Mill Stone

Written on this mill stone is ?Erected in commemoration of the early grist mills and their importance to the industrial development of Ashburnham (MA)?. Ashburnham is my neighboring town and is where my wife grew up. In the early years of this country, mills were built near the rivers to harness the energy created by the flowing water. Most of the mills are gone, either abandoned or converted to condominiums. Some still operate as mills today, but they use electricity to run their machines.