Messrs. Wells, Blackinton & White commenced business in March, 1822. Their first factory stood near the road in front of the present mill; the same building removed a few rods west of its former position is now used for storing wool. The price paid for sufficient water power for their mill was $300. The first mill cost about $800. The mill was run part of the time on custom work, and part in manufacturing satinet for pantaloon ware, worth about 75 cents per yard. The average quantity produced was about 50 yards per day. The first satinet power looms were used in their mill in 1825 or ’26; they were manufactured by Giles Tinker.

In 1825 Wells, Blackinton & Co. bought out Aaron Foot, who owned a woolen mill near of about the same size and charactor. They paid him $6,000, all in manufactured cloth, he furnishing wool. It proved an unfortunate bargain to Mr. Foot, but a correspondingly advantageous one for the “boys.’

In 1838, Wells & Backinton bought out Joseph L. White. The old Foot mill burned in March 1842 loss $10,000 above the insurance. A stone mill was erected in 1842, the building, waterwheel and shafting costing about $15,000.

The firm of S. Blackinton & Co. was formed in 1850. It then consisted of Sanford, John R., and Wm. S. Blackinton, John B. Tyler and Charles Atkinson. In 1855 Mr. Atkinson retired from the firm, which still continued the name of S. Blackinton & Co. On the 2d of April, 1857, a fire broke out which caused great damage to the interior of the stone mill, the machinery, stock, etc. In 1860, Wm. S. Blackinton purchased of John R. Blackinton and John B. Tyler their interest in the firm, and became an equal partner with his father. The firm’s name was changed to S. Blackinton & Son.

The breaking out of the war in 1861, gave a great impetus to the company, and they commenced to enlarge their plans, extending their buildings and adding machinery. Their last important addition was made in 1872, when a large building was erected and considerable machinery brought from England, making the mill an eighteen-set plant, or double its capacity at commencement of the civil war. During the war the company had large contracts for army goods, finding them quite profitable. On the 4th of September, 1875, Mr. Wm. Blackinton died suddenly. His death, made it necessary to withdraw his interest from the concern, and in 1870 a stock company was formed by Sanford Blackinton, Lemuel Pomeroy, E. S. Wilkinson and 0. A. Archar as incorporators, under the firm name of the S. Blackinton Woolen Co., with a paid up capital of $250,000, whose property covered substantially the mill property of the late firm of S. Blackinton & Son.

This locality doubtless gained its name from traditions handed down by descendants of the early settlers, more especially those of Clarksburg. It seems there was a beaver dam of great strength and durability [sic duarability], erected by these little animals on the Hudson brook, at the narrow gorge just below the Natural Bridge. That the constant toll of these creatures, together with the floodwood, etc., raised the dam to a great height, and caused the water to flow back, so as to obliterate the falls.

There are plain evidences that the water must at some period have washed the whole surface and worn out the fissuers, chasms and basins. Captain Shippee, who resided above the falls some 90 years ago, has been heard to say that he saw the remains of the beaver dam. Several other families, descendents of the early settlers, confirmed his statements.

The now thriving settlement, known as the Beaver, was in its original state a wild, romantic, and sequestered locality. In fact it was scarcely approachable on foot by the fisherman and hunter, owing to the steep and almost perpendicular rocky bluff, just above the Eclipse mill.

In 1832, Major Lorenzo Rice, a carpenter by trade, and George W. Bly, a Practical machinist. formed a copartnership under the firm name of Rice & Bly, leasing the basement story of the Slater mill in order to manufacture cotton machinery for their own use. In the same year they purchased of Silas Shippee the “town lot,” containing 26 acres of land, and all the water power (Beaver mill site), for $500. In 1833 they erected a stone mill 40x80 feet and three stories high, also several dwellings. The first set of machinery consisted of some 20 looms and preparations for making print goods. The same year, after much effort, the town of Adams was induced to lay out the road from the Union to Clarksburg line, Rice & Bly rendering important aid in building the highway and bridge. A committee of survey had previously declared it impracticable to construct this road.

In 1835, Edmund Burk, an extensive manufacturer of Conway, became a resident partner in the concern. The sweeping financial panic of 1837, was weathered in safety by this firm of only five years growth, which had begun to build its mill with scarcely means enough to lay the foundation.