.

Genres: Historical Fiction, School

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

JOANN GROTE lives in Minnesota, where she grew up. She uses the state for most of her story settings, and like her characters, JoAnn seeks to serve Christ in her work. She believes that readers of novels can receive a message of salvation and encouragement from well-crafted fiction. She has over 35 books to her credit, including novels, "The American Adventure" series for children, and the "Heartsong Presents Inspirational Romance" series. She captivates and addresses the deeper meaning between life and faith.

Reviews

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Great Mill Explosion, Walter and Anton are at the river with some friends when the bridge they are on suddenly begins to rock wildly. It turns out that one of the nearby flour mills has exploded, and the fire has spread to many other buildings as well. Many nearby mills, as well as other buildings, burn down, including Anton's father's sawmill. At the same time, Walter is the captain of one of the many baseball clubs in Minneapolis. Some of the boys in the club are Swedish, including Anton. When Anton keeps missing the ball, some of the other boys want him to be kicked off the team. When Walter refused, many of the best players left to form their own team. Then Walter's Uncle Enoch offered to coach the team. With his help, all the boys improved significantly and were able to beat the Reds, the team of the boys who had left.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "Note to Readers" comments that the mill explosion happened in May of 1878. A trial was held to determine if the fire or the explosion was first & if the insurance companies would have to pay out for this incident! Sounds like something that would happen today!

The story begins with Sherman O'Reily daring Walter Fisk to slide down the sluice. Jack joined Sherman when he laughed at Walter. St. Anthony's falls were huge and if something went wrong, Walter could end up in the Mississippi! It seemed to Walter that Jack was letting Sherman think for him. Walter had started a baseball team, and since Sherman & his friends joined, Walter had a lot of new friends. Anton Olson was excited about going down the sluice, despite his father's warnings. After Sherman & Jack went down, Walter went down in the cold water. He was at the bottom very quickly, hitting the water with a splash! He swam toward Sherman & Jack waiting on a rock. After Sherman & Jack went home, Walter & Anton wandered through the riverside. This part of the river had several different types of mills. Walter had been in Minneapolis for 2 years, and it finally felt like home. They walked between the two towers that led to the bridge, where they met Walter's cousin, Polly Stevenson & her friend, Brita Swenson. Polly was looking forward to wearing long skirts, but Brita & Walter thought they looked hot. Polly thought they looked elegant, especially when women would promenade. Walter made fun of her, acting very proper. Anton was Scandinavian, his family had come to Minneapolis to find work like many others from that country. Others went to land for farming in Minnesota & the Dakotas, either by train or wagon train. Polly noticed Walter's wet shirt when there was a loud BOOM! The bridge started rocking and Walter couldn't hear his own voice yelling!