Overview
For more than a century, De Hoop mill dominated the view along Molenstraat in Aalten. In the spring of 1968, however, its story came to a definitive end.
The sails had disappeared long before, the top two metres of the mill tower had been sacrificed to create living accommodation, and by the 1960s there was no longer a market for its final remaining function: sawing timber for farm use. The mill and its outbuildings were demolished and replaced by four new houses.
Foundation
On 2 November 1852, Aalten municipal council considered an application from Messrs Freriks and Buenk to build a “steen-, wind-, koren-, mout- en schorsmolen”. The reference to bark indicates that oak bark was to be ground for use by tanners. There were no objections and permission was granted. The mill was built on a plot north-west of Aalten.
While construction was still under way, the two men applied for permission to equip the mill “ook te mogen inrichten tot het schellen van garst en giers en het slaan van olie”. This too was approved. The mill was named De Hoop. Six years later, Derk Jan Buenk sold his undivided half share in the mill, “annex getimmert, erf en verder toe en aanbehooren”, to his partner Johannes Theodorus Freriks for ƒ2,500.
The miller was Gerrit Jan Lammers. A few years later he bought the mill, and his son Johannes Christiaan (Jehan) Lammers succeeded him as miller.
The mill was initially used for grinding grain and pressing oil from rapeseed. A sawmill was added later. Berend Willem Klomps took over the mill from Lammers in 1923 and remained miller until the late 1950s. In the final years before demolition, the building belonged to the Coop. Landbouwvereniging.
Over the years, several other power sources were used to drive the machinery. For a time the business ran on a gas engine fuelled by town gas. This was later replaced by a diesel engine for heavier work. In the final years, everything was electrically powered.
Demolition
In May 1968, shortly before demolition, the Graafschapbode described the mill’s history in vivid terms:
„Eerst ruisten zijn ranke wieken door de lucht, voortgedreven door de wind om met hun kracht de oude houten tandwielen in beweging te brengen, die op hun beurt zorgden voor de voortbeweging van de werkmechanismen. Maar toen de tijd haastig werd en men niet langer afhankelijk kon zijn van de grillen van het weer, besloot de toenmalige molenaar, de heer Lammers, dat de wieken eraf gehaald zouden worden. Van toen af werd het bedrijf beheerst door het dreunen van de locomobiel, een verplaatsbare stoommachine.”
The mill had already been mechanised before 1930. The remaining tower was demolished in 1968.
In 1969, a deep well was discovered on the site of the former mill.
Although the mill itself had disappeared from the streetscape decades earlier, its name lived on for many years. The Lammers family on Varsseveldsestraatweg continued to be known by the nickname ‘Lammers van de Hoopmölder’.
Address history
Population register 1910–1920
Aalten B274 > Aalten B279
Address directory 1934
Aalten B279 > Molenstraat 5
Mill
Address directory 1967
Molenstraat 5
Mill
Images
