Lt. John Wilson built a corn mill on this site in 1685 which then included 30 acres for grinding "corne" with revolving stones. This business was later carried on by the Gleason and Blodget families. In 1840, a paper mill was established on the site for manufacturing coarse paper. The paper mill was destroyed by fire, but the foundation of the old mill is still clearly visible at the bridge over Vine Brook.
The mill pond, created by damming Vine Brook, is one of the few open bodies of water in Bedford and supplements an important wildlife habitat corridor along Route 3, which supports a diverse wildlife population.
The land was donated to the town of Bedford, in memory of John and Sophie DeVincent of Waltham, by their heirs in 1997. The establishment of the Wilson Mills Historic District recognizes the historical significance of this town land and assures its permanent conservation. It is open to the public.
The new cache container is a cammo-covered round Twist and Store container with plenty of room for small travel bugs and tradable items.
Reminder: You must sign the log in order to log your find online. There is a pen in the cache for your convenience.
Please re-hide as found so we can keep this one going. 18 years old and going strong!