Water-Powered Mills

Water-Powered Mills. . , The high falls were known to early settlers in the 1670's, but it was not until after the American Revolution that the water power was harnessed; after 1783 a mill was built on the north bank of the creek by Jacob Hasbrouck or his son Joseph, to whom the high falls were sold June 25, 1776., By 1796 there were two more mills at the lower falls, where William Peters on the north shore and Simeon Depuy on the south operated fulling mills for the washing and felting of home-made woolen cloth. In 1825, while the D and H Canai was being built, Simeon's son Jacob and Abraham Robison operated grist mills at the lower falls. Wher the manufacture of cement became a local industry, it was more profitable to grind cement than grain, and most of the grist mills were converted to cement mills. In 1860 two cement factories turned out over 68,000 barrels of cement, and a cooperage made barrels for shipping the cement. Two mule-powered railroads and an aerial tramway supplied the mills with calcined limestone from local kilns., Water flowing over these two falls has powered cotton and woolen factories; flour, corn, hauan and plaster mills; a saw mill; cement factories; electrical generators; dyeing works; a leather tannery; and a cooper- age; but little physical evidence remains of the two centuries of industrial activity here.