Water Power

Almost as soon as settlers arrived along the river, they began building mills to harness the power of the water. Mills included a grist mill, woolen mills, and the largest, a flour mill. The latter was built by Anson Brown in 1826 when he dammed the river, and was run by several different families for the next sixty-six years. To learn more, see The Era of Railroads and Mills: 1860-1910.

The flour mill is visible in the left side of the photo along the head race created to carry the water under the mill and through the water wheel.