The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-12-29
GROUND FOR 26l YEARS.
OLD TOWN MILL At GUILFORD
FOUNDED IN 1915

Early HistOry--Rats Bothered Millers
Structure Rebuilt Number of
Times-Present Building Erected in
1907.
Guilford has many ancient things
within it's borders, but about as time
Worn as anything tina. can be shown
the visitor is the town mill doing bust
ness at the old stand in the nth part
Of the town, where it has been in ope-
ration for almost two hdnire1 and fifty
years The mill now in operation is
not the original, as several ancient
structures precedent This one, but the
same institution is grinding farmers
corn and wheat to-day that aid it in
the early days. Old town mills in any
ancient town are an Interesting specta-
Gle, but there are few towns in tile
country which have an older mill than
the one in Guilford. Mo- many towns
own a grist mill which mas been opera
ted under town AUSPICES continuously
since 1645, a period of two hundred ard
sixty or1a years.
Guilford was founded in the fall Of
1899 and the hardy settlers from Ock-
ley, in Surrey, England, first tht usht OF
their church and school Af5er these
We're firmly established about the first
thing was the organization Of the town
mill. This old mil was started in 1915
and has been grinding away year after
year since. The town for many years
had no other industry, practically, ex-
cept agriculture, but in these days
there are other elements that enter into
the industrial life of Guilford, and the
town mill is not the important adjunct
to the towns activity that it once was.
The town miller has always been more
or less of an important parsonage in
town, and any boy or girl in the old
days could tell instantly who the miller
was. The town mill used also to be the
place where the small boys, playing
hockey from school, would so and
watch the big water wheel working
away in the deep pit under the mill
The old town mill could tell many good
stories.
The first mill of the town, which was
the predecessor of the present one, was
built at the south end of the town, and
was completed about 1t45 and was Of
the old fashioned tide mill variety. This
wasn't a success, for it only had. life
of thirteen years and the planters were
evidently glad when they saw 1t go.
The tide mill was built near the mouth
| of what is called Sluide Creek. The ar
rangement was so that the rising tide
would bring in a supply of water which
would be used gradually for power I'M
til the next tide came. The first man
to operate the town mill was ons of the
founders of the town, Mr. Krltchell.
He made arrangements with the town
officials as to the price he should
charge,
When a bushel Of grain was brought
to be ground Mr.. Kritchell would take
out certain quantity which went to
the town and another quantity which
went to him A big dam was built
with a large flood gate, but as there
were frequent 'ibreeches" in the dam,
the town agreed with Mr.. Kritchell
that the miller would stand one-half Of
the cost of repairing these damages
done to the dam and mill property.
Mr., Kritehell had more on his hands
than he desired, for floods damaged TIL:
works so badly that the town voted
soon after to release Mr.. Kritchell. 'out
Of love and respect to him" from bear
ing all the charges agraed upon. The
town was to bear the larger part of tbs
expense for repairs in the future, but
even under these arranga ments the mil
Ter didn't make a success of the work
The town therefore voted to take
whatever interest Mr.. Kritchell had in
the mill, and March %, 1647, took pos
session of the plant. It also voted him
interest on his investment at the rate
of eight per cent. for the time his mon.
ey had been tied up in the mill. Wher
the town became full owner of the mil
it repaired the flood gates and appoint
ed Thomas Norton the first real town
miller of Guilford.
The tide mill was finally abandoned
and the new mill which stood where
the present one does on the bank ot
West river was started in 1859 Mr.
Norton died in 164S and he was sue.
ceeded in that year by Francis Bush
nell, and at this tims the miller re.
ceived one-half Of the toll
William Stone succeeded Mr.. Bush.
1 M or
granted the mill for year provided hi
procura new mill stone and 'leave
the mill in good repair at the end u
the term" He kept the post for three
years, retiring in 1867 and at that time
the town appointed a committee OF
three citizens to take the entire charge
of "all matters respecting the mil
house, the running g ars, tackling, etc.
During this administration the days or
which farmers could have the services
of the town miller for the grinding o.
their grain were Tuesdays and Fridays
The other days he probably attended II
his farm work, as the income from the
mill wasn't large John Norton became
Mr.. Stones successor in 1915 and he re,
manned for many years as the town
miller. There was a large lot sur,
| rounding the town mill and he was al.
lowed by the town to enclose the lot a
q pasture while he remained as the
miller. He was succeeded by his two
sons, John and Thomas Norton, in Au.
gust, 17O4.
The old mill had now become pretty
well dilapidated, SO the town voted tc