When fire
destroyed the old mill in 1918 that stood at the east end of
Lower Mill Pond on Carman’s River in Yaphank, one of the oldest
landmarks in this part of Long Island went up with flames.
It was back in
1762 that the town trustees granted to John Homan the privilege
of building a saw mill in lower Yaphank which reads as follows:
“At the town meeting on the 1st day of Nov. 1762, the
trustees then present, voted and agreed that John Homan shall
have liberty to build a saw mill on Connecticut river, below his
house, adjoining to his land; but not to hinder or prejudice the
going of the Upper Mill in any manner, for the sum of 40
shillings.”
At a meeting
of the town trustees February 4, 1771, permission was given
Daniel Homan to build a grist mill at the same place where his
saw mill stood, with the following restrictions:
“That the said
Daniel Homan shall complete the said mill for grinding within
the space of two years from date, and shall keep an approved
miller. The said Homan shall take for toll three quarts and no
more out of each bushel of all sorts of grain which he or they
may grind from time to time. Also he shall keep a bolting mill
with a good country cloth, always to be used by those who have
their grain ground at his mill.”
The grist and
saw mills were important in the early life of the setters, and
it was here that the farmers from miles around brought their
grain to be ground into meal, and also the logs from their
forests to be sawed into timber and boards.