Aerial view of Smithville

New Ipswich Historical Society

Smithville from the air (1950s?)

Newspaper Clipping

Jan 7, 1932

R. E. Dempsey of Greenville, N. H., has purchased the icehouse and ice business owned and operated by Wil- more D. Ashley for the past 19 years. He will fill the icehouse and continue the business, as he did last summer.

Mr. Ashley retains the old mill, but will sell the machinery and tear down the building, as he is janitor of the academy and owner of the Ames dormitory, and this work requires all" his time.

This mill has an interesting history. It was built about 1790 and used as a grist mill. It was first owned by Stephen Farrar, who built the house now owned by Mrs. Sarah Phillips. A bolting machine for wheat flour, the first in town, was introduced in 1793. Previous to that time the flour used was sifted by hand sieves. In 1816 a carding machine was added.

It is known as the old starch factory and farmers in the early days sold their potatoes here for 12 cents a bushel. In 1860-65 cotton batting was manufactured here. About 1870 Charles C. Bellows purchased the mill privilege and made washing machines, spring beds and creasing machines there.

After the death of Mr. Bellows the work was carried on by Dr. F. N. Gibson for many years. Mr. Ashley has used the building as a grist and sawmill and has rebuilt the dam in order to harvest a larger amount of ice..

James Roger diary entries

29th July 1912

Cloudy morning; wind west; drizzle began about 8:30 a.m. David fixing windmill at Spoffords’ in morning & afternoon. I swept Hall and cut part of John Preston’s lawn. Got letter from Hamish