In 1827 W.W. Fetterman purchased the land surrounding Valley Falls and built a ship saw mill, then contracted with William Hanley, an English stone cutter, to cut a mill race for water power using black powder explosives for the first time in this area. J.A. and William Work were employed to build and operate the mill, which supplied most of the lumber used in the surrounding neighborhood. In 1847, John Bradshaw and William Whitescarver built a grist mill at the power site before the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was completed in 1852. At its peak the mill could produce 70 barrels of roller-processed flour per day, which was sold on the market as “The Pride of the Valley” brand. The mill closed in 1905.