old tradition restored

Four generations of the Sevier County Justices came together last week to honor a near-forgotten way of life.

When Jackie Arwood started thinking about what it would take to put an old, weather-beaten molasses mill sitting on the family’s old homeplace back into commission last spring he never imagined the project would spawn such interest.

Arwood has fond memories of watching and helping his grandfather, Charlie Justice, make molasses over 20 years ago. When Charlie Justice passed away in 1989 at the age of 80, the family tradition of making molasses appeared to be in jeopardy.

Charlie Justice, who grew up during early 20^th century America, learned the process of making molasses from his father, Caleb Justice.

Whenever Arwood would see his late grandfather’s old molasses mill sitting on the property of the old homeplace on Panther Creek Road, he would naturally reminisce back to the days of his childhood when he, along with a yard-full of siblings and cousins, took so much pride in helping their grandfather make the sweet-to-the-tongue sugar substitute right there in the mill approximately 20 steps away from his grandpa’s old house.

One day last spring he talked to his cousin, Steve Loveday, about his notion to restore the old mill—equipped with a 1939 John Deere LUC Power Unit—back to its prime working condition.

Caleb and Charlie Justice would've sure been proud last week when the idea that sparked their grandsons’ interest on that day last spring finally came to fruition after months of hard work and planning.

For five straight days, family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers, showed up at the old Justice Homeplace to help in a process once prevalent in rural Appalachia that has faded like an old photograph through the years.

Although the cooking of the molasses took just five days, the actual process began with Arwood’s idea last spring and encompassed several months of tedious work.

Arwood said he began the project by restoring the over 50-year old engine on his grandfather’s molasses mill and ordering sorghum seed online from the University of Tennessee.

After getting the mill back into working order, the next thing Arwood and Loveday did was plant an acre of sorghum one morning last March. The sorghum had to be nurtured through Spring and Summer with daily maintenance to the plants. “We watched it mature,” Arwood explained. “When it was ready we stripped the leaves and topped it. We let it sit a day or two and then started cutting.”

The next step was to squeeze the juices out of the sorghum with a device stored a short walk from the mill. The juices were then strained five different times through a series of barrels to eliminate any waste particles.

It was then time to fill the vat with the readied juices produced from the sorghum and begin the cooking. Arwood explained that after the juices came to a boil at 235 degrees, you could actually see the batch change colors and take on a different texture.

Arwood admits he was a bit anxious on Wednesday, October 1 as he waited to see if the final product would come out as anticipated…like it did all those times his grandfather made the molasses over 20 years ago.

“I was nervous about it,” Arwood commented. “I didn’t really know if it was going to come out right until the day we started cooking it, until we got that first batch out.”

The molasses was finally carried into the house and poured into mason jars where it would remain until it was ready to be consumed.

“We were all excited about that first batch,” said Arwood. “Mom had made a bunch of bunch of biscuits and we finally got to try it out. And it was delicious. Everyone enjoyed it.”

All in all, over 200 quarts and over 150 pints of molasses was made last week with the Justice family’s half-century old mill. Jackie Arwood said a lot more came out of the process than some tasty molasses though.

“It was great,” said Arwood. “I really enjoyed it. It brought our family together and it’s rare to get the whole family together anymore unless it’s at a funeral home or a hospital. We were blessed to be able to get together for a good time and not in grief.”

Although it ended up being a nice tribute to the way of life of his forefathers and the Justice family, Jackie Arwood said it couldn’t have been accomplished without the help of several friends and neighbors.

Dorothy Arwood, Jackie’s mother and Charlie Justice’s oldest daughter who owns the old Justice homeplace on Panther Creek, estimated that close to 150 people came through to help or just watch the process during the five days of molasses making. Arwood expressed his appreciation to all that came by to offer assistance.

“People came out of the woodwork,” he said. “We couldn’t have done it without all the help. We made sure that everybody who had a hand in helping us make it at least got a jar of the molasses for themselves.”