page 378 On the Mill River in Mendon, close to the soon-to-be town of Hopedale, the first grist mill was built in about 1672 by Benjamin ALBEE. It stayed a mill of sorts for 175 years. A few of the old original millers were: Mattias PUFFER--1684; David HOWE--1724; Lt. William SHEFFIELD--1735-70; Jeremiah KELLEY--1779.