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The Giroux Mill (borough of Olmet, district of Courpière) dates back to the end of the 15th century at least. It was actually mentioned in 1474 in Le Terrier de Meymont of 1478, a chronicle of the time. It was then recorded as being "banal"(1) which means it was entitled to grind the rye brought by all the residents of that area. This was a few miles' market area (1) around the mill which the local squire controlled. In those days, the Giroux mill as well as its surroundings (2) depended on the Parish of La Chabasse and was run by a miller called Benoid Magallon. The 1899 "Statistics Report About Mills And Factories Along Non-Navigable Rivers" of the Departement of Puy-de-Dôme (Grid B - East) shows that the Giroux mill drained a supply of about 150 cubic-meters of flowing water with 8.8 horse-power but used only a quarter of it (2 HP) and that its two spinning-wheels (horizontal wood-turbines) set into motion two pairs of millstones under a 2.2 metres fall. The nut oilmill is not mentioned although it was probably annexed to the grain mill. The last family of millers before Christian Bonnot who bought the mill on September 30th, 1995, were called Dufour.
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