Student's Day at Sturgeon's Mill
Student Education
commitment to student education
Our working museum is a venue for early California history.
Sturgeon’s Mill is a West Sonoma County 100+ year old working museum. It is a steam-powered sawmill that serves as an anchor to our past and a bridge to the future for elementary and life-long students studying California history. Sonoma County was once called “The Redwood Empire” and there were 20 sawmills in western Sonoma County.
Our 70 volunteer crew members are committed to giving “up close and personal” tours to students at no cost, helping them take a step back in time to an era of cooperative hard work.
One of the primary missions of this working museum’s board of directors has been the Student Education Program, which has expanded over the past years from 30 students to over a thousand per year. Our museum board has set aside funding for two days of “students-only” demonstration runs. We welcome students from elementary school through high school, including homeschool groups.
Get In Touch
We permit a maximum of 300 students at each demonstration run. If you are a teacher or have a child or grandchild that would benefit from this type of school field trip, please contact our student tour coordinator, Harvey Henningsen.
Responses from Students
Thank you for the great time at Sturgeon’s Mill. I saw and learned a lot of new things. I learned some new things about the kind of horses you use for logging. I learned that there are different kinds of horses for different things. I also learned that the entire mill is powered by steam. I learned that you can tell how old a tree is by counting the tree rings each ring is one year old.
However, the most interesting thing I learned was that the steam whistle will tell how fast you go or to go slower.
My favorite part of the day was going into the office because there are a lot of cool stuff there like the typewriters. I like typewriters because my Grandma has a lot of typewriters and I like to write with them.
Sincerely,
Thank you to taking our class through the entire Sturgeon's Mill, and making sure we know all about it. I learned some new things about logging, blacksmithing, and engines that make the mill run. For example, in order to work the logging job you have to hook a chain around the log and roll it into place. I also learned that in order to blacksmith you have to melt the iron stick in the fire, take it out, and with the hammer shape it in whatever shape you want.
However, the most interesting thing I learned was that a few huge belts and a steam engine can run the entire mill by the engines metal arm turning really fast. My favorite part of the day was learning about how the big saws works and getting one of the toothes of the saw.
Sincerely,