His sawmill and grist mill attracted settlers to Auburn. Willcox built a grist and lumber mill across Green Brook. They built a dam and then a sawmill and grist mill. Grist, cider, lumber, and fulling mills were built. Flour and grist mills were built around 1827. The kernels were then taken to a grist mill for grinding into flour. Remains of a grist mill, homestead, and limekiln remain. There were six grist mills and 25 saw mills. He also needed machinery to use in a grist mill to process any wheat produced. Durfee was a shipwright, and Borden was the owner of a grist mill. The hamlet began to prosper with a tannery, grist and plaster mills. This left just the grist mill standing. The grist mill operated continuously for 111 years. It may have been part of the Grist Mill complex. Water was used to drive grist mills.