The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1873-01-29
EARLY CORN AND FIGURING MILLS IN
NEW JERSEY.


From the ''IIistory of American Manufac-
lures from 1908 to 1861 We take the follow
ing
In the eastern part of New Jersey, mills
were probably erected by the Dutch and New
England settlers at an early period One of
the first Of which we find any mention was a
mill at Woodbridge in 1670-71, built by Jona-
than Dunhams who agreed with the town to
furnish two stones Of al least avo feet
aoross.' It was the first ~ ti,at place, and
the owner received grants Of End as al en-
couragement. The toll was to- Be onc-six-
teenth. Others were built there III t7o5. ~
Elisha Parker 1903, by John Pike "a yerv
prominent citizen, from Watertown, Masaa-
chusetts) and Richard Cutler and in ITO
by Richard Soper.
About 1850, awater-mill was built near RAM
cocas Creek, in West Jersey, by Thomas
Oliver, and the same year mill was finished
by Robert Stacey, at Trenton. Both of these
persons were proprietors of that part of the
Province. The inhabitants had, it is said.
previous to this, pounded their corn, or ground
it with hand-mills, and that those two mills
were the only ones that ground for the coun-
ty during the first few years after the arrival
under the new grants In 1714 Stacey sold
his mill and plantation of eight hundred
acres, on each side of the Assanpink to Col
onel VIM. Trent, whose name the city bears.
1t was, we believe, the only one there previous
to his death, in 1724.
The first residents of Salem brought their
hand mills from England, but soon resorted
to horses, cattle and wind mills--of which
they had at least three--and water-mills. OF
these last, tide mills were first employed. viz (:
at Mill Creek, marlborough Mill Hollow.
near Salem; Mahoppomy Creek, on Manning
ton; Cooper's Creek; on south side Of Alo-
ways Crock and at Carney Point, in Upper
PENIS Neck.
About the year 1000, John Townsend, one
of four brothers. English Quakers. who
settled, one in New York, one in Pennsylvania.
one in New England, and the other at Little
Egg Harbor, N. j., crossed the river above
that place, and travelled down the shore ten
miles in search Of mill-stream Having
found one, he returned, purchased a pair of
oxen, got them across the river, took the yoke
on his shonlder-as there was not room to
drive them abreast--and thus drove them be-
fore him, on an Indian path, to the spot,
previously selected. He there built him a
cabin and MILL and made a clearing which
he left at his DEATH to three sons from whom
a numerous family have descended. His bro
Their Richard become pioneer in like enter
prise in the forests of Pennsylvania.
letter from Princeton to the General
Advertiser, in 1900, mentions new species of
water grist-mill, lately invented by a Mr..
AIacomb, of that place, which promised entire
ly to supersede the mills in common use, by
its superior excellence in performing the same
amount of work with far less expense of
water, by the use of horizontal wheels. He
received patent for it the following year.
The water-mills near the Trenton Falls about
this time, were of a superior kind in regard
to mechanism, and in addition to grinding
grain, rolled and slit iron and ground plaster.
New Jersey is remarkable for the number
of mill-seats, of which, in 1796, eleven hundred
were improved Five hundred of these were
occupied by houring-mills.