Fort Snelling was established in 1819, at the confluence of the Minnesota Rivers, and soldiers began using the falls for waterpower.
32.
The factory was built in 1916 on the site of an earlier grist mill, which operated by waterpower from the Squannacook River.
33.
In the 17th century the waterpower of the falls was already being harnessed by English colonists for the operation of gristmills and sawmills.
34.
Ample waterpower sites allowed for many industries in addition to agriculture that benefitted by the wide fertile valley floor along the Butternut and Unadilla.
35.
Later, Washington began the construction of the federal Harpers Ferry Armory on the site, utilizing waterpower from the rivers for manufacturing purposes.
36.
In the milling district, archaeologists found clues suggesting that there were still extensive remains of the foundations of the mills and waterpower system.
37.
However, in 1869 it was reconstructed, along with the Turner Falls Dam, to provide waterpower for both existing and newly planned mills.
38.
A dam at " Long Pond " ( Greenwood Lake ) provided the waterpower needed to operate a blast for the furnace and a large forge.
39.
Its largest impoundment is Quaddick Reservoir, though there are several smaller dams including those that were built for the purpose of harnessing waterpower for industry.
40.
New machinery technology and powerful engines saw the demise of waterpower at the mill when power sources switched at first to steam and lastly to electricity.
