Colonial Mills   

Mills of the colonial period were usually small, family operated enterprises. English kings recognized that mills and rights to the river were essential for colonists, so they granted “privileges” to certain landowners. These privileges guaranteed the right to access and use not only the river’s water, but also the land around the river.

Most dams were made of wood, such as in a crib dam, although some were made of rocks. 

Image by www.autonopedia.org 

Mills were built of locally harvested wood and had foundations made of locally quarried granite. Water power was captured by water wheels and converted to mechanical energy to saw wood, grind locally grown grains, or manufacture a variety of consumer goods. Some of these mills ran only seasonally, such as during spring time snow-melt. Others were located on sites with a steady river flow and steep drop and operated all year. Mills were such an important asset to communities that small villages often developed around them. A good example of this was the village of Wadley located near Wadleigh Falls in Lee.

In 2009, the Lamprey River Advisory Committee awarded a small grant for a project that sought to make the area’s mill history come to life. Neatline Associates of Deerfield located and mapped the various dams and mills that once populated the Lamprey and its many tributaries. Neatline found the historic presence of an impressive 100+ mills in the watershed. Most of these mills were small, seasonal operations, but some mills served as the industrial hub of their communities. There were numerous sawmills and grist mills, but also many specialty mills that catered to small “niche” markets.

The end-products of Neatline’s work include paper and electronic GIS maps showing the locations of the mills, finer detail of several mills that include site maps and estimated impoundments, and photographs of many mill remnants. These products are available at the LRAC’s office and were shared with towns. The information wil be available through this website in the near future. Stay tuned!

The Lamprey River Advisory Committee has also published a children's book, The Story of Peter Little Bear, A Lamprey River Adventure by David Allan and Leslie Hamilton. Based on real events, locations, and artifacts, it is a tale of adventure and friendship between a Washucke boy and his colonial friend in seventeenth century New England. Copies are available at local libraries or by contacting the LRAC here.