Pond Lily Company
By Mitchel Bertini Early manufacturing in New Haven, Connecticut was greatly aided by the West River. From 1776 to 1896, over fifty mills were constructed in Westville and produced a wide range of goods. Another important feature of the West River's industrial history was created in the late 1790s, the Pond Lily Dam. Levi Sperry, son of Richard Sperry, a prominent Westville resident, was given the land and decided to erect a grist mill in 1794. (Welch,6) Grist mills were used at the time to grind corn and grain, so farmers could transport their crops more easily to market. Before building the mill, Sperry dammed the West River in order to create a manageable water flow that could be used to power the facility’s machinery . Early manufacturing in Westville utilized water power from large water wheels that were powered by the West River’s manageable flow of water. The grist mill was shut down in the early 1840s and soon became a carriage facility where springs and axles were f...
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